{"product_id":"bach-the-6-french-suites-bwv-812-817-little-preludes-bw","title":"Bach: The 6 French Suites, BWV 812-817 \u0026 Little Preludes, BW","description":"Bach's French Suites are pieces that underwent many revisions. Unlike Bach's Partitas, which were published and therefore frozen in their state at the time of publication, the French Suites were didactic pieces, with many variants. Some early versions appear in the 1722 \u003cem\u003eNotebook for Anna Magdalena Bach\u003c\/em\u003e, which contains two full suites (BWV 815 and 816) together with parts of the first two suites. Peter Watchorn discusses how Bach used these suites for teaching in his interesting liner-notes. These take the form of an imaginary interview with Johann Sebastian Bach.\u003cbr\u003e     \u003cbr\u003e                    The first thing that strikes the listener is the clear, rich                     sound of the harpsichord, a Zuckerman copy of a Christian Vater                     instrument from 1738. Not only does this harpsichord offer an                     extremely balanced sound from the low end to the treble, but                     the recording itself enhances the musicality of the instrument.                     It sounds warm and full, without the sometimes harsh high end                     that can be tiring to listen to. Also, it is worth noting that                     Watchorn uses Bradley Lehman's tuning scheme, described                     \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.larips.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e     \u003cbr\u003e    Watchorn's performances here are delightful. His playing ranges from dainty to powerful according to the needs of each specific movement. He takes full advantage of the wide spectrum of sounds his harpsichord can voice, offering tasteful ornamentation and subtle accents when desirable.\u003cbr\u003e     \u003cbr\u003e    One thing that Watchorn does here that sets this recording apart from others involves interpolating preludes into those suites that lack a prelude. He has restored the prelude to the 4th suite, and plays other preludes before the suites that do not contain any. His reasoning, laid out in the liner-notes, is in part due to the fact that Bach and his sons would \"improvise\" preludes when playing these suites. To this end, he uses preludes from a variety of sources: \u003cem\u003eThe Well-Tempered Clavier\u003c\/em\u003e, other uncollected preludes, and even BWV 999, a prelude that Bach wrote for the lute, and which is well-known.\u003cbr\u003e     \u003cbr\u003e    I am very familiar with the French Suites, having long appreciated these beautiful works. Adding preludes to them is interesting, but when one has listened to them without these preludes for so long, it can be jarring to hear them with what seem like \"intruders\", especially those preludes that are familiar from \u003cem\u003eThe Well-Tempered Clavier\u003c\/em\u003e, or the prelude for lute. I admire the research that has gone into this choice, but I will choose to listen to the French Suites without these additional movements. It is like Bach's \u003cem\u003eArt of Fugue\u003c\/em\u003e. For a long time, it was thought that the unfinished fugue was the final part of the work; it certainly sounds like a summation of the rest of the fugues, and its ending in suspension is a fitting ending for the entire work. But musicologists have shown us that its position in the work was much earlier. Nevertheless, I simply cannot listen to it in its proper position.\u003cbr\u003e     \u003cbr\u003e    This set also contains the twenty \"Little Preludes\", other didactic works from the \u003cem\u003eClavierbüchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach\u003c\/em\u003e. Among these works, Watchorn \"completed\" the prelude BWV 932, which existed as a fragment. I find the \u003cem\u003eLittle Preludes\u003c\/em\u003e interesting, but they certainly don't stand up to the \u003cem\u003eFrench Suites\u003c\/em\u003e. These are not works I return to often, though Watchorn's recordings are up to the same standards as the \u003cem\u003eFrench Suites\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e     \u003cbr\u003e    To sum up, this is a fine recording of the \u003cem\u003eFrench Suites\u003c\/em\u003e, with the odd aspect of the additional preludes. It is up to the listener to decide whether or not he or she wishes to hear the suites in this manner. Given the quality of the performances and especially the excellent recording, this set is among the best harpsichord recordings of these works.\u003cbr\u003e     \u003cbr\u003e    -- Kirk McElhearn, MusicWeb International","brand":"Musica Omnia","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49607549157656,"sku":"801890040226","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/2424420.jpg?v=1777768338","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/products\/bach-the-6-french-suites-bwv-812-817-little-preludes-bw","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}