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 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, 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.

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 here.

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.

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: The Well-Tempered Clavier, other uncollected preludes, and even BWV 999, a prelude that Bach wrote for the lute, and which is well-known.

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 The Well-Tempered Clavier, 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 Art of Fugue. 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.

This set also contains the twenty "Little Preludes", other didactic works from the Clavierbüchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. Among these works, Watchorn "completed" the prelude BWV 932, which existed as a fragment. I find the Little Preludes interesting, but they certainly don't stand up to the French Suites. These are not works I return to often, though Watchorn's recordings are up to the same standards as the French Suites.

To sum up, this is a fine recording of the French Suites, 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.

-- Kirk McElhearn, MusicWeb International

The initial installment of the Clavier-ubung, Bach's first published opus. The most complete recording of the Bach Partitas, on 3 CDs, with all the repeats played. Recorded on a state-of-the-art replica of a German-style harpsichord from 1709. Latest release in Musica Omnia's complete recording of Bach's solo music for harpsichord performed by one of the leading specialists in this core repertoire. Booklet essay by Peter Watchorn, providing detailed background and musical analysis.

The Harmen Kröger organ of St. Mary’s Church in Celle, Lower Saxony, dates from 1653, and is witness to the changing musical requirements placed on the instrument from its first construction into the early 20th century. Restored in 1999 to its original state by Australian organ builder, Rowan West, it provides an authentic voice for the music of Northern German masters from Scheidemann through to Buxtehude and Bach. Brett Leighton, one of Europe’s leading organists specializing in authentic instruments of the 17th and 18th centuries provides a comprehensive portrait of the German organ of this period. - Musica Omnia

1 Dietrich Buxtehude: Toccata in D minor, BuxWV 155
2 Matthias Weckmann: Canzona (III) in D minor
3 Jacob Praetorius: Von allen Menschen abgewandt I
4 Jacob (II) Praetorius: Von allen Menschen abgewandt II & III
5 Heinrich Scheidemann: Praeambulum in C major, WV 72
6 Heinrich Scheidemann: Eine feste Burg ist unser Gott,WV 76
7 Franz Tunder: Praeludium in F major
8 Melchior Schildt(?):Wie schön leucht uns der Morgenstern = Johann Sebastian Bach: In dulci jubilo, BWV 608
9 J. S. Bach: Allein Gott in der Höh‘ sey Ehr, BWV 676
10 J. S. Bach: Toccata in C major, BWV 564