The Partitas are the first work for harpsichord published by Johann Sebastian Bach. Between 1726 and 1730, the partitas were published separately, one per year, before being brought together in a single collection in 1731. Shortly after his appointment of Cantor of the Leipzig Thomaskirche, Bach decided to devote his Opus I to a fashionable genre: the harpsichord suite, a series of dances of contrasting character, united by the same key and preceded by a prelude. The Partitas are, to all intents and purposes, Bach's last word on this musical form, the most mature, a sort of collection: each type of dance is explored, with a compositional virtuosity that requires from the performer, in addition to an undisputed technical ability, a depth of reading capable of grasping the mathematical relationships that trace the general architecture. Lorenzo Ghielmi, one of the most famous interpreters of Bach's works, presents us with a recording in which elegance and measure allow the beauty and formal rigour of these pages to coexist.

The Italian Renaissance is the golden age of the lute. In quality and quantity, the lute pieces from this period are comparable to the piano works of the 19th century. Most of the works selected for this recording are by Francesco da Milano, an extraordinary virtuoso and gifted composer who was also known as "Il Divino" (the Divine), an epithet he shared with Michelangelo and Monteverdi. In addition to lute pieces by da Milano, the recording also includes other equally outstanding works by contemporaries, among them some of the Milanese's pupils. Thanks to this selection, it is easy to comprehend still today why the lute was considered the noblest instrument of all in the 16th century: Il nobilissimo istromento.

Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater was extremely popular throughout Europe soon after it was composed in 1736. Countless printed and handwritten versions of this work, which was considered the stylistic ideal of sacred music in the 18th century, can be found in libraries all over the world. There are five manuscript copies of the Stabat Mater in the archives of Málaga Cathedral. This recording presents a version performed when Juan Francés de Iribarren was chapel master there. He did not copy the work exactly, but created a revision with substantial changes. Also included in the recording are some of Iribarren’s own works.

The fact that Belgian organist, educator, and composer Joseph Jongen (1873-1953) had a small renaissance in the last few years, at least on CD recordings, is probably due to his charming chamber music and especially to his chamber music for harp. Every work of this recording with the Belgian ensemble Oxalys proves how much Jongen was able to conjure virtuosically with the possibilities of the instrument. In the Concert à cinq, for example, he works in a very subtle, fresh and refined way with the playing methods and the articulation. Anyone who has always looked for repertoire additions to the well-known harp works of Debussy and Ravel will find it on this release.

Spanish baroque music always offers interesting discoveries: Juan Manuel de la Puente (1692-1753) became conductor of the cathedral of Jaén at the age of 19 and thus one of the successors of the Renaissance master Francisco Guerrero, who held the office around 1545. The works recorded here have been preserved in the archives of the cathedral and bear witness to the great skill of the composer. The Baroque Orchestra of Seville is unquestionably among the very finest Spanish groups dedicated to historical performance practice and the interpretation of ancient music. Founded in 1995 by Barry Sargent and Ventura Rico, the group has been led by artistic director Pedro Gandia Martin since 2001. The group has performed throughout Europe and has recorded several well-received albums.

Niccolò Jommelli (1714-1774) was one of the most sought-after opera composers of his time when he was appointed Court Kapellmeister in Stuttgart in 1753. Three years later he composed a requiem in memory of the late Duchess of Württemberg, the mother of the patron Duke Karl Eugen. The work was to become the most famous composition written by him postmortem, as is evidenced by the almost one hundred handwritten and printed copies that have been preserved in some seventy libraries throughout Europe, including some in the USA. For their recording Peter Van Heyghen and Il Gardellino have chosen a line-up that comes closest to the premiere version.

Flemish composer and harpsichordist Johan Huys (*1942) was president of the competition at the MA Festival Bruges for almost forty years. He also composed several pieces for harpsichord for this world-famous competition. His former student Guy Penson has recorded some of his teacher's harpsichord works for this new recording on PASSACAILLE. The Belgian harpsichordist, Guy Penson, studied at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent. He is a laureate of several international competitions including the Musica Antiqua Competition in Bruges in 1980. Since finishing his studies, Guy Penson has gained an impressive reputation in Belgium and abroad. He has appeared as a guest-artist at the most important European festivals (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Scandinavia), as well as in Canada and South America. As a harpsichordist he performs regularly in solo recitals, and in collaboration with many renowned orchestras.

With this recital dedicated to German songs by Joseph Haydn, Alice Foccroulle and Pierre Gallon leave their familiar territory - that of Baroque music - and present a personal, thoroughly informed interpretation of these songs, free of the many layers of varnish that have built up over the centuries on these little treasures of vocal music. It is free of the many layers of varnish that have been applied to these little treasures of vocal music over the centuries. Alice Foccroulle is accompanied partly by harpsichord, partly by pianoforte, and leads us across the narrow ridge between the Baroque and the Classical periods. The listener is invited into the Viennese salons of the late 18th century, where love songs and little philosophical or religious tales in German are performed in domestic settings. They are characterized by tenderness, intensity and humor, sometimes with a touch of cynicism. All in all, Haydn shows himself here from an intimate side, impressively realizing the zeitgeist of an epoch in a state of transformation.

As the name suggests, a claviorganum is a keyboard instrument with a harpsichord section and an organ section, which can be played individually or together over one or two manuals. It is always appealing to try to make the connection between an instrument and a particular repertoire. That is the task il gardellino and Bart Naessens have set themselves with this recording. While there is no evidence that Handel knew the claviorganum, it may be considered likely. The production shows in an impressive way that the claviorganum sounds excellent in the selected repertoire as a solo as well as a continuo instrument.

On a copy of a 1730 Cristofori-Ferrini Pianoforte Linda Nicholson demonstrates the qualities of these earliest of pianofortes. The repertoire, sonatas from Platti, Paradisi et al., all composed between 1720-1754, is perfect for this instrument, whose sound is much closer to the harpsichord than the later pianofortes, despite its dynamic abilities.

During the Tudor period in England, there was a great variety of keyboard instruments, be it virginals, organs, spinettes or harpsichords. These instruments were particularly popular with the court, and Tudor's music enthusiasts were self-assured instrumentalists. The Ensemble Tasto Solo and Guillermo Pérez took on the musical pearls of this eventful epoch with this new release. Tasto Solo rediscovers virtuoso and highly refined repertoires from the late Medieval and early Renaissance periods. Directed by the organetto player Guillermo Perez, the ensemble approaches Early Music with exquisite performances by combining historical research, creativity and the art of transmitting emotions. Each concert is a unique event: the group pays full attention to every detail, including staging, dramatic rhythm, improvisation and dialogue between the artists. Contemporary audiences, whether connoisseur or inexperienced, are seduced from the very first note, overwhelmed by the sensuality and unusual sonorities that make up Tasto Solo’s particular identity.

Brahms composed relatively few original works for piano four hands, but arranged almost all of his chamber music and orchestral works for this instrumentation. He also used to play most of the works for four hands with Clara Schumann immediately after completion. For the piano duo Wyneke Jordans & Leo van Doeselaar, it was an obvious choice to conclude their series of recordings of four-handed piano works by German composers on period instruments with the music of Brahms. On the Blüthner grand piano from 1867, it becomes clear how Brahms made perfect use of the entire keyboard in his writing for four hands. The various registers appear completely transparent and clear.

The workload of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach as cantor of the Johanneum and music director of Hamburg's five main churches was enormous - especially on important church holidays: During the time of the Passion, for example, ten Passions had to be composed, rehearsed and performed within thirteen days each year. No wonder that in view of numerous other obligations, he also drew on works by other composers and arranged them to suit local conditions and tastes. One of these works is the St. Luke Passion of 1775, most of which is by Gottfried August Homilius (1714-1785). Paul Dombrecht introduces us to this 'Homilius a la C.P.E. Bach'.

With this record, Swiss harpsichordist Michel Kiener presents his interpretation of this absolute masterpiece by Bach. Michel Kiener undertook both his piano and harpsichord studies at the Geneva Conservatory of Music, where he won the prize of virtuosity in both disciplines. He perfected his art with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam and was laureate of the Bruges International Harpsichord Competition. Due to his versatility and his passion for chamber music, Kiener has performed with many outstanding artists such as Christophe Coin, the Kuijken brothers, Ryo Terakado and singers such as Marta Almajano and Jennifer Smith. As a soloist he performed with the ensembles Il Giardino Armonico and Il Gardellino. Michel Kiener performs the Goldberg Viariations on his magnificent harpsichord with sumptuous bass made by William Dowd in Paris in 1978, modelled on an instrument made by N. Blanchet in 1730.

Bach's Goldberg Variations are one of the masterpieces of piano music of which harpsichordists and pianists alike would like to present their “personal version”. The version by Korean harpsichordist Sungyun Cho is characterized by poetic approach, fluent playing and the ability to build a unifying and lasting tension. SUNGYUN CHO began her musical studies in Seoul, South Korea, at the Seoul Arts High School, and at the Yonsei University with Professor Kwak Tongsoon. From there she went to the Royal Conservatory of The Hague where she studied harpsichord performance and chamber music with such internationally renowned pedagogues as Jacques Ogg, Patrick Ayrton, and Ryo Terakado. Throughout her studies, she performed across Europe as a soloist and chamber musician, and she completed her program in The Hague with the highest marks and distinction. After graduation, Cho’s career grew rapidly, and she quickly drew the attention of many around the world.