Richard Egarr - Bach: The French Suites (2016) Hi-Res

Richard Egarr is world renowned for directing the Academy of Ancient Music and other period ensembles, though his fine reputation is equally based on his performances of Baroque keyboard music, which he has recorded extensively for Harmonia Mundi. This 2016 release of Johann Sebastian Bach's French Suites, BWV 812-817, which Egarr plays on a modern replica of a ca. 1650 harpsichord by Joseph Johannes Couchet, continues his series of highly polished recordings of great Baroque keyboard pieces, which includes works by George Frederick Handel, Henry Purcell, and François Couperin, and follows his 2012 release of Bach's English Suites, BWV 806-811. The variety of his interpretations of 18th century dance forms and their expressive possibilities make Egarr's performances especially appealing, and the freshness of his ornamentation and his lively rhythms keep the music surprising at every turn. The six suites are divided evenly between two CDs, and Egarr concludes with the Menuet II and three variant Courantes from BWV 813, using the 1722 autograph from the Klavierbüchlein, a copy by Heinrich Nikolaus Gerber, and a copy by Anna Magdalena Bach. Highly recommended for Bach fans who prefer historically informed performances on harpsichord.