Angela Hewitt - Bach: The English Suites, BWV 806-811 (2003)

Tracklist

CD1
01. English Suite No. 1 in A Major, BWV 806: I. Prelude
02. English Suite No. 1 in A Major, BWV 806: II. Allemande
03. English Suite No. 1 in A Major, BWV 806: III. Courante I
04. English Suite No. 1 in A Major, BWV 806: IV. Courante II avec deux doubles
05. English Suite No. 1 in A Major, BWV 806: V. Sarabande
06. English Suite No. 1 in A Major, BWV 806: VI. Bourrée I – Bourrée II
07. English Suite No. 1 in A Major, BWV 806: VII. Gigue
08. English Suite No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 807: I. Prelude
09. English Suite No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 807: II. Allemande
10. English Suite No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 807: III. Courante
11. English Suite No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 807: IV. Sarabande – Les agréments de la même sarabande
12. English Suite No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 807: V. Bourrée I – Bourrée II
13. English Suite No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 807: VI. Gigue
14. English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808: I. Prelude
15. English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808: II. Allemande
16. English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808: III. Courante
17. English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808: IV. Sarabande – Les agréments de la même sarabande
18. English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808: V. Gavotte I – Gavotte II (Musette)
19. English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808: VI. Gigue

CD2
01. English Suite No. 4 in F Major, BWV 809: I. Prelude
02. English Suite No. 4 in F Major, BWV 809: II. Allemande
03. English Suite No. 4 in F Major, BWV 809: III. Courante
04. English Suite No. 4 in F Major, BWV 809: IV. Sarabande
05. English Suite No. 4 in F Major, BWV 809: V. Menuet I – Menuet II
06. English Suite No. 4 in F Major, BWV 809: VI. Gigue
07. English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810: I. Prelude
08. English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810: II. Allemande
09. English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810: III. Courante
10. English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810: IV. Sarabande
11. English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810: V. Passepied I – Passepied II
12. English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810: VI. Gigue
13. English Suite No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 811: I. Prelude
14. English Suite No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 811: II. Allemande
15. English Suite No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 811: III. Courante
16. English Suite No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 811: IV. Sarabande – Double
17. English Suite No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 811: V. Gavotte I – II

With the English Suites (the 'English' is not Bach's and there is nothing particularly English about them) Angela Hewitt all but completes her survey of Bach's keyboard works (there will be one further CD mopping up various odds and ends). These six suites, along with the French Suites and the six Partitas, present Bach's mature thoughts on the standard baroque suite of dances and as such are the greatest examples of the form.

Unlike the smaller scale French Suites the English all begin with a large-scale prelude, often rather concerto-like and very virtuosic; these are works for a very accomplished professional player rather than the amateur that much keyboard music of the 18th century would have been aimed at.

Angela Hewitt rises to all the challenges in her usual superb style and needless to say these performances will meet with the acclaim of her previous Bach recordings.

All of the music on this album is also available as part of the specially priced box set Angela Hewitt plays Bach: 'A magnificent retrospective of Angela Hewitt’s achievement as a pianist in the keyboard works of J S Bach … this remarkable set of recordings marks something of a milestone for everyone involved with classical music, as well as for Hyperion' (MusicWeb International).

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