Johann Sebastian Bach viewed the intricate texture of his instrumental works as an abstract quality, not always tied to a specific instrument.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in July 2017 at the Théâtre Populaire Romand, Salle de Musique, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, a venue known for its extraordinary acoustics.
Composition History
Bach himself arranged the fifth Cello Suite (BWV 1011) for solo lute (BWV 995), dedicating it to the Leipzig bookseller and publisher Jacob Schuster.
Critical Reception
Thomas Dunford's first solo CD, 'Lachrimae', won the 2013 Prix Caecilia, and BBC Music Magazine called him "the Eric Clapton of the lute."
Composer Biography
Bach's son, Carl Philipp Emanuel, stated that his father played the violin "cleanly and penetratingly until the approach of old age," though his own works may have exceeded his performing abilities.
Performer Biography
Thomas Dunford, the lutenist on this album, made his debut playing the lutenist in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' at the Comédie-Française from 2003 to 2005.
Interpretation
When Bach made arrangements, he would alter part-writing, add new material, and transpose the original to achieve the best tessitura for the new instrument, rather than strictly adhering to the original work.
