Bach's keyboard suites, though composed of various dance forms, were not intended for actual dancing; instead, the dance characteristics informed the music's mood.
Performer Biography
Ashley Fripp, the pianist on this album, has won prizes at over a dozen national and international competitions, including the Hamamatsu and Leeds International Piano Competitions.
Composition History
Chopin's "Berceuse in D flat major, Op.57" was originally titled 'Variations' but was changed before publication.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Chopin's unique ability to make the piano sing with naturalness, often using expansive melodies, is a pervasive quality throughout his piano literature.
Composition History
Bach's English Suites, including the one on this album, are generally considered to have been written before his French Suites and Partitas, possibly around 1715 or in the early 1720s.
Composer Biography
During his lifetime, J.S. Bach was more widely recognized for his exceptional performing skills than for his compositions.
Composer Biography
Thomas Adès, the composer of "Concert Paraphrase on Powder Her Face," wrote his first opera, "Powder Her Face," at the age of 24 in 1995.
