Sophie Yates performs on a double manual Flemish harpsichord, a copy by Andrew Garlick of a 1624 Ioannes Ruckers instrument now in Colmar, France.
Compositional Technique
Each of Bach's 'English' Suites begins with a substantial Prélude, a homage to a French tradition where preludes were often improvised to set a mood and test instrument tuning.
Composition History
J.S. Bach copied and studied Charles Dieupart's Six Suittes de Clavessin of 1701, a French composer who had settled in London, and replicated their form in his 'English' Suites.
Composition History
The nickname 'English' for these suites originated from a handwritten copy owned by Bach's youngest son, Johann Christian Bach, which bore the inscription 'Fait pour les Anglois' ('Made for the English').
Composition History
The 'English' Suites were likely written in the second decade of the eighteenth century, but the name 'English' was not given to them until the 1750s.
Composition History
There is no surviving autograph manuscript of Bach's 'English' Suites, and surprisingly little is known about their history.
Recording & Production
This Chandos recording uses 24-bit / 96 kHz technology, which offers a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings.
