Early versions of the French Suites were found in the 1722 Clavierbüchlein, a music notebook belonging to Anna Magdalena Bach, his second wife.
Performer Biography
Yuan Sheng, the pianist on this recording, is recognized internationally for his performances and research on Bach's music, with The New York Times praising his 'clarity, balance and proportion'.
Compositional Technique
Unlike the English Suites, the French Suites lack extended preludes, though a modern performer can add an improvised or composed prelude in line with Baroque practice.
Historical Context
The titles 'English' and 'French' for Bach's suites were not used by Bach himself, but were later popularized by his first biographer, Johann Nicholas Forkel, and normalized in the 19th century.
Compositional Technique
Bach did not consider the French Suites to have a final form, as evidenced by numerous variations in surviving manuscripts, including added ornaments and modified bass lines.
Composition History
The French Suites were originally pedagogical works, not intended for publication, as Bach built a repertory of teaching pieces for his students.
Composer Biography
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) considered his time as Court Music Director for Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Cöthen, his happiest position.
