J.S. Bach's Capriccio sopra la lontananza del fratello dilettissimo (Capriccio on the Absence of my Beloved Brother) was modeled after Johann Kuhnau's Biblical Sonatas.
Interpretation
The performer, Francesco Corti, opens the early version of Bach's French Suite in E-flat with a prelude from a later version, based on the presumed practice of Bach improvising preludes.
Composer Biography
Johann Sebastian Bach's private musical activities, such as what he played for his own enjoyment or how he shared music with his family, are rarely documented.
Performer Biography
Francesco Corti, the harpsichordist, has won prizes at the Bach-Wettbewerb Leipzig (2006) and the Bruges Harpsichord Competition (2007) and is a professor at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The 'Klavierbüchlein' show that Bach's compositions were not fixed, but rather 'fluid compositions that underwent constant revisions' and were copied at different stages.
Historical Context
Before conservatories existed, being born into a musical family was the most common way to learn the profession of music, with pupils often living with their teachers.
Composition History
The repertoire on this album comes from seven sources, including three 'Klavierbüchlein' (little keyboard books) that J.S. Bach prepared for his son Wilhelm Friedemann and his second wife Anna Magdalena.
