Pianist Jeffrey Biegel incorporates his own considered ornamentation and improvisation into the repeated sections of Bach's music, aiming to recreate a Baroque sense of improvisation on a modern instrument.
Recording & Production
This album, "Bach on a Steinway," is the first release on the new recording label of Steinway & Sons.
Composer Biography
Johann Sebastian Bach was initially unimpressed with early versions of the pianoforte, calling them "Too weak in the high register and too hard to play."
Instruments
The recording features a Steinway Model D piano, handcrafted in 1980, chosen by pianist Jeffrey Biegel for its "warmth and wide dynamic range, but also the brightness and bite I was after for Bach."
Performer Biography
Jeffrey Biegel, the pianist on this recording, has premiered new works with various orchestras, including the Boston Pops, New York Pops, and the American Symphony Orchestra.
Compositional Technique
The French Suites, composed by Bach between 1722 and 1725, elevate traditional Baroque dance forms to their highest level, despite having nothing "especially French" about them.
Composer Biography
After improvements by Gottfried Silbermann, Bach approved of the new pianofortes and played one at the court of King Friederich II of Prussia in 1747, leading the king to buy all Silbermann's instruments.
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