Bach: Six Partitas

Featuring

Martin Helmchen
Johann Sebastian Bach

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Critical Reception

According to Johann Nikolaus Forkel, Bach's first biographer, the Partitas caused a sensation in their time and were considered the most excellent keyboard compositions ever seen or heard.

Compositional Technique

While the Partitas consist mostly of dance movements, they were not intended for actual dancing but were elevated by Bach into refined instrumental art forms.

Composition History

The collection of six Partitas was Johann Sebastian Bach's very first published work, designated as 'Opus I'.

Instruments

The album features a tangent piano (Tangentenflügel) built by Spät & Schmahl in 1790, which combines characteristics of the harpsichord, clavichord, and early piano.

Composition History

Johann Sebastian Bach composed these six Partitas between 1726 and 1731 in Leipzig, where he was the musical director for the city's four most important churches.

Composition History

Johann Sebastian Bach financed the printing of his Partitas himself, announcing his intention to publish them and act as his own publisher.

Interpretation

Pianist Martin Helmchen chose the tangent piano for this recording because it allows for sounds in Bach's music impossible on both the harpsichord and modern piano.