Bach: The 6 Partitas for Harpsichord, BWV 825-830

Featuring

Mahan Esfahani
Johann Sebastian Bach

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Bach's Clavier Übung, which includes these Six Partitas, was a public declaration by the composer to his peers, showcasing his mastery of various musical styles.

Interpretation

The performer, Mahan Esfahani, sometimes plays the gigue from Partita No. 6 in both duple and triple meters on different repeats due to the historical ambiguity surrounding its notation.

Historical Context

George Frideric Handel's 1720 Suites de pièces pour le clavecin (Eight Great Suites) significantly influenced the development of European keyboard music, combining various national styles.

Compositional Technique

The Six Partitas offer a comprehensive overview of every style available to Bach, ranging from archaic forms to modern 'galanteries' or 'modernities'.

Performer Biography

Mahan Esfahani was the first and only harpsichordist to be a BBC New Generation Artist (2008-2010) and has pioneered concerto appearances with major symphony orchestras on four continents.

Composition History

Bach's direct inspiration for publishing the Clavier Übung was his predecessor at the Thomasschule, Johann Kuhnau, who had published two collections with the same name in 1689 and 1692.

Instruments

The harpsichord used for this recording was built in 2018 by Jukka Ollikka in Prague, based on the theories and examples of Michael Mietke, with a carbon-fibre composite soundboard.