Bach never left Germany, so his experience with dance movements was based on studying imported material or French suite models by fellow countrymen.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Johann Sebastian Bach's Clavier Übung series, which includes works on this album, aimed to publish keyboard works representing a wide range of genres and styles for those wishing to perfect their technique.
Composition History
The second part of Bach's Clavier Übung, published in 1735, compares Italian and French national styles, revealing what Bach considered idiomatic to each in harmony, rhythm, ornamentation, and melodic invention.
Instruments
The preface to Bach's Clavier Übung II calls for a harpsichord with two manuals, suggesting it was intended for public performers rather than domestic use.
Performer Biography
Alessandra Artifoni, the harpsichordist on this album, teaches harpsichord and basso continuo at the 'Centro Studi Musica & Arte' in Florence and the Bergamo Conservatory.
Compositional Technique
The Sonata in D minor, BWV 964, is an adaptation for keyboard of Bach's Violin Sonata, BWV 1003, which uniquely suggests harmony without basso continuo, as the violin creates its own accompaniment.
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