Johann Sebastian Bach, born in 1685, came from a large family of musicians and began his career as an organist.
Composition History
The first five French Suites were originally provided by Bach to his second wife, Anna Magdalena Wilcke, as keyboard pieces for her musical development.
Performer Biography
Wolfgang Rübsam, the performer, is a German-born musician who has been a professor at Northwestern University since 1974 and the University Organist at the University of Chicago since 1981.
Composition History
The title "French Suites" was not given by Bach himself, but likely by a contemporary, and does not reflect a specific French style in the works.
Interpretation
The interpretation on this album incorporates often-neglected elements like rhetoric, inegalite, strong and weak pulses, and historical fingering techniques.
Compositional Technique
The basic movements of the French Suites are dances like Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue, which retained their rhythms but were no longer intended for practical dancing.
Interpretation
This recording aims to encourage the interpretation of Bach's keyboard works on the modern piano, based on fundamental elements of early music performance practices.
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