The composer György Ligeti famously stated that if he could only have one musical work on a desert island, he would choose Koroliov's Bach recording of The Art of Fugue.
Composition History
The 'French Suites' by Johann Sebastian Bach were explicitly written for use within Bach's family and for teaching purposes.
Compositional Technique
Unlike the 'English Suites', the 'French Suites' are generally less technically demanding and feature transparent musical writing without complex voice-leading.
Compositional Technique
Bach's 'French Suites' combine features of French and Italian styles with German traditions, based on what was known as a 'mixed taste'.
Performer Biography
Evgeni Koroliov, the pianist on this recording, performed the entire Well-tempered Clavier in Moscow at the age of seventeen.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach emphasized the 'cantabile style' in his keyboard music, encouraging a singing quality in playing, which is developed in many movements of the French Suites.
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