On this album, we have recorded two duets and two solo works by J.S. Bach. The duets were originally composed for the harpsichord, while the solo pieces were intended for the lute. Due to the complexity and difficulty of the lute works, many support the idea that they were written for an instrument called the "Lauten werck" or lute-harpsichord, which resembles a small harpsichord with a body shape similar to that of a lute. We know that Bach owned at least two of these instruments, as documented in the inventory of his belongings after his death. He also had a connection with Sylvius Leopold Weiss, one of the most renowned lutenists of the time. This acquaintance may have influenced the creation of these lute works.
The English and French suites are both sets of six suites. For this recording, we have chosen French Suite No. 5, BWV 816, and English Suite No. 3, BWV 808. The names "French" and "English" were assigned to these suites after Bach's death and are more associated with the styles of French lute and keyboard music than with English baroque style. To add to the confusion, the Courante in the fifth French Suite is in an Italian style, featuring a rapid triple meter rather than a French style.
The English Suites may have been composed for an English nobleman, although there is limited evidence to support this claim. However, they all begin with a Prelude that bears a closer resemblance to French music, albeit with the distinction that Bach's Preludes are composed in strict meter.
J.S. Bach: Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro, BWV 998: This work is highly debated due to its unusual three-movement structure. While Bach composed numerous preludes and fugues, this is the only one that includes a third movement, an Allegro. Some argue that it may be a fragment of a larger unfinished work. However, a group of musicologists believes it to be a complete work, composed towards the end of Bach's life, with a theological message at its core, centered around the number 3. Another Trinitarian work by Bach is the "Kleines harmonisches Labyrinth" (BWV 591), which further supports the argument that Bach applied theological aspects to the Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro.
There is no autograph manuscript by Bach for the Suite in E minor, BWV 996, and the primary sources are copies made by Johann Gottfried Walther and Heinrich Nikolaus Gerber, who was a student of J.S. Bach. The E minor Lute Suite follows the traditional Froberger keyboard suite model, consisting of four basic dance movements (allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue), to which Bach added a florid Passaggio (a prelude inspired by improvised introductions to organ toccatas) and a lively Bourrée.
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