"These are fine, nuanced, and well-recorded performances of both the English suites and the Partitas. Although, as the other reviewer notes, Leonhardt skips the repeats in most movements, the low price tag and the quality of the interpretation more than make up for this quirk. (And just so you can rest easy: Leonhardt *does* take the repeats in the Sarabandes where Bach has written out the ornamentation to his simple melodic line, so nothing is "left out" on that score.) The instrument in the English suites is an authentic German harpsichord of the period, restored by the great Skowroneck, and the Partitas are played on a William Dowd replica. In both cases the recording engineering avoids both the over-closeness that mars many of Kenneth Gilbert's otherwise provocative performances and the distance that can rob a recorded harpsichord of its richness. That said, the main attraction here is the interpretation, which similarly avoids the extremes of metrical rigidity and distracting overelaboration. I'm still in love with Pinnock's more recent recording of the Partitas on Hänssler, but I cannot recommend this pairing strongly enough, if you're looking for an historically informed performance of these works."
Factual correction regarding the instrument used in the Engl
R. John | Coral Gables, FL | 08/06/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The instrument Leonhardt plays in his recording of the English Suites is not a genuine antique, but rather a forgery made by Skowroneck and passed off by GL for a decade or so as a harpsichord made in 1755 by Nicolas Lefebvre of Rouen. Lebvre was a real organbuilder and instrument maker in Rouen in the middle of 18th century, but none of his harpsichords actually survive. All was revealed by Skowroneck in a fascinating article in the Galpin Society journal in 2002. The instrument, incidentally, is really fine and sounds as good as many antiques"
Track Listings (18) - Disc #1