Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Gustav Leonhardt :: J.S. Bach: English Suites - Gustav Leonhardt

No one is exactly sure how Bach's English Suites got their name. We do know that it did not originate with the composer. There was a story circulating shortly after Bach's death that the music was commissioned by a wealthy Englishman, but there is no proof. The music is formally identical to the French Suites, in fact, although the pieces in English Suites are larger and more fully developed, and each suite begins with a large overture or prelude. Gustav Leonhardt has recorded this music more than once, but these performances are widely acknowledged to be among his very greatest Bach recordings. They have been transferred to CD in excellent sound, and at budget price, too. --David Hurwitz