Bach: The Six Partitas – new 2018 recording

“Hewitt’s playing is characteristically limpid, technically faultless, deeply intelligent and infectiously joyous. Her decades of experience playing this repertoire gives it a special patina; it glows like old gold. Give yourself an early Christmas present; you’ll want to play this again and again.”
The Guardian, December 2019

CD1

Partita No 1 in B flat major BWV825 [18’18]
1 Praeludium [1’58]
2 Allemande [3’14]
3 Corrente [3’08]
4 Sarabande [5’02]
5 Menuet I – Menuet II – Menuet I da capo [2’40]
6 Giga [2’16]

Partita No 2 in C minor BWV826 [20’50]
7 Sinfonia: Grave adagio – Andante – [Allegro][4’35]
8 Allemande [4’50]
9 Courante [2’38]
10 Sarabande [3’27]
11 Rondeaux [1’39]
12 Capriccio [3’41]

Partita No 4 in D major BWV828 [33’36]
13 Ouverture – [Allegro] [6’41]
14 Allemande [9’24]
15 Courante [3’53]
16 Aria [2’11]
17 Sarabande [6’00]
18 Menuet [1’29]
19 Gigue [3’58]

CD2

Partita No 3 in A minor BWV827 [19’38]
20 Fantasia [1’58]
21 Allemande [3’15]
22 Corrente [3’07]
23 Sarabande [4’29]
24 Burlesca [2’16]
25 Scherzo [1’05]
26 Gigue [3’28]

Partita No 5 in G major BWV829 [23’03]
27 Praeambulum [2’27]
28 Allemande [4’39]
29 Corrente [1’46]
30 Sarabande [5’59]
31 Tempo di Minuetta [1’51]
32 Passepied [1’57]
33 Gigue [4’24]

Partita No 6 in E minor BWV830 [34’16]
34 Toccata – [Fugue] [7’41]
35 Allemande [3’46]
36 Corrente [4’52]
37 Air [1’34]
38 Sarabande [8’05]
39 Tempo di Gavotta [2’01]
40 Gigue [6’17]

‘Brilliant, well-sounding, expressive and always new’ was the verdict of Bach’s first biographer on the six Partitas, a description which applies equally to Angela Hewitt’s wonderful new recording of what Bach designated his ‘Opus 1’. Angela describes a lifetime of living with Bach’s music as ‘a great gift and a lifelong adventure’; an adventure in which we are fortunate to have such an authoritative companion and guide.