Bach: The English Suites

With the English Suites (the 'English' is not Bach's and there is nothing particularly English about them) Angela Hewitt all but completes her survey of Bach's keyboard works (there will be one further CD mopping up various odds and ends). These six suites, along with the French Suites and the six Partitas, present Bach's mature thoughts on the standard baroque suite of dances and as such are the greatest examples of the form.

Unlike the smaller scale French Suites the English all begin with a large-scale prelude, often rather concerto-like and very virtuosic; these are works for a very accomplished professional player rather than the amateur that much keyboard music of the 18th century would have been aimed at.

Angela Hewitt rises to all the challenges in her usual superb style and needless to say these performances will meet with the acclaim of her previous Bach recordings.

All of the music on this album is also available as part of the specially priced box set Angela Hewitt plays Bach: 'A magnificent retrospective of Angela Hewitt’s achievement as a pianist in the keyboard works of J S Bach … this remarkable set of recordings marks something of a milestone for everyone involved with classical music, as well as for Hyperion' (MusicWeb International).

CDA67451/2  143 minutes 37 seconds (2 discs)
CLASSICAL CD OF THE WEEK (The Sunday Times)
CD OF THE WEEK (Daily Telegraph)
DISC OF THE WEEK (BBC Radio 3)
‘The standard of excellence Angela Hewitt has set in previous installments in her Hyperion Bach cycle continues unabated with the English Suites’ (BBC Music Magazine)
‘Once again, Angela Hewitt proves that she's one of the most penetrating interpreters of Bach on the piano, with a superlative account of the six English Suites. She's an astonishingly supple player, ...
‘Now regarded as one of the most consistently refreshing interpreters of Bach on the modern piano … as ever, Hewitt brings this music to life with remarkably crisp articulation in the brisk contr ...