Johann Sebastian Bach: The Complete Works for Keyboard, Vol. 8: Köthen, 1717-1723 - For Maria Barbara Benjamin Alard

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Sonata in D Minor, BWV 964:
• 1 Bach: Sonata in D Minor, BWV 964: I. Adagio 04:05
• 2 Bach: Sonata in D Minor, BWV 964: II. Fuga. Allegro 07:58
• 3 Bach: Sonata in D Minor, BWV 964: III. Andante 05:13
• 4 Bach: Sonata in D Minor, BWV 964: IV. Allegro 05:59
• Partita for solo violin No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004:
• 5 Bach: Partita for solo violin No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004: V. Chaconne (Arr. for Keyboard) 13:17
• Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 539:
• 6 Bach: Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 539: Prelude 01:15
• 7 Bach: Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 539: Fugue 05:27
• Adagio in G Major, BWV 968:
• 8 Bach: Adagio in G Major, BWV 968 03:16
• Pedal-Exercitium, BWV 598:
• 9 Bach: Pedal-Exercitium, BWV 598 02:13
• Great Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542:
• 10 Bach: Great Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542: Fantasia 05:00
• Invention in C Major, BWV 772:
• 11 Bach: Invention in C Major, BWV 772 01:23
• Sinfonia in C Major, BWV 787:
• 12 Bach: Sinfonia in C Major, BWV 787 01:22
• Invention in F Major, BWV 779:
• 13 Bach: Invention in F Major, BWV 779 00:55
• Sinfonia in F Major, BWV 794:
• 14 Bach: Sinfonia in F Major, BWV 794 01:20
• Invention in D Minor, BWV 775:
• 15 Bach: Invention in D Minor, BWV 775 01:15
• Sinfonia in D Minor, BWV 790:
• 16 Bach: Sinfonia in D Minor, BWV 790 01:48
• Invention in G Major, BWV 781:
• 17 Bach: Invention in G Major, BWV 781 00:56
• Sinfonia in G Major, BWV 796:
• 18 Bach: Sinfonia in G Major, BWV 796 01:19
• Invention in E Minor, BWV 778:
• 19 Bach: Invention in E Minor, BWV 778 01:36
• Sinfonia in E Minor, BWV 793:
• 20 Bach: Sinfonia in E Minor, BWV 793 02:19
• Invention in A Major, BWV 783:
• 21 Bach: Invention in A Major, BWV 783 01:35
• Sinfonia in D Major, BWV 789:
• 22 Bach: Sinfonia in D Major, BWV 789 01:31
• Invention in D Major, BWV 774:
• 23 Bach: Invention in D Major, BWV 774 01:25
• Invention in B Minor, BWV 786:
• 24 Bach: Invention in B Minor, BWV 786 01:38
• Sinfonia in B Minor, BWV 801:
• 25 Bach: Sinfonia in B Minor, BWV 801 01:35
• François Couperin (1668 - 1733): L'Art de toucher le clavecin:
• 26 Couperin: L'Art de toucher le clavecin: Prelude in D Minor 01:20
• Johann Sebastian Bach: French Suite No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 812:
• 27 Bach: French Suite No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 812: I. Allemande 03:35
• 28 Bach: French Suite No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 812: II. Courante 02:10
• 29 Bach: French Suite No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 812: III. Sarabande 02:21
• 30 Bach: French Suite No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 812: IV. Menuets I & II 02:57
• 31 Bach: French Suite No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 812: V. Gigue 02:06
• L'Art de toucher le clavecin:
• 32 Bach: L'Art de toucher le clavecin: Prelude in G Minor 00:54
• François Couperin: French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816:
• 33 Couperin: French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: I. Allemande 03:09
• Johann Sebastian Bach: French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816:
• 34 Bach: French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: II. Courante 01:56
• 35 Bach: French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: III. Sarabande 03:56
• 36 Bach: French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: IV. Gavotte 01:16
• 37 Bach: French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: V. Bourrée 01:18
• 38 Bach: French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: VI. Loure 01:59
• 39 Bach: French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: VII. Gigue 03:24
• L'Art de toucher le clavecin:
• 40 Bach: L'Art de toucher le clavecin: Prelude in B Minor 01:42
• François Couperin: French Suite No. 3 in B Minor, BWV 814:
• 41 Couperin: French Suite No. 3 in B Minor, BWV 814: I. Allemande 03:16
• Johann Sebastian Bach: French Suite No. 3 in B Minor, BWV 814:
• 42 Bach: French Suite No. 3 in B Minor, BWV 814: II. Courante 02:20
• 43 Bach: French Suite No. 3 in B Minor, BWV 814: III. Sarabande 02:52
• 44 Bach: French Suite No. 3 in B Minor, BWV 814: IV. Anglaise 01:36
• 45 Bach: French Suite No. 3 in B Minor, BWV 814: V. Menuet - Trio 03:02
• 46 Bach: French Suite No. 3 in B Minor, BWV 814: VI. Gigue 02:32
• Sinfonia in E-Flat Major, BWV 791:
• 47 Bach: Sinfonia in E-Flat Major, BWV 791 01:50
• Invention in E-Flat Major, BWV 776:
• 48 Bach: Invention in E-Flat Major, BWV 776 01:45
• Sinfonia in C Minor, BWV 788:
• 49 Bach: Sinfonia in C Minor, BWV 788 01:51
• Invention in C Minor, BWV 773:
• 50 Bach: Invention in C Minor, BWV 773 01:58
• Sinfonia in F Minor, BWV 795:
• 51 Bach: Sinfonia in F Minor, BWV 795 03:02
• Invention in F Minor, BWV 780:
• 52 Bach: Invention in F Minor, BWV 780 01:32
• Sinfonia in B-Flat Major, BWV 800:
• 53 Bach: Sinfonia in B-Flat Major, BWV 800 01:56
• Invention in B-Flat Major, BWV 785:
• 54 Bach: Invention in B-Flat Major, BWV 785 01:17
• Sinfonia in G Minor, BWV 797:
• 55 Bach: Sinfonia in G Minor, BWV 797 02:26
• Invention in G Minor, BWV 782:
• 56 Bach: Invention in G Minor, BWV 782 01:28
• Sinfonia in E Major, BWV 792:
• 57 Bach: Sinfonia in E Major, BWV 792 01:25
• Invention in E Major, BWV 777:
• 58 Bach: Invention in E Major, BWV 777 03:12
• Sinfonia in A Minor, BWV 799:
• 59 Bach: Sinfonia in A Minor, BWV 799 01:41
• Invention in A Minor, BWV 784:
• 60 Bach: Invention in A Minor, BWV 784 01:21
• Sinfonia in A Major, BWV 798:
• 61 Bach: Sinfonia in A Major, BWV 798 01:46
• French Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 815a (Alternate Version):
• 62 Bach: French Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 815a (Alternate Version): I. Prelude 01:23
• 63 Bach: French Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 815: I. Allemande 02:54
• 64 Bach: French Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 815: II. Courante 01:57
• 65 Bach: French Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 815: III. Sarabande 03:02
• 66 Bach: French Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 815: IV. Gavotte 01:14
• 67 Bach: French Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 815: V. Menuet 00:45
• 68 Bach: French Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 815: VI. Air 01:52
• 69 Bach: French Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 815: VII. Gigue 02:37
• Prelude in C Minor, BWV 999:
• 70 Bach: Prelude in C Minor, BWV 999 01:46
• French Suite No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 813:
• 71 Bach: French Suite No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 813: I. Allemande 02:57
• 72 Bach: French Suite No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 813: II. Courante 02:06
• 73 Bach: French Suite No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 813: III. Sarabande 03:02
• 74 Bach: French Suite No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 813: IV. Air 01:40
• 75 Bach: French Suite No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 813: V. Menuet 03:10
• 76 Bach: French Suite No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 813: VI. Gigue 02:35
• François Couperin: L'Art de toucher le clavecin:
• 77 Couperin: L'Art de toucher le clavecin: Prelude in E Minor 01:15
• Johann Sebastian Bach: French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817:
• 78 Bach: French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817: I. Allemande 03:12
• 79 Bach: French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817: II. Courante 01:57
• 80 Bach: French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817: III. Sarabande 02:41
• 81 Bach: French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817: IV. Gavotte 01:13
• 82 Bach: French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817: V. Polonaise 01:06
• 83 Bach: French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817: VI. Bourrée 01:31
• 84 Bach: French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817: VII. Menuet 01:05
• 85 Bach: French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817: VIII. Gigue 02:41
• Total Runtime 03:23:32

Info for Johann Sebastian Bach: The Complete Works for Keyboard, Vol. 8: Köthen, 1717-1723 - For Maria Barbara

Eagerly pursuing his exploration of Bach’s corpus for solo keyboard, Benjamin Alard focuses here on works associated with the composer’s first wife, Maria Barbara, and her untimely death in 1720. This instalment therefore includes both the Inventions and Sinfonias, a collection of teaching pieces brimming with freshness and invention, and the prodigious French Suites, one of the peaks of Bach’s years in Cöthen.

"It’s the sort of music-making that, its intellectual grasp notwithstanding, clearly emanates from the heart." (Gramophone)

Benjamin Alard, piano

Benjamin Alard
Benjamin’s principal passion has always been the music of J.S. Bach and it was for his interpretation of this great composer that he was awarded first prize in the 2004 International Harpsichord Competition in Bruges.

While still quite young he began studying music in his hometown in Dieppe, France. He was soon drawn to the organ and entered the Conservatory of Rouen where he studied with Louis Thiry and François Ménissier.

He was first introduced to the harpsichord by Elizabeth Joyé, with whom he studied in Paris before going on, in 2003, to the Schola Cantorum in Basel to work with Jorg-Andreas Botticher, Jean-Claude Zehnder and Andrea Marcon.

Since 2005 he has been organist of the Bernard-Aubertin organ in the church of Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile where each season he gives concerts about the music of Bach.

Today Benjamin Alard divides his time between performing recitals and chamber music on both the harpsichord and organ. He often performs repertoire for two harpsichords, in duo with the violinist Francois Fernandez and in various formations with the brothers Barthold, Sigiswald and Wieland Kuijken. He is regularly invited to perform as soloist in music series in Europe, Japan and North America.

Since 2005 he has been a member of La Petite Bande, an ensemble founded in 1973 by Gustav Leonhardt and Sigiswald Kuijken, often, in the last few years, conducting the group from the harpsichord.

Benjamin Alard has recorded for the label Hortus and has made several recordings of works by J. S. Bach for Alpha. His recordings have consistently received high praise from the press and have been awarded multiple prizes.

He will now devote himself to the complete works for harpsichord and organ solo of Johann Sebastian Bach for harmonia mundi. The first box will be released in Spring 2018.

Booklet for Johann Sebastian Bach: The Complete Works for Keyboard, Vol. 8: Köthen, 1717-1723 - For Maria Barbara