Bach: Italian Concerto BWV 971; French Overture BWV 831

by Mahan Esfahani

Overview

Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani is making his leisurely way through what will eventually be a complete edition of Bach's keyboard music, and he is almost always compelling in this repertory. He has an imposing style that may remind one of what might have happened if Glenn Gould had played the harpsichord, with expressive tempo flexibility married to a strong pulse. That style is ideally suited to the works in the second part of the Clavier-Uebung collection, offered here, which includes probably Bach's most familiar piece of solo keyboard music, the Italian Concerto, BWV 971. Esfahani is especially brilliant here, playing a double-manual harpsichord by builder Jukka Ollikka and expertly navigating the necessary shifts. Sample the glittering finale, but also the Andante slow movement, where Esfahani gets both hands involved in the expressive tempo manipulations. The instrument is perhaps a bit less well suited to the French Overture, BWV 831, a more delicate work and one where Esfahani does not try to emphasize the dance origins of the rhythms, but there are many fascinating things here as well. Try the deep murk he brings to the Bourree I's sound masses. The smaller pieces at the end of the program are all rarely played (it is not all clear why this should be so for the Four Duets from the Clavier-Uebung III). The program closes with two intriguing occasional pieces by the young Bach that are worth the admission price all by themselves. As usual, Esfahani contributes his own notes, which delve into technical issues without losing sight of the main expressive ideas. His Bach is looking more and more like a body of work for the ages. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	09/02/2022
Label:	Hyperion
UPC:	0034571283364
Rank:	190429

Tracks

1. Concerto Nach Italienischen Gusto 'Italian Concerto' BWV971~[Untitled]
2. Concerto Nach Italienischen Gusto 'Italian Concerto' BWV971~Andante
3. Concerto Nach Italienischen Gusto 'Italian Concerto' BWV971~Presto
4. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Ouverture
5. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Courante
6. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Gavotte I
7. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Gavotte II
8. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Gavotte I da capo
9. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Passepied I
10. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Passepied II
11. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Passepied I da capo
12. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Sarabande
13. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Bourr¿¿e I
14. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Bourr¿¿e II
15. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Bourr¿¿e I da capo
16. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Gigue
17. Ouvert¿¿re Nach Franz¿¿sischer Art 'French Overture' BWV831~Echo
18. Duet in E Minor BWV802
19. Duet in F Major BWV803
20. Duet in G Major BWV804
21. Duet in A Minor BWV805
22. Capriccio in B Flat Major 'On the Departure of His Beloved Brother' BWV992~Ist eine Schmeichelung der Freunde, um denselben von seiner Reise abzuhalten: Arioso (Adagio)
23. Capriccio in B Flat Major 'On the Departure of His Beloved Brother' BWV992~Ist eine Vorstellung unterschiedlicher Casuum, die ihm in der Fremde k¿¿nnten vorfallen
24. Capriccio in B Flat Major 'On the Departure of His Beloved Brother' BWV992~Ist ein allgemeines Lamento der Freunde: Adagissimo
25. Capriccio in B Flat Major 'On the Departure of His Beloved Brother' BWV992~Allhier kommen die Freunde (weil sie doch sehen, dass es anders nicht sein kann) und nehmen Abschied
26. Capriccio in B Flat Major 'On the Departure of His Beloved Brother' BWV992~Aria di postiglione: Allegro poco
27. Capriccio in B Flat Major 'On the Departure of His Beloved Brother' BWV992~Fuga all'imitazione della cornetta di postiglione
28. Capriccio in E Major 'In Honorem Johann Christoph BachII Ohrdrufiensis' BWV993

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mahan Esfahani   Primary Artist,Harpsichord

Technical Credits

Viola Scheffel   Liner Note Translation
Edmund Pickering   Keyboard Technician
Simon Neal   Tuning,Technician,Keyboard Technician
Simon Perry   Executive Producer
Mark Brown   Recording Producer
Marie-Stella Paris   Liner Note Translation
Mahan Esfahani   Liner Notes
Johann Sebastian Bach   Composer
Todd Harris   Booklet Editor
Kaja Smith   Photography
Franz Xaver Messerschmidt   Illustrations
David Hinitt   Engineer