Jane Pierce wrote:

>Do you consider the English and French Suites as on that important
>must listen list?  I have always been told that they come after the
>WTC and before the concerti.  If not, why not?

The only ranking order for Bach's works that has any validity is the one
that an individual possess.  The notion of a "consensus" of ranking means
nothing.  There's just no sense in declaring from some objective pedestal
that the WTC is better than the Suites which are better than the concerti.

I do have my own personal ranking which is no better or worse than anyone
else's, and it changes frequently.  But, the English and French Suites
would always be in my library.

As an aside, the performers on my preferred violin and harpsichord sonatas
set on Virgin, whom I could not previously remember, are Holloway and
Moroney.  The set is now available at mid-price.  Don't miss it.  Holloway
gives a lesson in what baroque string instrumentation performance is all
about - beauty, expressiveness, and pungency.

Don Satz
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