Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
      Keyboard Music - French Suites

French Suites, BWV 812-817
David Cates, harpsichord
Recorded November 2001
Released January 2004
Music & Arts 1124 [2cds - 95:00]

Some of you might be familiar with harpsichordist David Cates from his
recordings on the Wildboar label of Bach and Froberger keyboard works.
Cates is an exceptional Bach performing artist, and his new recording
of the French Suites matches or exceeds the exisiting ones from Davitt
Moroney, Keith Jarrett, and Christopher Hogwood.

There are three aspects of the set I should mention.  First,
Cates routinely skips the repeats of second subjects of each movement.
Second, he adds a prelude before the Allemande of each Suite; there is
some precedent for this approach, although I doubt that the practice
will become common to future recordings of the French Suites.  Third,
he uses a staggering technique for his performances of the Allemandes
and Sarabandes; this simply means that one or more voices are played
ahead or behind the beat.  The skipped repeats are not irksome, the added
preludes make for an interesting presentation, and the staggering of
voices is distinctive and adds to the music's poignancy.  Sound quality
is exceptional.

Don's Conclusions: The Cates set is the most consistently excellent
recording of the French Suites I've heard to date.  If you insist on
repeats being observed, you might turn away from this set.  However,
you'll be missing out on one of the finest performances of these Suites
on record.

Don Satz
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