Bach

Bach’s music has been transcribed for the piano more than any other composer’s. Such was the Baroque composer’s use of formal structure, and his exquisite harmonic and melodic craft in every work he wrote, that it seems possible to adapt any of them for virtually any instrumentation without loss of quality. As Alexandre Tharaud proves on this beautiful and extensive album, judicious and sensitive piano arrangements can bring Bach in line with modern aural sensibilities, increasing our enjoyment of music originally intended for the less-familiar sounds of organ, lute, harpsichord or Baroque flute. Over 25 tracks, Tharaud takes us on an immersive journey, introducing us to both more famous and lesser-explored areas of Bach’s output, all glimpsed through his pianistic lens. The “Siciliano” from the rarely performed E-flat Major Flute Sonata emerges as one of the composer’s most beguiling melodies. And somehow Tharaud communicates the full power of the anguished opening of the St John Passion. Listen to the inexorable crescendo, and how Tharaud keeps the sustaining pedal depressed as he reaches the entry of the chorale, brilliantly simulating the muddy acoustics of a church. Interspersed among the transcriptions are original keyboard works—the Prelude in C Major, BWV 924, from the collection Nine Little Preludes, for instance, packs surprising harmonic sophistication into its 43 seconds. Elsewhere, Tharaud fleshes out the implied harmony of a movement from a Partita for solo flute with great skill, judgement and a firm eye on enhancing its beauty. Listen out, too, for Tharaud’s homage to one of his heroes, the late French pianist Jean Wiener, whose two choral transcriptions (Tracks 22 and 24) are overlain with a comforting pathos. Inside the Album Booklet Discover some of the history behind the art of transcription, as well as one of the lesser-viewed paintings of Bach, the debated but still intriguing “Weydenhammer” portrait. Album booklets are available in the latest version of Apple Music Classical, which you can download and enjoy as part of your Apple Music subscription. To access booklets, tap on the book icon at the top of your screen.