Bach, Partitas BWV 826, 829 & 830

Hadrien Jourdan, harpsichord

Bach was over forty when he published his Opus 1, the first part of the *Clavier-Übung*, which we now call the “Partitas.” Composed after his other great cycles of dance suites (known today as the French and English Suites), these works were granted a special status by the composer, who recognized in them a fully realized perfection and chose to publish them at his own expense.
Forkel, Bach’s first biographer, likewise acknowledged the genius of these compositions: “Never before had such excellent works for keyboard been seen or heard.”
In keeping with the customary structure of dance suites, each Partita begins with an opening movement—far more varied here than in the earlier cycles: overture, prelude, toccata, fantasia… The traditional dances then frame what Bach calls the “Galanterien,” diverse character pieces of refined and expressive nature.
The entire collection stands as the most accomplished testimony of the *gemischter Stil*, blending French, Italian, and German influences into a singular synthesis.
Beyond these formal aspects, these works are above all a miracle of emotional and rhetorical expression—music that moves, delights, and opens a timeless space, “for the refreshment of the spirit,” as Bach so beautifully writes.
I invite you to immerse yourself in these timeless masterpieces.