MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Bach: Partitas Nos. 1-6 BWV 825-830 / Italian Concerto BWV 971 / French Overture BWV 831 / Goldberg Variations BWV 988

Always a name to reckon with in Bach, Trevor Pinnock's recordings of the solo harpsichord works set new standards when they first appeared in the early 1980s. Now get the chance to enjoy (almost) all of them again in this handy 3-CD set.

230 minutes of music on three CDs - fantastic value for money!

This TRIO brings together all of Bach's published works for harpsichord (aka Clavierübung Parts 1, 2 and 4 - Part 3 is for organ). As well as the six Partitas, this brings together the French Overture and Italian Concerto, and rounds off with the celebrated Goldberg Variations in Pinnock's celebrated performance.

"Pinnock's reading is certainly the liveliest there has been of this great work, and effectively makes the point that veneration for Bach's genius does not have to be solemnly portentous: the sheer revelling in ingenuity and invention that bubbles out of this set is a welcome contrast to the hieratic attitudes of certain well-known Bach practitioners. One's initial reaction here may be that speeds are probably faster than Bach (or Goldberg) would have adopted; but Pinnock's apt articulation and pointing of detail never suffer thereby. I still feel that Var. 25 would be just as expressive without being so free rhytmically, and that taking the theme so slowly is at variance with the overall concept; but otherwise this recording which on CD captures every sound (musical and otherwise) of the Ruckers instrument with the utmost fidelityis pure pleasure."
Gramophone, 08/1995 reviewing the Goldberg Variations