This double album offers a chronological exploration of Johann Sebastian Bach's keyboard compositions. In addition to showcasing mature works like the Italian Concerto and the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, it introduces early pieces of significant interest, including the Capricci BWV 992 and 993, and the Sonata BWV 963. Even in these shorter compositions, Bach's brilliant compositional skills are discernible, laying the foundation for the perfection achieved in his later, more substantial creations.
Considered a compendium of Bach's key musical forms, the album features the quintessentially Venetian concertante form in the Concerto in the Italian Style (an original by Bach) and the transcribed Concerto BWV 972 from Antonio Vivaldi's Estro Armonico. The suite in the French tradition, rarely performed, is also highlighted with captivating performances of suites BWV 820, 823, and 833.
Noteworthy is the triptych titled Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro for Lute or Cembalo, BWV 998, showcasing distinguished stylistic maturity. Young Italian pianist Giovanni Mazzocchin, known for his interpretations of Beethoven and Handel, embarks on a journey marked by textual faithfulness. The piano, deliberately devoid of romantic effects such as pedal use, captures the characteristic timbres of the harpsichord and organ.
Recorded with a calibrated pair of legendary Bruel & Kjaer microphones from the 1980s, part of producer Alessandro Simonetto's collection, the album pays homage to the memory of harpsichordist and teacher Maestra Silvana Sebellin.