Bach: The Six Partitas - Angela Hewitt

Astonishingly, the Six Partitas for Clavier were the first works Bach published – after more than twenty years of composing. 'Opus 1' (as he called it) was 'offered to music lovers in order to refresh their spirits' and the works scored an immediate hit, becoming core repertoire for keyboard players both professional and amateur. 'Partita' is simply another name for a suite of dance movements, and each of these collections combines grace, agility and sprightliness with a nobleness of spirit which makes them not only accessible and attractive, but also worthy in every way of their position in the Clavierübung – Bach's own summation of his compositional skills.