This 'Suite in G minor' is a piece from Bach’s younger years. Bach was already an excellent master of the basic Baroque composition technique – see Korneel Bernolet’s explanation of partimento in the accompanying video! – although he had yet to achieve the great heights of his later suites. Here we see a composer who is still searching for his voice and carefully exploring the boundaries of his musical ambition, undoubtedly inspired by the Italian and French music to which he had been introduced around 1700, both on paper and live (performed by the French court orchestra in Celle).

The first movement of this Suite is an ouverture modelled on those of Lully and D’Anglebert, with a slow, stately introduction followed by a fugue. It all proceeds nicely by the book, until in a few short bars Bach modulates brusquely via a steep harmonic ascent to G-flat minor – dangerously close to the main key of G. The highlight of the suite is the Aria, which is still completely in line with the seventeenth-century German and Italian keyboard traditions. Bernolet’s decision to keep playing the bass first on the lute register of the harpsichord further underlines the beautiful lilting quality of the melody. The Aria is followed by a Gavotte, an untitled Bourrée/Rigaudon, three Menuets (of which the first two are identical, only with the parts inverted) and finally a simple Gigue.

Recorded for the project All of Bach on May 21st 2018 at Aalter, Belgium. If you want to help us complete All of Bach, please subscribe to our channel [ Ссылка ] and consider donating [ Ссылка ].

For the interview with harpsichordist Korneel Bernolet on Suite in G minor BWV 822 go to [ Ссылка ]
For more information on BWV 822 and this production go to [ Ссылка ]

All of Bach is a project of the Netherlands Bach Society / Nederlandse Bachvereniging, offering high-quality film recordings of the works by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by the Netherlands Bach Society and its guest musicians. Visit our free online treasury for more videos and background material [ Ссылка ]. For concert dates and further information go to [ Ссылка ].

Korneel Bernolet, harpsichordist
Harpsichord: Alan Gotto, 2012

0:00 Ouverture
3:44 Aria
7:00 Gavotte en Rondeau
8:03 Bourrée
8:55 Menuet I, II & III
10:53 Gigue

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