Alexandra Papastefanou - 1839 Year of Piano - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Various Artists - Competition Piano 1964 & 1978 [COMPACT DISCS] 3 Pack date 05/01/2016

Bach's English Suites are a set of six keyboard suites, each featuring a prelude and a series of stylised dance movements. While named 'English, the suites are more closely related to the French Baroque style, featuring intricate counterpoint, technically demanding passages, and a grander scale compared to Bach's French Suites. Papastefanou's Baroque style and technique is first-class in her brand new recording of these technically high demanding Suites. A natural Bach player who plays with panache, high skill, individuality with an attractive style and touch, Papastefanou's has produced another high quality recording of Bach, in this her 6th album for FHR. Album Tracks 1. English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806~Prélude 2. English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806~Allemande 3. English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806~Courante I 4. English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806~Courante II and Double I 5. English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806~Double II 6. English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806~Sarabande 7. English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806~Bourrée I and Bourrée II 8. English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806~Gigue 9. English Suite No. 2 in A minor, BWV 807~Prélude 10. English Suite No. 2 in A minor, BWV 807~Allemande 11. English Suite No. 2 in A minor, BWV 807~Courante 12. English Suite No. 2 in A minor, BWV 807~Sarabande 13. English Suite No. 2 in A minor, BWV 807~Bourrée I and Bourrée II 14. English Suite No. 2 in A minor, BWV 807~Gigue 15. English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808~Prélude 16. English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808~Allemande 17. English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808~Courante 18. English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808~Sarabande 19. English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808~Gavotte I and Gavotte II 20. English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808~Gigue 1. English Suite No. 4 in F major, BWV 809~Prélude 2. English

One of the greatest achievements in musical composition history, The Well-Tempered Clavier of Johann Sebastian Bach is a collection of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys. It seem both books, composed two decades apart, were written primarily for educative personal and private use in the home - probably to be played on the intimate clavichord. One of the most famous works written for the keyboard, The Well-Tempered Clavier is simply enjoyable music of the highest craftsmanship. Alexandra Papstefanou graduated from Athens Conservatoire, where she studied piano under Aliki Vatikioti. She followed her studies with Olga Zhukova at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, with Peter Solymos, at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and, on a scholarship from the Alexander Onassis Foundation, at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, USA, with the highly influential teacher György Sebok. She has also taken lessons from Alfred Brendel. Papastefanou was a finalist at the Clara Haskil Competition in Switzerland and received the Liebstoeckl and Fazioli Prizes at the International Geneva Competition, as well as the Spyros Motsenigos Prize from the Academy of Athens. She has performed all of Bach's keyboard works and, in a series of recitals, has presented his complete Well-Tempered Clavier, Goldberg Variations, The Art of Fugue, and The Musical Offering as well as his keyboard concertos. Album Tracks 1. Preludes and Fugues Nos. 1-12, BWV 846-857 2. Prelude & Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846 Prelude 3. Prelude & Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846 Fugue 4. Prelude & Fugue No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847 Prelude 5. Prelude & Fugue No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847 Fugue 6. Prelude & Fugue No. 3 in C Sharp Major, BWV 848 Prelude 7. Prelude & Fugue No. 3 in C Sharp Major, BWV 848 Prelude 8. Prelude & Fugue No. 4 in