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French Suites - Italian Concerto – Fantasia and Fugue

Francesco Cera

French Suites - Italian Concerto – Fantasia and Fugue

...let your imagination be aroused
47738-8 (Arts Music)
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Tracks: Listen and Download

Track Time Listen
1
Suite I in d minor BWV 812 - Allemande

Suite I in d minor BWV 812 - Allemande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
05:09 Play
2
Suite I in d minor BWV 812 - Courante

Suite I in d minor BWV 812 - Courante

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
02:12 Play
3
Suite I in d minor BWV 812 - Sarabande

Suite I in d minor BWV 812 - Sarabande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
03:49 Play
4
Suite I in d minor BWV 812 - Menuet I / II

Suite I in d minor BWV 812 - Menuet I / II

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
03:46 Play
5
Suite I in d minor BWV 812 - Gigue

Suite I in d minor BWV 812 - Gigue

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
03:10 Play
6
Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Allemande

Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Allemande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
04:15 Play
7
Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Courante

Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Courante

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
02:16 Play
8
Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Sarabande

Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Sarabande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
03:57 Play
9
Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Air

Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Air

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
01:26 Play
10
Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Menuet I / II

Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Menuet I / II

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
03:23 Play
11
Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Gigue

Suite II in c minor BWV 813 - Gigue

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
02:12 Play
12
Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Allemande

Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Allemande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
05:07 Play
13
Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Courante

Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Courante

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
02:12 Play
14
Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Sarabande

Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Sarabande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
03:28 Play
15
Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Anglaise

Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Anglaise

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
01:37 Play
16
Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Menuet / Trio

Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Menuet / Trio

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
03:23 Play
17
Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Gigue

Suite III in b minor BWV 814 - Gigue

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
02:20 Play
18
Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815- Allemande

Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815- Allemande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
04:11 Play
19
Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Courante

Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Courante

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
02:14 Play
20
Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Sarabande

Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Sarabande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
03:20 Play
21
Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Gavotte

Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Gavotte

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
01:26 Play
22
Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Menuet

Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Menuet

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
00:51 Play
23
Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Air

Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Air

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
01:40 Play
24
Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Gigue

Suite IV in E Flat Major BWV 815 - Gigue

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
02:55 Play
25
Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Allemande

Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Allemande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
04:46 Play
26
Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Courante

Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Courante

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
02:00 Play
27
Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Sarabande

Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Sarabande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
05:07 Play
28
Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Gavotte

Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Gavotte

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
01:13 Play
29
Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Bourrée

Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Bourrée

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
01:24 Play
30
Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Loure

Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Loure

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
02:13 Play
31
Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Gigue

Suite V in G Major BWV 816 - Gigue

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
03:42 Play
32
Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Allemande

Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Allemande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
03:16 Play
33
Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 -Courante

Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 -Courante

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
01:53 Play
34
Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Sarabande

Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Sarabande

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
03:10 Play
35
Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Gavotte

Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Gavotte

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
01:13 Play
36
Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Polonaise

Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Polonaise

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
01:29 Play
37
Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Menuet

Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Menuet

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
01:10 Play
38
Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Bourrée

Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Bourrée

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
01:42 Play
39
Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Gigue

Suite VI in E Major BWV 817 - Gigue

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
02:36 Play
40
Concerto Italiano in F Major BWV 971 - [Allegro]

Concerto Italiano in F Major BWV 971 - [Allegro]

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
04:17 Play
41
Concerto Italiano in F Major BWV 971 - Adante

Concerto Italiano in F Major BWV 971 - Adante

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
04:41 Play
42
Concerto Italiano in F Major BWV 971 - Presto

Concerto Italiano in F Major BWV 971 - Presto

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
04:21 Play
43
Fantasia and Fugue in a minor BWV 904 - Fantasia

Fantasia and Fugue in a minor BWV 904 - Fantasia

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
05:28 Play
44
Fantasia and Fugue in a minor BWV 904 - Fugue

Fantasia and Fugue in a minor BWV 904 - Fugue

Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Soloist Francesco Cera - harpsichord
06:19 Play
Total Running Time 132 minutes
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To order the CD and for further information about the artist please contact Arts Music.

Francesco Cera provides a presentation of the spiritual and religious basis of human life. 

Download includes - cover art, inlay, booklet
Francesco Cera

Francesco Cera

Francesco Cera is now one of Italy's leading early music specialists, and is greatly admired both as a performer and for his extensive knowledge of styles and different musical expressions. He is particularly well-known for his performances of 17th century harpsichord and organ music.
profile & recordings >>
Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach

Considered by many to be the supreme composer of the Baroque style, and regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
profile & recordings >>

Produced by Andrea Ritter

Since the beginning of the 17th century, instrumental music was thought to have a content conveying rhetorical meaning, though it did not have a text as carrier of emotions and explicitly defined contents - as did the vocal music. The possibility to convey the contents of an instrumental work is thus left both to the fantasy of the interpreter and the audience. This does also apply for Bach's instrumental music. In the six French Suites which he composed around 1720 in Köthen the arrangement of the keys indicates that the sequence is not pure coincidence. Three minor keys followed by three major keys - this could be described as follows by citing the interesting definitions of three authorities of the baroque era, Kircher, Charpentier and Mattheson: D minor (1st suite), serious and meditative, C minor (2nd suite), dark and sad, B minor (3rd suite), lonely and melancholic, E flat major (4th suite), emotional and affectionate, G major (5th suite), playful and caressing, E major (6th suite), otherworldly. This step-by-step sequence, almost a change from sadness to joy, reminds of a presentation of spiritual and religious basis of human life. In Bach's era, religion was an unalterable value as consolation for human life. Apart from this, Bach's instrumental works have always been conceded a spiritual sense, especially those with a soloist instrument. Our imagination is not only aroused by the keys and harmonies but also by the musical figurations, a true symbol language in Bach's  sacred music (and not only in his sacred music). The human being which is tormented by sin and the hardships of life (1st suite) is forced to take a hard way through life (2nd suite). Only prayer and the teachings of Jesus Christ can lead him to salvation of the soul (3rd suite). The fruit of faith is the consoling experience of God's grace (4th suite), which only makes the joy of human love possible (5th suite) and after death awards us with the pleasures of paradise by Jesus Christ's side (6th suite). Of course today listeners are free to imagine different things. However, let us not forget that art has always been a carrier of noble thought. We chose to compare the French style of the suites with the Italian one of Italian Concerto and the Fantasy and Fugue in A minor. Starting point of this extraordinary concert composed in Leipzig in the 1730ies and which was thought up for the sound levels of a double harpsichord, are the concerts of Antonio Vivaldi, in which Bach had delved into in Köthen. Fantasy is a meditative work which enjoys the durezze e ligature (dissonances and ligatures) of Frescobaldi. The fugue is based on a likewise meditative theme which is accompanied by a descending chromatic motive, from which an especially profound middle part emerges. The choice of this harpsichord, which is neither from Germany nor from Bach's time, may seem somewhat  unconventional. However, it is justified by its clarity in polyphony, its French style and by the fact that excellent instruments of the past century were still in use around 1720.

 

Information about the Harpsichord

The harpsichord used in this recording is the result of an occupation with the work of Vincent Tibaut, a French harpsichord maker from the second half of the 17th century. After a detailed examination of original instruments I decided to make a copy of the instrument from 1691 which is preserved in the "Musée de la musique" in Paris. Working on this instrument enabled me to take an insight into the workshop of this old French master and to value each of his constructive choices. Step by step I got to know this excellent cabinet maker as a brilliant harpsichord maker. He was able to connect elaborate own developments with Italian, German and Flemish elements. The inner structure of the case was for instance worked on with special care to reach the lightest weight. The soundboard is the result of an elaborate acoustic plan. Tibaut arranges the ribs like fishbones to guarantee a best possible balance in the sound production. Moreover, he settles a second sounding area on the surface of the wrestplank. This is done by making the veneer out of fir wood as a second soundboard. Thus the deep notes become stronger. The combination of all these technical solutions reveals a sound concept which reflects the utmost opposite of the blurred sound of many 18th century French harpsichords. Tibaut's intention seemed to be to give almost each string a special personal identity, to thus reach a clear polyphonic effect.

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Audiophile Audition
Cera is very precise in his finger work and Arts has given him glorious hi-res surround sonics...
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ResMusica
The sound is round, powerfull and profound and is carried by a multi channel recording technique which presents the as though you were in the concert.