Published a year after his death, Henry Purcell’s eight keyboard suites were long overshadowed by his more celebrated works. They are the heirs to a characteristically English vein, shifting from humour to seriousness in delightfully casual fashion, like the elegant grounds chosen by Richard Egarr to echo them here; the musical testament of a composer who died all too soon.
Richard Egarr plays a harpsichord by Joel Katzman, Amsterdam, 1991, after Ruckers, Antwerp, 1638.
HENRY PURCELL [1659-1695] Suite no.1 in G major / Sol majeur / G-dur, Z.660
· Prelude (0'35)
· Almand (1'14)
· Corant (1'06)
· [Minuet] (1'13)
· Chaconne in G minor / sol mineur / g-moll, Z.T680 (from Timon of Athens) (2'56) Suite no.2 in G minor / sol mineur / g-moll, Z.661
· Prelude (1'40)
· [Almand] (3'47)
· Corant (1'37)
· Sarabande (1'43)
· Ground, Z.T681 (from Ye tuneful Muses) (3'57) Suite no.3 in G major / Sol majeur / G-dur, Z.662
· Prelude (1'25)
· Almand (3'35)
· Courante (2'06)
· A New Ground, Z.T682 (from Welcome to all the pleasures) (2'26) Suite no.4 in A minor / la mineur / a-moll, Z.663
· Prelude (1'04)
· Almand (3'02)
· Corante (1'42)
· Saraband (1'18)
· Jig (from GB-Lbl Mus.1) (1'36)
· Ground in Gamut, Z.645 (1'59) Suite no.5 in C major / Ut majeur / C-dur, Z.666
· Prelude in C (from GB-Lbl Mus.1) (0'47)
· Prelude (1'15)
· Almand (3'11)
· Corant (1'09)
· Saraband (1'18)
· Ground, Z.D221 (2'58) Suite no.6 in D major / Ré majeur / D-dur, Z.667
· Prelude (0'49)
· Almand (3'10)
· [Hornpipe] (1'14)
· Round O, Z.T684 (from Abdelazer) (1'50) Suite no.7 in D minor / ré mineur / d-moll, Z.668
· [Improvised prelude] (0'30)
· Almand, very slow. 'Bell-barr' (4'46)
· Corant (1'41)
· Hornpipe (0'52)
· Prelude (0'55) Suite no.8 in F major / Fa majeur / F-dur, Z.669
· Almand (3'16)
· Courante (2'10)
· Minuet (1'12)
