Bach, J S: Prelude in D minor (Little Prelude for Solo Lute in C minor), BWV999

J.S. Bach composed no original works for guitar, and although several compositions for lute have been attributed to him, his interest in this expressive instrument appears to have been rather limited, possibly because his mastery and knowledge of it was less extensive than of other instruments, such as the violin and keyboard. However, the 20th century still witnessed an increasing interest in the possibility of performing Bach’s music on the guitar.

It was in the late 1920s that Andrés Segovia recorded the Courante of the 3rd Cello Suite, and he followed this with the Chaconne from the Partita No.2 for solo violin, later recording the entire work. Julian Bream and Narciso Yepes also made recordings on the guitar of Bach’s music, but it was John Williams who eventually recorded the complete works for lute. These discs focus particularly on Bach’s Suites for lute – including BWV996, now attributed to his pupil J.L. Krebs.

Also included is the complete Partita No.2 for solo violin. To ensure that questions of interpretation were considered thoroughly, these recordings were made following extensive study of 18th century performance practice, as well as secondary sources that discuss how Bach’s music was originally played.

Booklet note.

Recording made in 2009–2010.

Attademo has also recorded Scarlatti’s Sonatas for Guitar for Brilliant Classics (9125).

The first release by Stefano Grondona entirely dedicated to J. S. Bach. He asserts in the liner notes: “Bach’s musical creativity moves almost at the margins of the instruments to which he destined his compositions [...]. The instrument becomes their vehicle, of which the characteristics are the reason for an expressive challenge, for linguistic creation, for peculiarities in style and at the same time the limit [...]. A guitar of Antonio de Torres (1817-1892), the most transcendent of the guitar builders, lends itself by its very nature to going where it is no longer guitar [...]. In the collection of Bach works collected on the CD I intend fully to make the most gestural expression of these important pieces [...]. For my six-string instrument, more specifically for the two Torres guitars used here, it is an expressive path going beyond those confined conceptual boundaries relating to a localised historical identity [...]. [...] a guitar which cancels every preconception, every phonic reiteration, every memory of a genre of sound of guitar. It becomes the instrument of gesture, the voice of a soul, the enunciation of a verb, which flows through the inflorescence, finally free, the future of Bach’s path”.

Stefano Grondona plays two prestigious Torres guitars: Torres 1887, SE 111 (tracks 1-6, 10-25); Torres 1887, SE 107 (tracks 7-9).