BACH : un itinéraire Luc Beauséjour

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816:
• 1 Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816: I. Allemande 03:41
• 2 Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816: II. Courante 01:57
• 3 Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816: III. Sarabande 05:18
• 4 Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816: IV. Gavotte 01:10
• 5 Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816: V. Bourrée 01:32
• 6 Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816: VI. Loure 02:04
• 7 Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816: VII. Gigue 03:46
• Capriccio in B-Flat Major, BWV 992, "On the departure of a dear brother":
• 8 Bach: Capriccio in B-Flat Major, BWV 992, "On the departure of a dear brother": I. Arioso (Adagio) 02:29
• 9 Bach: Capriccio in B-Flat Major, BWV 992, "On the departure of a dear brother": II. They Picture the Dangers Which May Befall Him 01:44
• 10 Bach: Capriccio in B-Flat Major, BWV 992, "On the departure of a dear brother": III. Adagisissimo - The Friends' Lament 02:55
• 11 Bach: Capriccio in B-Flat Major, BWV 992, "On the departure of a dear brother": IV. Since He Cannot Be Dissuaded, They Say Farewell 00:48
• 12 Bach: Capriccio in B-Flat Major, BWV 992, "On the departure of a dear brother": V. Allegro poco. Aria of the Postilion 01:17
• 13 Bach: Capriccio in B-Flat Major, BWV 992, "On the departure of a dear brother": VI. Fugue in Imitation of the Postilion's Horn 02:43
• Fantasia in G Minor, BWV 917:
• 14 Bach: Fantasia in G Minor, BWV 917 02:39
• Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903:
• 15 Bach: Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903: Fantasy 06:06
• 16 Bach: Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903: Fugue 05:30
• 17 Bach: Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-Flat Major, BWV 998: Prelude 02:55
• 18 Bach: Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-Flat Major, BWV 998: Fugue 05:35
• 19 Bach: Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-Flat Major, BWV 998: Allegro 03:08
• The Musical Offering, BWV 1079:
• 20 Bach: The Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Ricercare a 3 in C Minor 06:01
• Total Runtime 01:03:18

Info for BACH : un itinéraire

The harpsichord, like the organ, was Bach's favourite instrument, and he was a virtuoso at the keyboards in every city where he had a career. From the frenzied toccatas of his youth to the rigorous contrapuntal constructions of his maturity, via the Italian Concerto and the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, Luc Beauséjour takes us on a journey through the variety and evolution of the different styles that marked his art throughout his life.

This musical biography of Bach follows an itinerary of different locations where the composer worked or held posts. “The various jobs Johann Sebastian Bach held during his life, whether working for a prince or a municipality, influenced his musical production. I have selected one piece written at each of the places in which Bach worked, so this recording project offers a panorama of his works for harpsichord. Unlike the other genres in which Bach wrote, he continued producing harpsichord works throughout his life,” says Luc Beauséjour.

Each track on this album invites the listener to discover the pieces that marked Bach’s career. It was at the age of 18 that he composed his Capriccio on the departure of his beloved brother, BWV 992, during his stay in Arnstadt or Luneburg. Over the next few decades, he composed the Fantasy in G Minor, BWV 917 (Weimar); the French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816, and the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 603 (Cöthen/Leipzig); the Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-flat Major, BWV 998 (Leipzig); and the three-part Ricercare from the Musical Offering, BWV 1079 (Potsdam).

Luc Beauséjour, harpsichord

Luc Beauséjour
Canadian organist and harpsichordist Luc Beauséjour leads an extremely active concert career, with BBC Music Magazine noting that “he plays with impeccable technique, tasteful embellishments, a wide range of emotion and deep sensitivity.”

Mr. Beauséjour has won numerous awards in the last few years, including “Performer of the Year” by the Conseil québécois de la musique. Mr. Beauséjour leads a very active performing schedule in Canada and abroad that has taken him to France, the United States, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, and Bermuda. He has performed at numerous festivals, including the Festival d’Uzès (France), the Lanaudière International Festival, the Festival d’Ambronay, the festival Un été à Bourges, the Lamèque Early Music Festival (New Brunswick), and the Vancouver Early Music Festival. He was invited to perform the Goldberg Variations at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto for a CBC commemoration of the great pianist’s birthday. He is also heard regularly on both CBC and Radio-Canada. He is a much sought after recording artist for labels such as Analekta, Naxos, and CBC Records. In 1994, Mr. Beauséjour founded the organization “Clavecin en concert”, a concert series for harpsichord music. His performances in this series have included the complete works for harpsichord of Rameau, J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, The Art of Fugue, and Book I of The Well-tempered Clavier. Born in Rawdon, Quebec, Mr. Beauséjour holds a Doctorate from the Université de Montréal. He studied harpsichord with Mireille Lagacé and organ with Bernard Lagacé, and trained in Europe under Ton Koopman and Kenneth Gilbert. First Prize winner of the 1985 Erwin Bodky International Harpischord Competition in Boston, he has also won prizes at several other competitions and received a number of grants from the Canada Council and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. Mr. Beauséjour teaches harpsichord and organ in Montreal.

Booklet for BACH : un itinéraire