Purcell Suites For Harpsichord CD

The music of the English Virginalists (virginal is a smaller variety of harpsichord) dating back to the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries served as an inspiration for the French harpsichord style, which, after several years, returned to Great Britain. It was adopted in such a mature form by the most outstanding composer born in England. Henry Purcell, conscious of the music's sources, enriched it with subsequent references to native musical traditions and with his own original compositional technique. The extremely meticulous interpretations of eight harpsichord suites by Purcell, performed by Ewa Rzetecka-Niewiadomska, convincingly confirm the artistry and aesthetic value of these compositions, with plenty of charm and stylistic treats, which, due to extra-musical reasons, are on the margin of the mainstream of the history of music.

1. I. Prelude 2. II. Almand 3. III. Corant 4. IV. (Minuet) 5. I. Prelude 6. II. (Almand) 7. III. Corant 8. IV. Saraband 9. I. Prelude 10. II. Almand 11. III. Courante 12. I. Prelude 13. II. Almand 14. III. Corante 15. IV. Saraband 16. I. Prelude 17. II. Almand 18. III. Corant 19. IV. Saraband 20. I. Prelude 21. II. Almand 22. III. (Hornpipe) 23. I. Almand, 'Bell-barr' 24. II. Corant 25. III. Hornpipe 26. I. Prelude 27. II. Almand 28. III. Courante 29. IV. Minuet