“András Schiff is probably the most ingenious and resourceful performer of Bach on the modern piano around today” said the San Francisco Chronicle. Schiff’s playing on stage combines spontaneity and intellectual depth, ravishing sound with flawless technical finish, and his new live recording of Bach’s Partitas has very considerable sales potential after his hugely successful Goldberg Variations released in 2003.

The cycle, which in 1731 was the first group of works to be published by Bach himself, represents a unique stylistic synthesis of the suite form with a particular emphasis on most varied and imaginative opening movements. Compared to his London studio recording of 1983 this second rendering on disc demonstrates Schiff’s stylistic development towards more freedom, sonic depth and sheer pleasure of phrasing. The pianist’s rather unorthodox sequence of the partitas - 5 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 4 – 6 - draws an ascending line of keys leading from G major to e minor and reflects a long experience with the pieces in concert.