The Four Nations Ensemble Recordings

This brand new recording at budget price presents the most enjoyable of harpsichord recitals: magnificent music, brilliantly performed by Andrew Appel on his solo debut for ASV.

While Bach was the supreme master of baroque keyboard music, his style was strongly influenced by earlier generations of French composers. Gaspard Le Roux was one of the foremost French musicians of his time, and his legacy of keyboard music contains suites of remarkably sophisticated, stylised French dances. Appel, his foremost champion, plays an especially delightful illustration. The younger Louis Marchand was a colourful character, a brilliant prodigy who became a renowned virtuoso and improvisor. Bach would certainly have been well aware of his D minor suite played here. Bach's own keyboard suites of French dances from around 20 years later are peerless, none finer than the second of the 'English' (not Bach's title) Suites, the most French in style.

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