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Bach's six English Suites, of which this volume comprises the first three, present something of a mystery in their composition. It is supposed that he wrote them prior to taking up his position in Leipzig, and academic research is increasingly tracing their origin to Bach's years at Weimar (1708-1714) when he was a young man. The music readily mixes French and Italian musical elements and styles with Bach's counterpoint. Nobody knows for sure why these are called English Suites, but the musical content has no relation to anything English. The harpsichord recordings of Fernando Valenti are regarded by many as some of the finest ever made. It is a mystery as to why these remarkable recordings have been unobtainable for so long, and we are grateful to Peter Harrison for his fine remastering of these recordings from original 1950s vinyl.
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