Album

There was a time when harpsichordist Ralph Kirkpatrick was the avante-garde in historically informed performance practice and the dernier cri of the period instrument movement. Of course, that time was the late '50s and early '60s and times have changed. What was once the avante-garde is now the rear guard and what was once the dernier cri is just another cry in the streets. But shorn of its foreign appellations and either its modernity or its nostalgia, how does Ralph Kirkpatrick's Bach hold up almost half a century later?

Magnificently, as it turns out: Kirkpatrick was a terrific player and a tremendous musician and his recordings of Bach on Archiv are as good as the best ever recorded. His technique was superb, and nothing in Bach, not the most gnarly passages nor the most gnomic pages, is beyond him. His interpretations were sublime, and nothing in Bach, not the most exalted pages nor the funniest pages, is beyond him. On those grounds alone, Kirkpatrick's reputation is secure against the fashion of time. But aside from his technique and his interpretations, there was Kirkpatrick's tone: enormous but intimate, full but delicate, warm with overtones and partials, and clear with brightness and brilliance. It could be argued that no harpsichordist since Kirkpatrick played with a more robust, subtle, and beautiful tone. Deutsche Grammophon's original sound was rich and deep in its time and this remastering is even better.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 8
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer English Suite No.1 in A, BWV806 Work Recorded 1956 20:44 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
1	1.Prelude	1:56			$0.49
2	2.Allemande	3:48			$0.99
3	3.Courante 1	1:36			$0.49
4	4.Courante 2; 5.Double 1; 6.Double 2	2:53			$0.99
5	7.Sarabande	3:58			$0.99
6	8.Bourrée 1; 9.Bourrée 2	4:05			$0.99
7	10.Gigue	2:28			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer English Suite No.2 in A-, BWV807 Work Recorded 1956 23:09 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
8	1.Prelude	4:56			$0.99
9	2.Allemande	3:18			$0.99
10	3.Courante	1:41			$0.49
11	4.Sarabande	3:39			$0.99
12	4b.Sarabande 2	2:01			$0.99
13	5.Bourrée 1 and 2	4:16			$0.99
14	6.Gigue	3:18			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer English Suite No.3 in G-, BWV808 Work Recorded 1956 18:59 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
15	1.Prelude	3:01			$0.99
16	2.Allemande	2:43			$0.99
17	3.Courante	2:04			$0.99
18	4.Sarabande	3:30			$0.99
19	4a.Sarabande (alternate ornaments)	1:48			$0.49
20	5.Gavotte 1 and 2 ('La musette')	3:06			$0.99
21	6.Gigue	2:47			$0.99
CD 2 of 8
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer English Suite No.4 in F, BWV809 Work Recorded 1956 18:56 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
1	1.Prelude	4:22			$0.99
2	2.Allemande	3:23			$0.99
3	3.Courante	1:24			$0.49
4	4.Sarabande	2:37			$0.99
5	5.Menuet 1 and 2	3:43			$0.99
6	6.Gigue	3:27			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer English Suite No.5 in E-, BWV810 Work Recorded 1956 19:01 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
7	1.Prelude	4:22			$0.99
8	2.Allemande	3:17			$0.99
9	3.Courante	1:55			$0.49
10	4.Sarabande	3:11			$0.99
11	5.Passepied 1 ('en Rondeau') and 2	3:23			$0.99
12	6.Gigue	2:53			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer English Suite No.6 in D-, BWV811 Work Recorded 1956 25:24 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
13	1.Prelude	7:40			$1.49
14	2.Allemande	3:36			$0.99
15	3.Courante	2:13			$0.99
16	4.Sarabande; 5.Double	4:24			$0.99
17	6.Gavotte 1 and 2	3:58			$0.99
18	7.Gigue	3:33			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer French Suite No.1 in D- BWV812 Work Recorded 1957 13:51 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
19	1.Allemande	2:59			$0.99
20	2.Courante	1:50			$0.49
21	3.Sarabande	2:46			$0.99
22	4.Menuet 1 and 2	2:52			$0.99
23	5.Gigue	3:24			$0.99
CD 3 of 8
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer French Suite No.2 in C-, BWV813 Work Recorded 1957 13:48 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
1	1.Allemande	3:29			$0.99
2	2.Courante	1:59			$0.49
3	3.Sarabande	3:16			$0.99
4	4.Air	1:23			$0.49
5	5.Menuet 1 and 2	1:15			$0.49
6	6.Gigue	2:26			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer French Suite No.3 in B-, BWV814 Work Recorded 1957 13:34 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
7	1.Allemande	2:41			$0.99
8	2.Courante	1:56			$0.49
9	3.Sarabande	3:06			$0.99
10	4.Anglaise	1:16			$0.49
11	5.Menuet and Trio	2:39			$0.99
12	6.Gigue	1:56			$0.49
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer French Suite No.4 in Eb, BWV815 Work Recorded 1957 13:20 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
13	1.Allemande	2:17			$0.99
14	2.Courante	1:46			$0.49
15	3.Sarabande	3:17			$0.99
16	4.Gavotte	1:15			$0.49
17	6.Menuet	0:44			$0.49
18	5.Air	1:49			$0.49
19	7.Gigue	2:12			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer French Suite No.5 in G, BWV816 Work Recorded 1957 16:39 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
20	1.Allemande	2:30			$0.99
21	2.Courante	1:45			$0.49
22	3.Sarabande	4:30			$0.99
23	4.Gavotte	1:05			$0.49
24	5.Bourrée	1:18			$0.49
25	6.Louré	2:04			$0.99
26	7.Gigue	3:27			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer French Suite No.6 in E, BWV817 Work Recorded 1957 14:48 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
27	1.Allemande	2:26			$0.99
28	2.Courante	1:32			$0.49
29	3.Sarabande	3:14			$0.99
30	4.Gavotte	1:04			$0.49
31	5.Polonaise	1:29			$0.49
32	6.Bourrée	1:34			$0.49
33	7.Menuet	1:24			$0.49
34	8.Gigue	2:05			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Fantasia and Fugue in A-, BWV944 Work Recorded 1957 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
35	Fantasia and Fugue in A-, BWV944	5:38			$0.99
CD 4 of 8
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Goldberg Variations, BWV988 (Clavier-Übung IV) Work Recorded 1958 43:16 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
1	Aria	2:06			$0.99
2	Variation 1 (a 1 clav.)	1:06			$0.49
3	Variation 2 (a 1 clav.)	1:16			$0.49
4	Variation 3 (canone all'unisuono a 1 clav.)	1:56			$0.49
5	Variation 4 (a 1 clav.)	0:39			$0.49
6	Variation 5 (a 1 o vero 2 clav.)	0:48			$0.49
7	Variation 6 (canone alla seconda a 1 clav.)	0:48			$0.49
8	Variation 7 (a 1 o vero 2 clav., al tempo di giga)	1:17			$0.49
9	Variation 8 (a 2 clav.)	1:10			$0.49
10	Variation 9 (canone alla terza a 1 clav.)	1:12			$0.49
11	Variation 10 (fughetta a 1 clav.)	0:56			$0.49
12	Variation 11 (a 2 clav.)	0:52			$0.49
13	Variation 12 (canone alla quarta a 1 clav.)	1:22			$0.49
14	Variation 13 (a 2 clav.)	2:33			$0.99
15	Variation 14 (a 2 clav.)	1:13			$0.49
16	Variation 15 (canone alla quinta a 1 clav.: Andante)	2:20			$0.99
17	Variation 16 (ouverture a 1 clav.)	1:41			$0.49
18	Variation 17 (a 2 clav.)	0:53			$0.49
19	Variation 18 (canone alla sexta a 1 clav.)	0:58			$0.49
20	Variation 19 (a 1 clav.)	0:39			$0.49
21	Variation 20 (a 2 clav.)	1:04			$0.49
22	Variation 21 (canone alla settima a 1 clav.)	1:02			$0.49
23	Variation 22 (a 1 clav. alla breve)	0:57			$0.49
24	Variation 23 (a 2 clav.)	1:00			$0.49
25	Variation 24 (canone all'ottava a 1 clav.)	1:49			$0.49
26	Variation 25 (a 2 clav.: Adagio)	4:08			$0.99
27	Variation 26 (a 2 clav.)	1:07			$0.49
28	Variation 27 (canone alla nona a 2 clav.)	0:53			$0.49
29	Variation 28 (a 2 clav.)	1:08			$0.49
30	Variation 29 (a 1 o vero 2 clav.)	1:08			$0.49
31	Variation 30 (quodlibet a 1 clav.)	1:00			$0.49
32	Aria da capo	2:15			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D-, BWV903 Work Recorded 1959 12:07 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
33	1.Fantasia	6:49			$0.99
34	2.Fugue	5:18			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer 4 'Duettos', BWV802-805 (from Clavier-Übung III)...4 Duettos, BWV802-805 (from Clavier-Übung III; tr. harpsichord) Work Recorded 1959 11:08 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
35	No.1 in E-, BWV802	2:47			$0.99
36	No.2 in F, BWV803	3:10			$0.99
37	No.3 in G, BWV804	2:53			$0.99
38	No.4 in A-, BWV805	2:18			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Italian Concerto, BWV971 Work Recorded 1959 12:41 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
39	1.(Allegro)	3:58			$0.99
40	2.Andante	4:43			$0.99
41	3.Presto	4:00			$0.99
CD 5 of 8
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Partita No.1 in Bb, BWV825 Work Recorded 1958 20:48 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
1	1.Praeludium	2:12			$0.99
2	2.Allemande	3:21			$0.99
3	3.Courante	2:51			$0.99
4	4.Sarabande	7:23			$1.49
5	5.Menuet 1 and 2	2:39			$0.99
6	6.Gigue	2:22			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Partita No.2 in C-, BWV826 Work Recorded 1958 22:31 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
7	1.Sinfonia	5:55			$0.99
8	2.Allemande	4:55			$0.99
9	3.Courante	2:21			$0.99
10	4.Sarabande	4:01			$0.99
11	5.Rondeau	1:37			$0.49
12	6.Capriccio	3:42			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Partita No.4 in D, BWV828 Work Recorded 1958 33:45 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
13	1.Ouverture	6:29			$0.99
14	2.Allemande	9:22			$1.49
15	3.Courante	3:20			$0.99
16	4.Aria	3:02			$0.99
17	5.Sarabande	6:05			$0.99
18	6.Menuet	1:27			$0.49
19	7.Gigue	4:00			$0.99
CD 6 of 8
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Partita No.3 in A-, BWV827 Work Recorded 1958 19:11 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
1	1.Fantasia	2:22			$0.99
2	2.Allemande	3:05			$0.99
3	3.Corrente	2:49			$0.99
4	4.Sarabande	4:15			$0.99
5	5.Burlesca	2:16			$0.99
6	6.Scherzo	1:12			$0.49
7	7.Gigue	3:12			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Partita No.5 in G, BWV829 Work Recorded 1958 21:55 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
8	1.Praeambulum	2:45			$0.99
9	2.Allemande	4:40			$0.99
10	3.Corrente	2:21			$0.99
11	4.Sarabande	4:35			$0.99
12	5.Tempo di minuetto	1:51			$0.49
13	6.Passepied	1:43			$0.49
14	7.Gigue	4:00			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Partita No.6 in E-, BWV830 Work Recorded 1958 30:50 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
15	1.Toccata	6:32			$0.99
16	2.Allemande	3:43			$0.99
17	3.Corrente	5:15			$0.99
18	4.Air	1:42			$0.49
19	5.Sarabande	6:07			$0.99
20	6.Tempo di gavotta	2:13			$0.99
21	7.Gigue	5:18			$0.99
CD 7 of 8
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer French Overture (Partita) in B-, BWV831 Work Recorded 1959 33:56 Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord
1	1.Overture	13:15			$2.49
2	2.Courante	2:01			$0.99
3	3.Gavotte 1 and 2	3:16			$0.99
4	4.Passepied 1 and 2	2:47			$0.99
5	5.Sarabande	4:04			$0.99
6	6a.Bourrée 1	1:05			$0.49
7	6b.Bourrée 2	1:19			$0.49
8	7.Gigue	3:14			$0.99
9	8.Echo	2:55			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Keyboard Concerto in D-, BWV1052 Work Recorded 1958 23:35 Festival Strings Lucerne String Ensemble, Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord, Rudolf Baumgartner Ensemble Director
10	1.Allegro	8:16			$1.49
11	2.Adagio	7:05			$1.49
12	3.Allegro	8:14			$1.49
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Keyboard Concerto in E, BWV1053 Work Recorded 1958 20:45 Festival Strings Lucerne String Ensemble, Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord, Rudolf Baumgartner Ensemble Director
13	1.[Allegro]	8:43			$1.49
14	2.Siciliano	5:07			$0.99
15	3.Allegro	6:55			$0.99
CD 8 of 8
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Triple Concerto in A-, for Flute, Violin and Keyboard, BWV1044 Work Recorded 1960 22:26 Festival Strings Lucerne String Ensemble, Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord, Aurele Nicolet Flute, Rudolf Baumgartner Violin
1	1.Allegro	9:25			$1.49
2	2.Adagio, ma non tanto, e dolce	5:51			$0.99
3	3.Tempo di alla breve	7:10			$1.49
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Keyboard Concerto in A, BWV1055 Work Recorded 1960 14:58 Festival Strings Lucerne String Ensemble, Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord, Rudolf Baumgartner Ensemble Director
4	1.[Allegro]	5:07			$0.99
5	2.Siciliano: Larghetto	5:03			$0.99
6	3.Allegro ma non tanto	4:48			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Keyboard Concerto in F-, BWV1056 Work Recorded 1958 10:19 Festival Strings Lucerne String Ensemble, Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord, Rudolf Baumgartner Ensemble Director
7	1.[Allegro]	3:25			$0.99
8	2.Largo	2:49			$0.99
9	3.Presto	4:05			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D, BWV1050 Work Recorded 1959 22:51 Festival Strings Lucerne String Ensemble, Ralph Kirkpatrick Harpsichord, Aurele Nicolet Flute, Rudolf Baumgartner Violin
10	1.Allegro	10:52			$1.99
11	2.Andante	6:25			$0.99
12	3.Allegro	5:34			$0.99