At home with Bach

Dutch harpsichord and organ player Ton Koopman reveals to us a less well known side of Bach's genius.

In 2000 Ton Koopman chose Gohlis Castle, a rococo masterpiece built at the end of the 18th century in Leipzig, as the place to record an unusual programme: that of a private Bach, who composed short pieces intended for private use, for his family, either for pedagogical reasons or for entertainment.

To sketch this unusual portrait of Bach "at home," Ton Koopman selected a series of twenty miniatures that were most probably played by Bach's children and in front of his friends. On the harpsichord or the organ, the musician interprets with his customary dexterity some of these works that have rarely been heard; he also accompanies the excellent baritone Klaus Mertens in cantatas that alternate between the religious and the profane and which are not always devoid of humour. This recording made on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the death of the Cantor of Leipzig makes an original and essential contribution to the knowledge of the composer.