Jarrett: Handel – Suites for Keyboard (FLAC)

Performer: Keith Jarrett
Composer: George Frederick Handel
Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Ecm Records
Size: 233 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: no

# Suite for keyboard in G minor, HWV 452
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Keith Jarrett

# Suite for keyboard in D minor, HWV 447
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Keith Jarrett

# Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), Vol.2, No.7 in B flat, HWV 440
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Keith Jarrett

# Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), Vol.1, No.8 in F minor, HWV 433
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Keith Jarrett

# Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), Vol.1, No.2 in F major, HWV 427
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Keith Jarrett

# Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), Vol.1, No.4 in E minor, HWV 429
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Keith Jarrett

# Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), Vol.1, No.1 in A major, HWV 426
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Keith Jarrett

Bright keyboard singing

I went across this recording while looking for Keith Jarrett’s Bach Well Tempered Klavier versions on the web. I was immediately struck by the brightness of his playing in these suites. Listening to them several times has confirmed to me my first impression, making it even clearer. I would say that Keith Jarrett manages to combine the merits of harpsichord (for the clearness of contrapunctual lines) and piano (for the richness of the sound). Although I usually prefer baroque music played on period instruments (and therefore the harpsichord for keyboard works), I completely disagree with some purists who have said that this recording was to be disregarded because these pieces were played by the wrong interpreter on the wrong instrument. I think on the contrary that K.J. magnifies these inventive and beautiful compositions, which deserve being explored while not as famous as Handel’s choral, vocal and orchestral work. I must say that, being also a jazz adict (which of course may have to do with my curiosity for K.J.’s classical work), I have developped over the last years an increasingly high estime for Handel, of whom I read that Ludwig van Beethoven, probably extremely moved by the oratorio he had just been listening to (I think it was Messiah) once said that he considered him as the greatest composer who ever lived (reported in Harmonicon
dated January 1824).