Christophe Rousset - J.S. Bach: French Suites (2005)

In several respects, Christophe Rousset gives a well-balanced performance of Bach's French Suites. He finds a balance between a straightforward, technical reading and a more expressive one that takes liberties with timing and ornamentation. He brings out themes with a lyric sensibility, and he acknowledges the importance of countermelodies and the interaction of musical lines. The Sarabande of the Suite No. 6 is full of ornamentation, yet Rousset can still bring out a melody with a sense of forward direction that isn't interrupted by the ornaments. The Gigue of the Suite No. 5 is technically brilliant and musically delightful as all of the various parts come together in a lively manner. The instrument is a restored eighteenth century one with a sound that is not harshly brassy, but it is also not so delicate that livelier movements become wilted versions of what they should be. It has a resonance that helps Rousset make melodies sing. The sound of the recording adds to the quality of the performance. It is close, rich, and loud enough that the volume does not have to be way up in order for the instrument to be heard clearly.