No 146 Bach and Couperin in Dialogue

Johann Sebastian Bach and François Couperin never met in person, yet they have much in common: both came from extensive musician families, always regarded musical genres from a pan-European perspective and presented themselves in public as outstanding virtuosos of all keyboard instruments. Bach may have been inspired to compose suites himself by the publication of the first harpsichord collections by his French colleague 17 years his senior. Probably even Bach will have puzzled over the enigmatic titles of some Couperin pieces (»The mysterious barricades«). In his recital, the American harpsichordist Mark Kroll presents a dialogue of equals between the two stars of keyboard.