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It took András Schiff over 40 years to acquire his first clavichord, but the long wait was worth it. His love for the harpsichord's ‘little sister’ began in the late 1960s, when Schiff met the English pianist, organist, composer and conductor Georg Malcolm: ‘He showed me how to play Bach's polyphony with my fingers alone, without using the sustain pedal’.Unlike the harpsichord or piano, a note (string) played on the clavichord resonates for as long as the key is held down. As a result, playing this instrument is unique in that you can influence the sound even after a key has been struck, allowing for techniques such as vibrato.Historically, the clavichord was widely used as a practice instrument and a composition aid, and it was often only played in front of small groups. This doesn’t detract from its importance and significance, however, as evidenced by its frequent use by composers such as Bach.András Schiff takes to this intimate, personal instrument to offer recordings which— together with those of Friedrich Gulda or Gustav Leonhardt—constitute one of the rare complete recordings of Bach's keyboard music for clavichord. He performs the Inventions, Sinfonias, Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue BWV 903, among others, with dedication and precision, and he’s not afraid to put his own mark on the music. Schiff tends to be less known for his historical performances, but he astonishes here with an impressive recording in which he remains true to himself and to Bach. © Lena Germann/Qobuz

Bach’s St. John Passion, with its famous opening chorus traversed by shadows and light, is a powerful musical and spiritual reflection. Dramatic, grandiose, complex, resolutely theatrical: there has been no lack of superlatives to describe this supreme masterpiece of western music. Philippe Herreweghe and Collegium Vocale Gent present an accomplished reading that reflects their knowledge of the composer, based on extensive research and deepened by countless concerts. Soloists Krešimir Stražanac and Maximilian Schmitt demonstrate the breadth of their talents in the roles of Jesus and the Evangelist. © Phi

Reissued for the first time in its entirety and magnificently restored by Christophe Hénault at his Art et Son studio in Annecy from the original soundtracks, this first complete Bach work signed by Marie-Claire Alain is of stunning beauty. Recorded between 1959 and 1967 on various historical instruments in Denmark, Sweden and Germany, this recording, described by the performer herself as "the most instinctive" of the three she recorded, benefits from remarkable sound recordings that perfectly showcase the instruments chosen by the great French organist. Fighting from her youth against the mathematical rigidity with which Bach's music was too often treated, she strove instead to release its vital energy, leaving aside an overly strong dialectic and countering the overly emotional. This great artist was well aware that organ music, and Bach's in particular, had to be modelled on each instrument used, adapting its playing, sound and technique to each occasion. « For each concert I give », she said, « I am obliged to rework each work according to the instrument I have at my disposal.»Disappeared on February 27, 2013 at the age of eighty-six, Marie-Claire Alain had put an end to her career in 2010 after having given more than 2,500 concerts and recorded 250 discs that still retain their great historical value. (Qobuz / François Hudry)Record label note : This very first re-release on CD of Marie-Claire Alain’s first complete recording of Bach’s organ works has benefited from meticulous cleaning up of the original tapes. The very color of analog sound is preserved in all its purity. On a few tracks, it proved impossible to remove some minor noise and extraneous sounds that were captured during the recording sessions and which can still be heard. However, these defects are fortunately very few in number and do not detract in any way from the superb audio quality of these newly restored recordings of some exceptional performances. We will dwell on the poetic and perfectly balanced tones of the Varde organ, probably Marie-Claire Alain's favourite. Marie-Claire Alain plays the following organs (specified in each track) : — Denmark : Marcussen Organ, St.Jacobs Church, Varde (CDs 1, 2, 4, 12, 13, 14, 15) – Frobenius Organ, St.Nicholas Church, Middelfart (CDs 5, 6) – Marcussen Organ, St. Paul Church, Aarhus (CDs 6, 7, 8) – Marcussen Organ, St. Mary’s Church, Sønderborg (CDs 8, 9) – Marcussen Organ, Christians Church, Sønderborg (CDs 8, 9) – Marcussen Organ, Holmens Church, Copenhagen (CDs 9, 10, 11) – Marcussen Organ, St. Nicholas Church, Aabenraa (CD 13)  — Sweden : Marcussen Organ, St. Mary Church, Helsingborg (CDs 2, 3, 5) — Germany : Marcussen Organ, St. Peter's Cathedral (Dom), Schleswig (CD 11)