Mahan Esfahani’s mammoth project to record the complete keyboard works of Bach reaches its zenith with The Complete Keyboard Concertos. At every stage in the series Esfahani has sought to challenge long-held assumptions about the composer we seek to know. By teaming up with the Britten Sinfonia, he dispels any assumptions that the harpsichord might be seen as an ‘ancient’ instrument, eschewing period instruments in favour of modern ones.

In his typically scholarly but engaging liner notes Esfahani writes of Bach the trendsetter putting the keyboard front and centre in a concerto for the first time. In addition to his roles as harpsichordist and director, Esfahani adds a compositional feather to his cap with the first recording of his own reconstruction of the “lost concerto” No 8 (BWV1059), once available only as a small fragment.

Tracklisting:

Konzert für Tasteninstrument Nr. 1 in d-Moll BWV1052

CD1

1. Allegro

2. Adagio

3. Allegro

Konzert für Tasteninstrument Nr. 2 in E-Dur BWV1053

4. [untitled]

5. Siciliano

6. Allegro

Konzert für Tasteninstrument Nr. 3 in D-Dur BWV1054

7. [untitled]

8. Adagio e piano sempre

9. Allegro

Konzert für Tasteninstrument Nr. 6 in F-Dur BWV1057

10. [untitled]

11.Andante

12.Allegro assai

Konzert für Tasteninstrument Nr. 4 in A-Dur BWV1055

CD2

13. Allegro

14. Larghetto

15. Allegro ma non tanto

Konzert für Tasteninstrument Nr. 5 in f-Moll BWV1056

16. Allegro

17. Adagio

18. Presto

Tripelkonzert in a-Moll BWV1044

19. Allegro

20. Adagio ma non tanto e dolce

21. Tempo di alla breve

Konzert für Tasteninstrument Nr. 7 in g-Moll BWV1058

22. [untitled]

23. Andante

24. Allegro assai

Konzert für Tasteninstrument Nr. 8 in d-Moll BWV1059

25. Allegro

26. Cembalo ad libitum

27. Presto