Johann Jakob Froberger: Suites for Harpsichord, Vol. 4

Name: Johann Jakob Froberger: Suites for Harpsichord, Vol. 4
SKU: 809730321528
Availability: InStock

Price range: £12.49 through £24.37

Format

CDMP3 320KbpsFLAC 16-bit/44KHD 24-bit

Label: Athene
Catalogue No: ATH 23215
EAN/UPC: 809730321528
Artists: Gilbert Rowland
Composers: Johann Jakob Froberger
Release Date: August 2025
Genres: Harpsichord/Clavichord
Periods: Baroque
Discs: 2
Total Playing Time: Disc 1: 65:50 Disc 2: 65:35
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August 2025 Gramophone Editor’s Choice

The fourth and final volume in Gilbert Rowland’s acclaimed Froberger series completes the landmark recording project on specialist early music label Athene. This double album is the latest instalment of Rowland’s authoritative traversal of the complete Harpsichord Suites by Johann Jakob Froberger – a composer of profound influence whose innovations shaped the very form of the Baroque suite later adopted by Bach and Handel.

Praised for its “glorious sound” and “energy and a good forward drive”, the series has garnered widespread critical recognition. Recorded in the sympathetic acoustic of Holy Trinity Church, Weston, in October 2024, the album reunites Rowland with engineer John Taylor, whose audiophile-standard production has underpinned the previous volumes.

Rowland’s playing combines historical insight with expressive vitality, delivering performances marked by “impeccable clarity, flawless articulation, and period-perfect embellishments”. His interpretations illuminate the elegance and inventiveness of Froberger’s writing, making this collection an essential reference for enthusiasts and scholars of early keyboard music.

This release is a vital addition for fans of Froberger, Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, and historically informed performances, offering both continuity for collectors and a compelling entry point into one of the Baroque’s most fascinating keyboard oeuvres.

Track Listing

Disc 1
Suite in G Minor, FbWV 614 (10:33)

I. Lamentation sur ce que j’ay été volé et se joüe à la discretion (5:01)
II. Gigue (1:30)
III. Courante (1:28)
IV. Sarabande (2:33)

Suite in E Minor, FbWV 622 (8:29)

I. Allemande (3:22)
II. Courante (1:43)
III. Sarabande (1:38)
IV. Gigue (1:44)

Suite in F Major, FbWV 621 (13:16)

I. Allemande & Double (5:11)
II. Courante & Double (3:31)
III. Sarabande & Double (4:33)

Suite in D Minor, FbWV 613 (10:24)

I. Allemande (3:40)
II. Gigue (1:55)
III. Courante (1:46)
IV. Sarabande (3:01)

Suite in B-Flat Major, FbWV Anh. 02 (7:21)

I. Allemande (2:47)
II. Courant (1:28)
III. Saraband (1:37)
IV. Gigue (1:26)

Suite in D Minor, FbWV 639 (15:13)

I. Allemand & Double (5:53)
II. Courant & Double (3:07)
III. Saraband & Double (4:16)
IV. Gigue (2:30)

Disc 2
Suite in G Minor, FbWV 649 (12:15)

I. Allemand (2:42)
II. Courant & Double (3:37)
III. Sarabande & Double (4:04)
IV. Chique (1:50)

Suite in D Major, FbWV 611 (8:17)

I. Allemande (3:34)
II. Gigue (1:25)
III. Courante (1:30)
IV. Sarabande (1:46)

Suite in A Minor, FbWV 628A (14:38)

I. Allemande & Double (5:40)
II. Courant & Double (3:06)
III. Saraband & Double (3:38)
IV. Gigue (from FbWV 628) (2:11)

Suite in E Minor, FbWV 648 “Partita Dolorosa” (9:46)

I. Allemande (2:41)
II. Courant (1:39)
III. Saraband & Double (3:44)
IV. Gigue (1:41)

Suite in C Minor, FbWV 644 (11:43)

I. Allemand & Double (4:27)
II. Courante & Double (2:47)
III. Saraband & Double (2:48)
IV. Gique (1:39)

Suite in F Major, FbWV Anh. IV/08 (8:56)

I. Allemand (2:54)
II. Courant (1:40)
III. Saraband (2:01)
IV. Gique (2:19)

Reviews

Gramophone

“
An entire, complex and sympathetic personality is on show…Rowland is a fluent guide, discreet though not entirely self-effacing and above all, as befits this music, elegant. Add to this a precise and atmospheric sound recording and you have a serious statement about a composer who deserves even wider recognition. **Editor’s Choice August 2025**
” —Fabrice Fitch