The profound and delightful Partitas, J. S. Bach’s Opus 1, sparkle in Eleonor Bindman’s brilliant performance. Her unhurried tempos bring out the twists, turns and quick modulations of the dance movements and preludes of this unparalleled set of six suites — famous in Bach’s day and today for their vitality and depth. Bindman’s spirited recording enriches the listener’s experience by revealing the power and emotional nuances of the suites.

The scope of the Partitas is vast — melody, harmony and counterpoint blending in sonorous combinations that surprise, fascinate and enchant. In the words of Bach’s first biographer, J. N. Forkel: “Such excellent compositions for the clavier [keyboard] had never been seen and heard before. Anyone who had learnt to perform well some pieces out of them could make his fortune in the world thereby.” Choosing to publish this set as his Opus 1, Bach clearly held these compositions in high esteem.

Eleonor Bindman is known worldwide for “Bach playing of the highest order” (Pianodao) and Delos is thrilled to release her debut album on the label. This recording follows her albums of transcriptions of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos for Piano Duet and Bach’s Cello Suites for Solo Piano, both of which debuted in the Billboard Charts. Bindman’s experience of working with the complex counterpoint of the Brandenburg Concertos as well as with the expressive possibilities of a single melodic line of the Cello Suites results in fresh interpretive insights in the diverse “Opus 1” Partitas.