Jarry Potter

The pianist Thomas Jarry here borrows the famous Cello Suites of Johann Sebastian Bach in an innovative reading at the piano. Harmony and counterpoint, reconstructed on a solid historical and musicological foundation, offer the listener the possibility of experiencing these legendary works in a new three-dimensional version. Dare to re-discover the complete Cello Suites, recorded on an exceptional Gaveau concert piano dating from 1953.

A Noel is a French Christmas carol, and the ones here are sung by Les Pages du CMBV (Centre Musique Baroque de Versailles), a children's choir. Their voices do not soar, but they are not the stars of the show. Instead, the album is part of a series called L'age d'or de l'orgue français, and the main attraction is organist Gaétan Jarry, and even more so, the 1710 organ at the Versailles chapel. It's a marvelous instrument, clear in all registers, lively, and bracing. The composer-organists here are largely unknown today, at least outside France, but hearing these works, the listener may understand why crowd control police had to show up for performance by the likes of Claude Balbastre (1724-1799). Jarry performs the Noels with the choir singing verses in alternation with the organ.