Deidra Farr

The internationally acclaimed organist Stephen Farr presents his first J.S. Bach recording with the virtuosic Clavier-Übung III. Containing some of Bach's most stunning work, this collection demonstrates the composer at the height of his powers in composing for the organ and was one of the few works that Bach had published during his lifetime.
Recorded on the Metzler organ of Trinity College, Cambridge, this album follows Farr's contemporary organ recital on the same instrument released on Resonus Classics in 2012 - Jacquet's Ghost (RES10111). Clavier-Übung III is performed here in its entirety, complete with the four 'Duetti'.

Following on from his lauded recording of of Clavier-Übung III celebrated organist Stephen Farr continues his survey of Johann Sebatian Bach’s organ works with the four Chorale Partitas, BWV 766–768 & 770.
This volume also marks the first recording on a substantial and colourful three-manual Bernard Aubertin organ newly installed in a private residence in Fairwarp, East Sussex in 2015.

Despite its loudmouthed reputation, there is so much beauty in the bass trombone. The aim of this album is to showcase all the best sides of the bass trombone: robust yet fragile, colourful and flexible, juicy bass notes and beautiful melodies. By commissioning and playing new works and allying myself with great friends on trombone, organ, harp and piano, I have attempted to give new colour to the bass trombone repertoire. I hope the album can be of inspiration for many future bass trombone recitals." (Clare Farr)

This Bach release by American harpsichordist Elizabeth Farr is unusual in several respects and will be welcomed by listeners with Bach collections of any size. Start with the harpsichord, built by the iconoclastic maker Keith Hill in rural Manchester, MI. It's modeled on the Dutch Ruckers instruments of the 17th century, but it includes a set of 16-foot strings, and it has a truly mighty sound, beautifully captured at what is identified as Ploger Hall in the same locality. It's not clear what this venue is, but it's vast improvement over Naxos' preferred church sites. The booklet (in English only) includes a short note from Hill admitting that such a harpsichord would have been rare in Bach's time, but suggesting that it was a luxury item that its "value cannot be overestimated" when it is used where it makes musical sense. That's definitely the case here. These "concertos for solo harpsichord" are transcriptions Bach made for solo keyboard in the early 1710s, of mostly violin concertos by mostly Italian composers. It is not known for certain why Bach made them; he may simply have liked the music and wanted to study it more closely, but Farr's detailed notes also indicate that the transcriptions might have been done at the behest of Bach's patron at the time, the Duke of Weimar.