LDV115-6

23 MICHIAKI UENO The Suite in G major, the first and most famous of the six, begins with a Prélude that exploits the instrument’s lower register and rises steadily to the upper. The inexorable character of the writing and the cantabile style are reminiscent of the first prelude of The Well-tempered Clavier . The freedom of the first two dances – Allemande and Courante – is answered by the elegance of the Sarabande. The Menuets I and II and the Gigue play, not without humour, on the velocity and wit typical of the French divertissement , an expression of the Baroque and Classical genius. The Second Suite in D minor is far more tragic in its amplitude. Following the declamatory tone of the Prélude, the Allemande, broader still, unfolds majestically. By contrast, the Courante seems to release the accumulated energy with a passion that is not extinguished until the final bar. The slow dance of the Sarabande might be no more than a dream before the Menuets I and II. The latter reflect the evolution of the minuet, originally a rapid folk dance, which became a relatively slow piece following its adoption by the courts of Europe. Virtuoso, frenzied, hectic, the concluding Gigue nevertheless displays a grandeur comparable to the Prélude.