25 CÉDRIC PESCIA You did not choose to record the six French Suites in chronological order. What motivated your own order arrangement? We do not know exactly in what order Bach composed them, around the years 1720–1724, nor even whether he wrote them all in one go. What is certain is that, for publication, he chose an arrangement of three suites in minor keys followed by three in major. But we must remember that it was not his intention for the cycle to be performed in public. For the concert hall, it works far better, in my view, when one alternates between the two modes. But that is, of course, an entirely subjective choice. Do major and minor modes have special meanings in Bach's music? He always favoured the radiant quality of the major mode and, with the minor, reached tragic or dramatic depths that few composers have ever equalled. Other pieces in minor exude an intense melancholy. Beyond the modes, which he treated in such contrasting ways, the keys themselves deserve to be distinguished, for in his time each had a particular significance and corresponded to specific affects. Bach had perfectly assimilated this. It is, however, less perceptible to the ear with equal temperament. That is why I chose to tune my piano in a way that approaches the unequal temperament in use when Bach was active.
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