Julien Libeer – Bach Bartók (2020) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Beyond their lifelong interest in keyboard instruments of all types (organ, harpsichord and clavichord in the case of Bach; modern piano as a percussion instrument in the case of Bartók), other shared concerns connect these two giants of classical music who at first glance appear to be polar opposites.

The juxtaposition of the two composers is not the least appeal of this album which also marks Julien Libeer’s first project for harmonia mundi: this ardent advocate of a clear and direct approach deftly combines keen intuition with a sense of formal rigour to bring four masterful examples of the ‘suite’ genre into a dialogue spanning across the centuries that set them apart.

For his first album with harmonia mundi, the young and brilliant Belgian pianist Julien Libeer opted for this incongruous Bach-Bartók double-header. He stumbled across the secret affinities that link these two composers while working on pieces by each of them in parallel. “There is a bitterness in them, a rejection of any and all affectation, but also polyphonic writing of extraordinary quality and a relationship to rhythm which renders them, if not identical, then at least complementary”, the performer explained. And we have to admit: this project stands up pretty well.

Julien Libeer brought the two together by way of the dance suite. French Suite n° 5 and Partita n° 2 by J. S. Bach are brought up against Suite Op. 14 and the suite Out of Doors, a masterpiece of Bartók’s piano music, offering five pastoral visions of the Hungary of the 1920s. As ever, Bartók’s genius transcends his folk influences and works them magisterially into the modernity of his own language.

Alongside his work as a soloist and concert musician, Julien Libeer takes part in pedagogical projects that aim to share music beyond the confines of the concert or the record, in particular across nine schools in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, where he has created a high-level choir with his friend Zeno Popescu, in the hope of passing on the music bug to the young people of the neighbourhood. – François Hudry

Tracklist:
01. Julien Libeer – French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: I. Allemande (03:10)
02. Julien Libeer – French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: II. Courante (01:39)
03. Julien Libeer – French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: III. Sarabande (04:39)
04. Julien Libeer – French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: IV. Gavotte (01:07)
05. Julien Libeer – French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: V. Bourrée (01:24)
06. Julien Libeer – French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: VI. Loure (02:18)
07. Julien Libeer – French Suite No. 5 In G Major, BWV 816: VII. Gigue (03:17)
08. Julien Libeer – Out of Doors, Sz. 81: I. With Drums and Pipes. Pesante (01:52)
09. Julien Libeer – Out of Doors, Sz. 81: II. Barcarolla. Andante (02:44)
10. Julien Libeer – Out of Doors, Sz. 81: III. Musettes. Moderato (03:10)
11. Julien Libeer – Out of Doors, Sz. 81: IV. The Night’s music. Lento (05:21)
12. Julien Libeer – Out of Doors, Sz. 81: V. The Chase. Presto (02:20)
13. Julien Libeer – Partita in C Minor, BWV 826: I. Sinfonia (04:39)
14. Julien Libeer – Partita in C Minor, BWV 826: II. Allemande (04:31)
15. Julien Libeer – Partita in C Minor, BWV 826: III. Courante (02:36)
16. Julien Libeer – Partita in C Minor, BWV 826: IV. Sarabande (03:38)
17. Julien Libeer – Partita in C Minor, BWV 826: V. Rondeaux (01:36)
18. Julien Libeer – Partita in C Minor, BWV 826: VI. Capriccio (03:18)
19. Julien Libeer – Suite for Piano, Op. 14: I. Allegretto (02:06)
20. Julien Libeer – Suite for Piano, Op. 14: II. Scherzo (01:56)
21. Julien Libeer – Suite for Piano, Op. 14: III. Allegro molto (02:12)
22. Julien Libeer – Suite for Piano, Op. 14: IV. Sostenuto (02:50)