Francesco Tristano: Bach: The 6 French Suites
naïve

Few artists' paths are linear, most, like Luxembourg-born pianist Francesco Tristano's, circuitous. While his recording of Bach's six French suites represents the latest stage in his ongoing quest to record the composer's entire catalogue of works for piano, the road that brought him here has been dramatically winding. His passion for Bach's music long preceded this fourth naïve set relating to the composer, however, as evidenced by The New Bach Players ensemble he established while at Juilliard and an early recording he made of The Goldberg Variations. A directional change subsequently arose when he signed with the French label Infiné and issued a series of releases blending piano and electronics, but Tristano returned to classical when he signed with Deutsche Grammophon in 2011, issued Bach/Cage, and continued to establish himself as a pianistic force.

Six years after that signing, Tristano initiated his collaboration with Sony Classical, resulting in the albums Piano Circle Songs (2017), Tokyo Stories (2019), and On Early Music (2022), and in 2023 founded his own label, intothefuture, specifically created to support the ambitious project of recording Bach's keyboard works. Partnering with naïve, he released Bach: the 6 Partitas (2024) and a year later Bach: the 6 English Suites, both setting the stage for the third volume in the series, his recording of the French suites composed between 1722 and 1725.

Perpetuating the visual style of the previous releases, the new one downplays portrait photos (though one of the pianist does grace the release booklet) to instead favour landscape images by photographer Breno Rotatori. Eschewing colour, Tristano's opted for an achromatic presentation that's austere yet tasteful; put simply, the sophistication of the visual design matches the elegance of the music. One does not come away from the recording frazzled but instead calmed by its oft-serene demeanour and refined beauty. Bolstering the music's impact is Tristano's touch, which is smooth, delicate, and welcoming.

There is a formality to these works but not coldness; one warms to the music's intimacy and lyricism and, despite the fact that the six are constructed around dance movements, a general character that leans towards introspection. Balance and clarity of expression add to the music's appeal, as does the gracefulness with which it flows. While subtle differences in structural design are present between the suites, each adheres to the general script of “Allemande,” “Courante,” “Sarabande,” “Menuet,” and “Gigue” movements. Look beyond the plainspoken directness of the music and material of depth and nuance reveals itself.

The carefully regulated flow with which the D minor suite's “Allemande” introduces the set draws one into the music immediately, as does Tristano's smooth handling of counterpoint and trills. Contrasts of tempo separate one movement from another, the “Courante,” for example, markedly faster than the ruminative “Sarabande” that follows. The work's dance dimension comes through clearly in the two nimble “Menuet” movements, even if the second one's a tad slower. A declamatory “Gigue” closes the first suite's circle regally before it hands off to the C minor second. Its “Courante” is delivered at a clip so breathless it verges on dizzying; its intensity's thankfully offset by the lyrical splendour of the “Sarabande” and the less furiously paced “Air.”

Particularly exquisite is the hushed “Sarabande” from the B minor third suite, an elegiac expression that could almost stand for the work in its entirety if the French suites weren't so multi-dimensional in their moods. As if to illustrate the point, the third's first “Menuet” and concluding “Gigue” roll out (in parts) at speeds rivalling the “Courante” from the second. The G major fifth exudes an alluringly harmonious air in its courtly “Allemande,” poetic “Sarabande,” and sprightly “Gavotte.” Again we're reminded of the pianist's gift for fleet-fingered work when the “Bourrée” and “Gigue" arrive. Whereas the other suites feature six to seven movements, the E major sixth presents nine, beginning as it does with a lovely “Prélude” and working a “Menuet polonais,” “Petit Menuet,” and “Bourrée” into its design.

Included in the release booklet is an interview with the pianist that enhances one's appreciation for his approach to this iconic set of suites. He reveals, for example, that he opted for shorter versions of their movements that with fewer repeats make it easier to absorb the work in its entirety and experience it as a fully integrated cycle. A solid addition to his years-in-the-making project, Tristano's recording won't, of course, be the last word on Bach's French suites, but it is a compelling and credible treatment nevertheless.

August 2026