Bourrée in E Minor

🎵 Genre: Classical | 🎤 Recording: Studio

John Williams’s Studio Precision in a Baroque Classic

The Bourrée in E minor is arguably the most recognizable movement from Bach’s Lute Suite No. 1 in E minor (BWV 996), and it serves as a foundational piece in the classical guitar repertoire. Though originally written for the Baroque lute, this recording perfectly captures its enduring qualities on the modern guitar, showcasing the movement’s joyful, skipping rhythm, clear two-part counterpoint, and the architectural brilliance that defines Bach’s work.

This classic studio recording is a masterclass in Williams’s characteristic approach to Baroque music: intellectual rigor married to unforced elegance. The work’s complexity is built around maintaining a steady, driving rhythmic pulse while keeping the two independent melodic lines distinct. This challenge is captured here with unprecedented clarity and surgical articulation.

Williams’s commitment to clean, precise counterpoint is the hallmark of his essential recordings of the Vivaldi Lute Concerto in D Major. He avoids romantic excess, instead utilizing the studio environment to achieve sonic purity and structural integrity. This approach is reminiscent of the disciplined artistry found in the work of his contemporary, Julian Bream.

Of particular note is his rhythmic integrity, which gives the piece a graceful, dancing quality without ever rushing. This powerful blend of technical command and structural clarity is the same discipline that allows him to execute the frenetic rhythmic patterns in Albéniz’s Asturias (Leyenda). This definitive track stands as the sonic benchmark for all guitarists approaching Bach’s music worldwide.

Recording Details