These performances were recorded live in 1991, late in Richter's career. My first exposure to Richter's Bach was the first keyboard concerto on a monaural Italian LP, with Kurt Sanderling. That was a reading of steely brilliance. The playing on the current CDs is more relaxed, even gentle. Richter's tone is confiding and intimate, even as he surmounts the technical hurdles of the English Suites. I think the best performances on the set are of the fourth and sixth French Suites and the popular Fantasia. The readings of these works combine intimacy and virtuosity in a wholly satisfying way. I am not sure that I prefer these performances to Glenn Gould's, although the Tocattas are better than Angela Hewitt's. Still, this is eminently listenable Bach, and welcome for its insight into an interpretive world of Richter's that is quite different from his approach to the Romantic repetoire.

If you want to recomand the Bach expert, most of all will recommand Clenn Gould, and including me, it's so pupular to own Gould music as our collection. Althought Richter was a one of the great pianists in last century, but seldome put him in Bach expert list. I must say that I had changed my views since listenning this disc. Whatever English or French suits, even the short piece Fantasia, we could find Richter dominate Bach music easily, and deliver deep and artistic conception to listenners.
From this disc, I strongly recommand to all reviewers, even you are Richter lover or Bach lover, you should get it to touch.