Tradition & Transcription

On this release Skip Sempé performs Gustav Leonhardt's transcriptions of Bach's unaccompanied violin and cello works for the harpsichord, along with a selection of 17th century harpsichord repertoire in styles influential to Bach. The American harpsichordist, Skip Sempé, studied music, musicology, organology and the history of art at the Oberlin Conservatory in the USA, and completed his training in Europe with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam. His distinctive harpsichord playing, musicianship and interpretive flair were quickly noticed by Reinhard Goebel and William Christie, who encouraged him to remain in Europe and embark on his own pioneering reconsideration of well and lesser-known repertoire ranging from 1500-1750. As a solo performer, Skip Sempé has focused on developing a superb sense of idiomatic harpsichord touch and a finely tuned ear for achieving variation in the instrument's sonority. Performing and recording on the world's most prestigious harpsichords, made by Ruckers, Skowroneck, Kennedy and Sidey, Skip Sempé is particularly known for his interpretations of the French classical harpsichord literature.