Zefir Records

Bustijn IX Suittes pour le Clavessin

Steven Devine

Bustijn’s suites were obviously known beyond the Low Countries. Johann Gottfried Walther mentioned the collection in his Musicalisches Lexicon (1732) and included suite no. 8 in a manuscript anthology of keyboard music. The scribe of the piece in this compilation was Walther’s and Johann Sebastian Bach’s pupil Johann Tobias Krebs. Although Krebs’ copy contains a few more ornaments than the printed edition, it is still plausible that the former was copied from Roger’s publication. This makes it likely that Bach himself was familiar with the pieces. His source may have been Walther’s pupil Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar who had studied in the Netherlands and returned to Weimar with music recently printed by Roger. Bach used these publications for study purposes and arranged some of the works. Bustijn’s IX Suittes may have been part of the Prince’s luggage. This, along with the fact that Bach quoted from the works of Le Roux and Dieupart in his own suites, supports the theory that he may have also have used motives from Bustijn’s suites in several of his keyboard works: The beginning of the prelude of suite no. 6 is similar to the Praeambulum 6 of the Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann (BWV 784); the prelude of suite no. 2 has a motif reminiscent of Fantasia 1 of the Clavier-Büchlein (BWV 787); a further motivic relationship may be detected between the ‘Tempo di Borée’ of suite no. 8 and the opening of Bourée 1 of Bach’s second ‘English’ Suite (BWV 807). It should be noted, however, that these resemblances are of a casual nature and may be coincidental.

Steven Devine
Since 2007 Steven has been the harpsichordist with London Baroque in addition to his position as Co-Principal keyboard player with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. He is also the principal keyboard player for The Gonzaga Band, Apollo and Pan, The Classical Opera Company and performs regularly with many other groups around Europe. He has recorded over thirty discs with other artists and ensembles and made three solo recordings. His latest recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations (Chandos Records) has been receiving critical acclaim.
One of Steven's proudest (and longest) associations is with the Finchcocks Musical Museum in Kent where holds the post of Director of Development.

This cd was made possible with the support of Von Brucken Fock Fonds, Provincie Zeeland, Koninklijk Zeeuws Genootschap der Wetenschappen werkgroep Muziek.

Watch a short tv item by Omroep Zeeland (Dutch)

external links
Visit the site of Steven Devine
Visit the site of Paul en Menno de Nooijer (artwork, photography & design)
Visit the site of Von Brucken Fock Fonds
Visit the site of Koninklijk Zeeuwsch Genootschap der Wetenschappen

press quotes:

VOLKSKRANT Who could have guessed three centuries back that there was composed such beatiful music in Middelburg? Frits van der Waa

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PZC Within the repertoire we're looking for new ways, for things that are not known. Each project is filled with passion. Rolf Bosboom

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