The Handpan Meets Johann Sebastian Bach - with Laurent Sureau

For those unfamiliar, Johann Sebastian Bach, was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period (1600 to 1750). He is known for instrumental compositions such as the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations, and vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th-century Bach Revival he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.

A revival that continues with recent performances from Handpan-musician, Laurent Sureau.  Who in addition to boasting one of the most impressive Handpan set-ups we’ve yet stumbled across - has been busy bringing some of Bach's most beautiful compositions; into the steel-age. Such as the following classical arrangement for the Handpan, of Bach's, Prelude MWV 846 - the first prelude and fugue in the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier, a series of 48 preludes and fugues by the composer...

Laurent grew up in a musical family and his passion for music started early. He began learning piano at the age of 6, then expanded his range of skills by studying percussion: classic and contemporary first (timpani, vibraphone, etc.), then drums from various continents (congas, Cajon, West African balafon) and drums, chromatic balafon, and of course, the Hang/Handpan.

And in addition to a variety of other outfits, Laurent performs alongside fellow Handpan-composer, Jeremy Nattagh, as one-half of the also quite exceptional, TwinPan. And you can hear another of Laurent Sureau's Handpan renditions of a Johann Sebastian Bach classic, this time in the form of PRELUDE-SUITE for Cello N°1- G Maj" BWV 1007, below...



To hear more from Laurent Sureau, you can visit him over at his official website: HERE.  Or you can find him over at YouTube: HERE.

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