[From a comparative review, Bob van Asperen vs. Elisabeth Joyé]

As many readers know, the pieces on these two discs were composed by Bach to be used by students as 'exercises'. However, Bach's genius is in clear display, as he was apparently unable to supress his supreme musical mind whenver he put pen to paper. So do put away any thoughts that the Inventions/Sinfonias are "lesser Bach" and not to be taken seriously.

There are many excellent recordings of the Inventions/Sinfonias, my favorites on harpsichord coming from Kenneth Gilbert on Harmonia Mundi, Gustav Leonhardt on Sony, Blandine Verlet on Naive and Masaaki Suzuki on BIS. [...]

Turning to the veteran early music keyboardist Bob van Asperen, we leave the world of luxury and comfort for a universe of true dialogue. Right from the 1st Invention in C major, it is clear that meaningful conversations are taking place, while Elisabeth Joyé merely creates a particular atmosphere. The sense of dialogue from van Asperen continues throughout his performances, and I can't emphasize enough how his style makes the music come alive. In addition, he makes subtle use of tempo changes and hesitations that significantly add to the invention of the music.

Concerning specifics, the bitter/sweet nature of the Invention in C minor is incisively explored by van Asperen. He plays the faster pieces quickly, eliciting from this reviewer a exciting sense of tension and exuberance; notable for this effect are his performances of the Inventions in D major, E flat major and G major where excitement and joy leap out of the speakers. Want a little menace? Look no further than van Asperen's Inventions in E minor and B minor. If you're seeking a frenetic performance of the Invention in F major, van Asperen's your man. The sole Invention that disappoints a little is the one in B flat major where van Asperen takes the same rounded approach as Joye; that surprised me considering van Asperen's usual regimen.

How about van Asperen's Sinfonias? They also constitute entirely compelling music-making such as the pristine and lovely interpretation of the Sinfonia in C major, the driving rhythms of the D major, the remorse van Asperen shares with us in the D minor, and the exquisite dialogue of the E flat major, G minor, and A minor Sinfonias.

More treasure is found in van Asperen's Sinfonia in E minor. This piece is a musical depiction of redemption, and van Asperen takes us from the bottom of despair to a spiritual enlightenment. There's no such luck for the bleak personality of the F minor, and van Asperen gives a superb account of life without faith. van Asperen can also possess a bubbling demeanor as shown in his performances of the Sinfonias in A major and B flat major.

Not content to simply give us a "top-echelon" recording of the Inventions and Sinfonias, van Asperen offers an additional 12 short Bach exercises that are completely delightful with many snatches of melodies the composer used in his more mature works. van Asperen conveys such an enticing range of colours, that this "simple Bach" takes on more substance than I've ever heard in alternative recordings.

Don's Conclusions: In state-of-the-art sound, van Asperen's magnificent recording takes pride of place in my collection of Bach's Inventions/Sinfonias with the additional exercises a wonderful bonus. [...]