This agreeable programme above all celebrates the capricious musicianship of Ketil Haugsand‚ a harpsichordist of outstanding natural ability whose largely unknown set of Bach’s Partitas (Simax‚ 1/95) ranks amongst the very best. His directorial mark is left on all these performances‚ apart from the Sinfonia to Cantata No 42 which he doesn’t direct and whose approach seems somewhat cautious. A vibrant musical instinct reigns with an urgent reading of the Second Orchestral Suite‚ though the overture is too unpredictably quixotic for the efficient and unfussy Norwegian Baroque Orchestra; the remaining dances reveal a far more natural and unanimous engagement between the players. Haugsand brings considerable gracefulness to the Rondeau and simplicity of expression to the Sarabande. The flute playing‚ though‚ is disappointing‚ not especially poetic or characterful and too much of Paul Wahlberg’s sound sits uncomfortably under the note. The E major Harpsichord Concerto fairly sparkles and explores an unusually incandescent juxtaposition of biting rhythms and grainy legato in the strings‚ to underpin Haugsand’s attentive if not always steady reading. The Linn production team capture the exquisite definition of roles here. The pièce de résistance is a wonderfully fluid and unhurried reading of the First Suite‚ typified by meaty textures and purposeful bass lines. This is a thoroughly individual account which brings both patrician elegance to the passepieds and bucolic swagger – not the oft­precious dabbling – to Gavotte II. The strings are not always a cohesive outfit‚ and they can sound a touch parochial‚ but this disc gets better and better. I wouldn’t want to be without the C major Suite.