The Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach is an ad hoc collection of dances and songs that gives many insights into the domestic musical life shared by J.S. Bach and his second wife. The pieces copied into this volume reveal not only her interest in her husband's keyboard works, but also her fondness for the music of her children and several acquaintances in the Bach circle. Also included are numerous airs Anna Magdalena, an accomplished singer, wrote down for her own use. This disc from Classical Express presents some of the best-known pieces from the Clavierbüchlein, and serves admirably as an introduction to the culture the Bachs enjoyed in Leipzig. The genial disorder of the program reflects the occasional nature of the notebook and gives an impression of an informal recital that might have occurred at any time in the Bach household. Performing on harpsichord and the less robust clavichord, Nicholas McGegan presents a varied assortment of allemandes, courantes, and polonaises with crisp articulation and expressive ornamentation. Mezzo soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson sings the celebrated aria Bist du bei mir, Ich habe genug, and Gedenke doch, mein Geist with touching simplicity, and David Bowles, on Baroque cello, joins Lieberson and McGegan on the vocal numbers.