Trying to cram a review of this tour de force into 250 words is like telling someone War and Peace is about Russia. This set by Thomas Bowes, a name new to me, must surely be the most searching and cerebral traversal ever. It’s the most emotionally gruelling thing I’ve ever reviewed.

Each disc starts with a sonata and concludes with a partita, moving through different keys. The sonatas showcase a larger, more abstract expression, while partita movements focus more on the dance. I originally thought Bowes made these the sublimation of baroque dance movements but, on reflection, it’s more the true apotheosis of the dance. The emotional range is...