French Baroque Music

[Jo498]

I checked again what I have, unless otherwise noted, single disc recitals. Nothing "complete" but considerably more than I remembered...

d'Agincour: Niquet/Glossa (I had totally forgotten about that one)
Clérambault: Gilbert/Archiv (two suites coupled with cantatas)
Louis Couperin: Curtis/Archiv, Haudebourg/Arion, Leonhardt (less than half a disc in "Legend")
Francois Couperin: Heiller/Vanguard, Baumont/Erato, Verlet/Naive (2 discs), Cochard/Ambroisie (2 discs; ordres 1,3,6,7), two discs with Leonhardt in "Legend", Christie/Rousset with works for 2 harpsichords/hm, Meyer (piano, half a disc in EMI box)
Forqueray (arrangements of gamba pieces by the younger Forqueray): Rannou/Zigzag
Rameau: Heiller/Vanguard, Baumont/Accord, Rannou/Zigzag (the 3rd disc of the 4-disc set that was included in a bargain Zigzag box, and is again included in the more recent 2-disc box, that's why the latter is not that attractive to me and the full set does look attractive but is oop and/or expensive), Spieth (pièces de clavecin en concert in solo versions) Meyer/EMI (piano, two disks)

I also thought about getting a version of the "concertant" version of the pièces de clavecin, either Rousset et al. or the more recent one with Ensemble Fleury (dhm)

[prémont]

Champion de Chambonnières - Moroney  (AS Musique)

Baumont!!

[Que]

Beaumont!!

Baumont, indeed...

Q

[prémont]

Baumont, indeed...

Q

You are very quick, I saw it within a few seconds (no edit notification in the post) , but did not manage to correct it, before you stepped in. 

[Mandryka]

Clérambault: Gilbert/Archiv (two suites coupled with cantatas)

He is good at Clerambault, the second suite there is one of my favourites. His organ recording of Clerambault is also worth seeking out.

[Drasko]

I only wrote that I am not aware of everything I might already have in artist-centered discs (e.g. the more recent Leonhardt Couperin that was collected in the "Decca" box) and with recitals I meant that I don't want "all of Couperin" or so. I do not especially want discs with more than one composer. But the Moroney recital looks certainly interesting.

Two weeks ago or so I thought about the "alpha" discs by Frisch and Rannou. They are at the same price (re-issue?) so Rannou is the better deal, only I have one of her Rameau discs already... But two discs cannot be "complete", can it?

Rannou's two disc reissue is not complete, originally on ZigZag it was four CD set though one disc was chamber music and one was very short (the reissue drops those two, chamber stuff and earliest solo pieces from 1706).

Complete Rameau can fit on two discs, excellent Bertrand Cuiller on Mirare does. Rannou is bit leisurely with her tempos.

In general "complete" sets with French harpsichord composers is not that daunting prospect, except for Francois Couperin most fit on two respective CDs - Louis Couperin, Chambonnieres, d'Anglebert, Forqueray (transciptions). Some take even less: Royer, Marchand, Clerambault. 

[71 dB]

Clérambault: Gilbert/Archiv (two suites coupled with cantatas)

I have that recording, only re-issued by Brilliant Classics! 

Haven't listened to it recently. I remember it being disappointing. I also have the three Clérambault discs on Naxos (all pretty good imo) + a SUPERB Opus 111 disc of four cantatas and a GREAT motet disc (Il Seminario Musicale/Lesne). Some other Clerambault on discs of French baroque.

[Spineur]

In addition to the excellent suggestions in this thread, I would recommend Gaspard le Roux harpsicord piece preferably played by Christophe Rousset



It is presently  OOP but it is downloadable on qobuz for 15€.

[Jo498]

Rannou's two disc reissue is not complete, originally on ZigZag it was four CD set though one disc was chamber music and one was very short (the reissue drops those two, chamber stuff and earliest solo pieces from 1706).

Complete Rameau can fit on two discs, excellent Bertrand Cuiller on Mirare does. Rannou is bit leisurely with her tempos.

In general "complete" sets with French harpsichord composers is not that daunting prospect, except for Francois Couperin most fit on two respective CDs - Louis Couperin, Chambonnieres, d'Anglebert, Forqueray (transciptions). Some take even less: Royer, Marchand, Clerambault.

Thanks! I figured out that I seem to have Rameau reasonably complete; Baumont with the 1706 and 1724 pieces, Rannou with the later ones. Do you prefer Cuiller's recording? Cuiller or Vinikour would be reasonably priced two-disc-sets, if I wanted to get an alternative. But I should probably try another lesser known composer first.

Does anyone know the contents of this CD below? The two Clérambault suites I have (on another issue, Collectio Argentea) but as it is a re-issue the rest must come from a different (or more than one). Kenneth Gilbert's Rameau has apparently not been re-issued since an early 2-CD-set around 1990.

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[Drasko]

Thanks! I figured out that I seem to have Rameau reasonably complete; Baumont with the 1706 and 1724 pieces, Rannou with the later ones. Do you prefer Cuiller's recording? Cuiller or Vinikour would be reasonably priced two-disc-sets, if I wanted to get an alternative. But I should probably try another lesser known composer first.

I prefer Cuiller to Baumont, and possibly to Rannou but they are pretty different in approach. But I agree that you don't really need the third set at this point. Better to spend on some other composers. My favorite is Louis Couperin, either Leonhardt or Rousset.

[bioluminescentsquid]

Thanks! I figured out that I seem to have Rameau reasonably complete; Baumont with the 1706 and 1724 pieces, Rannou with the later ones. Do you prefer Cuiller's recording? Cuiller or Vinikour would be reasonably priced two-disc-sets, if I wanted to get an alternative. But I should probably try another lesser known composer first.

Does anyone know the contents of this CD below? The two Clérambault suites I have (on another issue, Collectio Argentea) but as it is a re-issue the rest must come from a different (or more than one). Kenneth Gilbert's Rameau has apparently not been re-issued since an early 2-CD-set around 1990.

[asin]B00000E4RY[/asin]

I think the Rannou reissue (sans in concerts) is good enough - there are better recordings of the in concert elsewhere (I like Bernolet/apotheosis, Procopio/Bismuth, Fortin/Masques, Pinnock/Podger) But the rest of Rannou is excellent, albeit on the characteristic slower, more meditative side (which I like, reminds me of Froberger and L. Couperin).

I also liked Belder. The in concerts included within the set is also quite good. It's on Brilliant so it's very economically priced.
Other recommends: Cuiller (mirare), Frisch (alpha; not complete), Latzarus (Out of print); of course, the much-hyped Rondeau's Vertigo is also excellent

[bioluminescentsquid]

I think the Rannou reissue (sans in concerts) is good enough - there are better recordings of the in concert elsewhere (I like Bernolet/apotheosis, Procopio/Bismuth, Fortin/Masques, Pinnock/Podger) But the rest of Rannou is excellent, albeit on the characteristic slower, more meditative side (which I like, reminds me of Froberger and L. Couperin).

I also liked Belder. The in concerts included within the set is also quite good. It's on Brilliant so it's very economically priced.
Other recommends: Cuiller (mirare), Frisch (alpha; not complete), Latzarus (Out of print); of course, the much-hyped Rondeau's Vertigo is also excellent

Some other great French Baroque
Chambonnieres - Lengelle 2nd recording (OOP, sound samples here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHsLZTLA0eM)
Chambonnieres - Skip Sempe
Leonhardt's recordings, of course
Skip Sempe Louis Couperin
Bob van Asperen Louis Couperin
Hogwood Louis Couperin
Wilson Louis Couperin
parts of Verlet's Louis Couperin....
Verlet's and Karen Flint's de la Guerre
Leonhardt's Forqueray, especially the last recording on the Hemsch
Koopman's Forqueray
Paolo Erdas D'Anglebert
Frisch D'Anglebert
Couture "La Belle Homicide"
Gluxam Duphly

Tentative rec. for Justin Taylor's Forqueray?

[king ubu]

Francois Couperin: ... Cochard/Ambroisie (2 discs; ordres 1,3,6,7) ...

Just in case, there's a second one - I think these are excellent!

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[Mandryka]

Does anyone know the contents of this CD below? The two Clérambault suites I have (on another issue, Collectio Argentea) but as it is a re-issue the rest must come from a different (or more than one). Kenneth Gilbert's Rameau has apparently not been re-issued since an early 2-CD-set around 1990.

[asin]B00000E4RY[/asin]

It contains the two Clérambault suites, two C major pieces by D'Anglebert, the Louis Couperin Pavan, a couple of short pieces by Marais and Lebegue, and a suite (#5) by Le Roux. He uses the Vaudry at the Victoria and Albert, for once adequately recorded.

[Mandryka]

Here's a French baroque CD which I think is pretty good



And here's another



And a third, though this one is a bit challenging, but people who like Webern and Cage may respond to her style



This is special for the rarity of the music and the beauty of the duos with lute and harpsichord



And if you're in the right mood, sun shining and slightly drunk, this can be most satisfying. Not great music maybe, but it would be churlish to deny it a place in life I think

[Mandryka]

Gorgeous new recording from Béatrice Martin, this, made up of over familiar French classic pops mostly, but what she does which makes it stand out and makes it worth a listen, is capture a real sense of dream, fantasy. Oneiric. I can't remember anyone who does it so well in this music, I bet her approach is original and seems right on the money. You can tell I'm seduced by it.

The title's totally misleading, there's nothing savage about the way she plays, you couldn't imagine more refined and nuanced music making.


Nice old French harpsichord well recorded IMO. .

http://www.beatricemartinclavecin.com/

[bioluminescentsquid]

Gorgeous new recording from Béatrice Martin, this, made up of over familiar French classic pops mostly, but what she does which makes it stand out and makes it worth a listen, is capture a real sense of dream, fantasy. Oneiric. I can't remember anyone who does it so well in this music, I bet her approach is original and seems right on the money. You can tell I'm seduced by it.

The title's totally misleading, there's nothing savage about the way she plays, you couldn't imagine more refined and nuanced music making.


Nice old French harpsichord well recorded IMO. .

http://www.beatricemartinclavecin.com/

I remember that this one's been out for a while. Excellent disc, although I can't stop thinking that it's a clone of Jean Rondeau's Vertigo (or, more accurately, Vertigo is a clone of it) - even the harpsicords sound similar, although Rondeau's is a more Italianate/17th-century French style and Martin's is a Couchet. Of course, their playing styles vary - Martin's more introverted and "galant" in a way, Rondeau more extrovert and theatrical, but the repertoire and the style of playing are unmistakably similar.

Her Bach is excellent too.

[Mandryka]

Yes I can see that, and clearly Rondeau has an excellent instrument. I haven't managed to get into Vertigo - nothing follows of course. With Béatrice it was love at first sight, metaphorically speaking.

[Mandryka]

Karen Flint's recent second volume of music by Chambonnières, From Manuscript Sources, which so much impressed me, and continues to impress me, is now available as a stream in Tidal.

[bioluminescentsquid]

Beautiful Rameau suites by Fredrick Haas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn6n5VDVlxw&feature=share