French Baroque Music

[The new erato]

Depends upon what you mean by athmospheric....

I find almost all French music to focus more on the pure sensuousness of sound and joy in the small details, than on the public declaration of Italian music or sheer rigour and structure of German music. All music to some degree follows one of these three "schools"

Extremely simply put of course. And easy to shoot down with counterexamples, but as broad generalisations, 40 years of listening has convinced me this is generally true.

[milk]

Depends upon what you mean by athmospheric....

I find almost all French music to focus more on the pure sensuousness of sound and joy in the small details, than on the public declaration of Italian music or sheer rigour and structure of German music. All music to some degree follows one of these three "schools"

Extremely simply put of course. And easy to shoot down with counterexamples, but as broad generalisations, 40 years of listening has convinced me this is generally true.

"Simply put" maybe...but better than I could have.

[Leo K.]

This Clerambault recording is simply ravishing!

[Leo K.]

And then there is this new kid on the block. I noticed it on premont's exceptionally long purchases list...  For some reason I never warmed up to Richard Egarr - I'm very curious how he does here.

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Q

This recording is sublime. I am new to Louis Couperin. Wow, these pieces for harpsichord are a wonder to  behold.

I am fast becoming a fan of Richard Egarr. I love, LOVE the sound of his harpsichord/s in these recordings.  The warm, resonate beauty of clarity and atmosphere takes me away. I also love his account of the Goldberg Variations.

[Leo K.]

This recording is sublime. I am new to Louis Couperin. Wow, these pieces for harpsichord are a wonder to  behold.

I am fast becoming a fan of Richard Egarr. I love, LOVE the sound of his harpsichord/s in these recordings.  The warm, resonate beauty of clarity and atmosphere takes me away. I also love his account of the Goldberg Variations.

Again, today, I am so impressed over this recording. The music is so detailed, delicate, and dreamy. I am transfixed.

[prémont]

And then there is this new kid on the block. I noticed it on premont's exceptionally long purchases list...  For some reason I never warmed up to Richard Egarr - I'm very curious how he does here.

[asin]B00506PH9S[/asin]

Q

I have not been a convinced Egarr fan until now, but this L.Couperin set will probably change that. I have listened to vol.4, and this is outstanding and more than enough to convince me of Egarr´s virtues. He has got the full control of the noble introvertness of the music and he has excellent nimble "embellishment-fingers", so vital in this music. He plays a harpsichord by Joel Katzman after an anonymous French instrument from 1652, probably by Jacquet. This instrument has a very clear and crisp sound, somewhat on the metallic side, and the meantone tuning a´= 392 adds very much to the interest. You may imagine, that the f sharp minor pavane sounds very special. The recorded sound is very present and engaging. So I am beginning to consider a purchase of his Froberger set on Globe.

[Coopmv]

I have quite a number of recordings by Egarr, though none is solo performance.

[Leo K.]

I have not been a convinced Egarr fan until now, but this L.Couperin set will probably change that. I have listened to vol.4, and this is outstanding and more than enough to convince me of Egarr´s virtues. He has got the full control of the noble introvertness of the music and he has excellent nimble "embellishment-fingers", so vital in this music. He plays a harpsichord by Joel Katzman after an anonymous French instrument from 1652, probably by Jacquet. This instrument has a very clear and crisp sound, somewhat on the metallic side, and the meantone tuning a´= 392 adds very much to the interest. You may imagine, that the f sharp minor pavane sounds very special. The recorded sound is very present and engaging. So I am beginning to consider a purchase of his Froberger set on Globe.

Thanks for your thoughts Premont, I am currently enjoying Egarr's Froberger series, and it has similiar sensibilities with two wonderful sounding harpsichords, the back of the CD shows what he's playing:



I really appreciate that his harpsichord's are fitted with bird quills.

[Leo K.]

I'm really enjoying Scott Ross's Rameau set right now.

[prémont]

Thanks for your thoughts Premont, I am currently enjoying Egarr's Froberger series, and it has similiar sensibilities with two wonderful sounding harpsichords, the back of the CD shows what he's playing:

I really appreciate that his harpsichord's are fitted with bird quills.

I have already taken the step to order Egarr´s Froberger set. It is in backorder, so I do not know, when I get it.

[prémont]

Continuing my listening to Richard Egarr´s Louis Couperin set with vol. 1. This confirms my former positive impression. Some may find Egarr a little laid back, but I recognize his interpretation as being meditative and thoughtful. A must for every lover of French baroQUE harpsichord music.

[milk]

Continuing my listening to Richard Egarr´s Louis Couperin set with vol. 1. This confirms my former positive impression. Some may find Egarr a little laid back, but I recognize his interpretation as being meditative and thoughtful. A must for every lover of French baroQUE harpsichord music.

Well, maybe I'll have to get my hands on this. I would like to, once again, put in my vote for Van Asperen's and Skip Sempé's respective Couperin discs.

[Leo K.]

Did you get it? I hope you like it!


Anyway,  I've been occupied with a (for me) new French Baroque composer, Nicolas (Antoine) Lebègue (c. 1631 – 1702). To place Lebègue in the French harpsichord lineage: he came after Jacques Champion de Chambonnières and Louis Couperin, and his collection of harpsichord was the first to be published after that of De Chambonnières. Students of Lebègue include François d'Agincour (previously discussed HERE) and Nicolas Grigny. I also got a recording of Lebègue's 1st organ book (he was a celebrated organist), on which later. But it helped me to form an image of this composer.

Lebègue has not the frivolity of his teacher Chambonnières, pieces have no mysterious nicknames but formal names like Prelude, Allemande, Courante, etc. The music also sounds more formal in a way - I hear some Italian influence here and there (Frescobaldi?) - though Lebègue seems less focused on intellectual rigour than Louis Couperin but more on longer melodic lines and harmonic treatment. The end result is are sober but bright and melodic pieces, expressively played. Though Lebègue's music may not reach the heights of either De Chambonnières or Louis Couperin, I enjoyed this disc very much and would recommend it to those who want to delve deeper into the French harpsichord tradition - like me.



The disc contains the complete works for harpsichord in two Books, the 1st from 1677 and the 2nd from 1687. They were published in Amsterdam and were known throughout Europe.

Canadian Bibiane Lapointe studied with Scott Ross and Ton Koopman. She is part of the French Baroque ensemble "Les Cyclopes" and sounds like an excellent harpsichordist. She plays here a double-manual harpschord by Bruce Kennedy after French 17th c. models.

Q

Que, thanks so much for this recommendation. This Lebeque disk is ravishing with evocative music and performance! Love the sound of the harpsichord too!

[prémont]

I would like to, once again, put in my vote for Van Asperen's and Skip Sempé's respective Couperin discs.

Seconded.

[Leo K.]

Has anyone heard this amazing recording? I am struck by the solemn beauty of this work, with fine, nuanced singing and playing, captured in excellant sound quality.

Some more info...

Pierre Bouteiller (c.1655 - 1717), a French composer. Little is known of this composer: born around 1655, he began as a maître de chapelle in Troyes before moving on to Paris as "a player of the viol and other musical instruments." He left only thirteen petits motets and a requiem mass, collected by Sébastien de Brossard. The traditional, sober and sometimes austere polyphonic writing of the masses by Cosset and Bouteiller contrast nicely with both the plainsong and the enticing, occasionally Italianate inflections found in the petits motets by French musicians of the time.

Missa pro defunctis: Requiem pour voix d'hommes was preserved after his death by the composer Sébastien de Brossard, whose Italianate Stabat Mater, along with various instrumental Méditations and an improvised Elévation for organ, completes Hervé Niquet's reconstructed Requiem Mass.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/album-pierre-bouteiller-requie

Requiem pour Voix d'Hommes contains:
1. Prélude
2. Requiem Aeternam
3. Te Decet Hymnus
4. Requiem Aeternam
5. Méditation
6. Kyrie 1
7. Christe
8. Kyrie 2
9. Si Ambulem
10. Virga Tua
11. Offertorium
12. Offertoire
13. Méditation
14. Sanctus
15. Élévation
16. Elevatio: Pie Jesu
17. Élévation
18. Agnus Dei
19. Méditation
20. Postcommunio: Lux Aeterna
Source: booklet of cd Glossa GCD 921621 

[Antoine Marchand]

Well, maybe I'll have to get my hands on this. I would like to, once again, put in my vote for Van Asperen's and Skip Sempé's respective Couperin discs.

The day when I knew about the death of Gustav Leonhardt, I listened to several discs by him. One specially moving was his Louis Couperin's disc Suites & Pavane (DHM) which ends with the great funeral piece "Tombeau de Monsieur Blancrocher". It's included in the Sony Jubilee Edition.

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[Leo K.]

The day when I knew about the death of Gustav Leonhardt, I listened to several discs by him. One specially moving was his Louis Couperin's disc Suites & Pavane (DHM) which ends with the great funeral piece "Tombeau de Monsieur Blancrocher". It's included in the Sony Jubilee Edition.

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I'm going to have to listen to the above recording ASAP.

I am currently listening to this disk of the Couperin's:



This recording is a wonder of insightful performances, with nuance that explores the whole spectrum of thought and musical development, with poise, diginity, and drive.

[Leo K.]

Currently exploring Jacques Duphly's work, and totally enchanted. The set I own is from the mid 90s, played by Yannick Le Gaillard and he is more than capaple of giving us a taste of the riches of Duphly. This set is very OOP and I can't even find a picture of the cover.

Anyways, the French Harpsichord school is so rewarding as to defy description.

[Leo K.]

Need... more... Duphly!

I have just spent a wonderful time with the disc containing "masterpieces of French harpsichord music," played by Gustav Leonhardt, containing music by Rameau, Royer, Le Roux and Duphly. (CD No. 9 in the 80th Anniversary box.) It was not the first time I listened to the disc; however, during the last hour I was smitten with the music, especially those by Royer and Duphly. Let anyone who thinks Baroque repertoire is only good for being wallpaper music listen to these pieces, which are filled with more than mere twanging of the harpsichord. I think I'll be listening to this disc like I do to Schubert's impromptus.

Wowza...your comments on this disk is right on.

I love Leonhardt's treatment of Rameau too!

[milk]

I've just acquired this recording. So far so good.