François Couperin "Le Grand"

Started by adamdavid80, October 02, 2008, 11:29:36 AM

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adamdavid80

Anyone have any recommendations?  I recently heard some solo piano work - by Angela Hewitt - and am wondering what the best recordings are and even the best place to start.
Hardly any of us expects life to be completely fair; but for Eric, it's personal.

- Karl Henning

Josquin des Prez

The complete cycle by Scott Ross is my current benchmark and i can hardly think of anything that would top it. It's hopelessly out of print now but you can find it through p2p. I really recommend it.

Novi

Quote from: adamdavid80 on October 02, 2008, 11:29:36 AM
Anyone have any recommendations?  I recently heard some solo piano work - by Angela Hewitt - and am wondering what the best recordings are and even the best place to start.

On piano? I recently got the EMI Marcelle Meyer box and I enjoyed her Couperin very much. In fact, all her baroque stuff is good and it's what I listen to the most from the set. I'm not sure if they're available separately though. Someone here recommended her Rameau and I started with those disks - there's such an ethereal beauty to it.

Caveat: I'm not too familiar with Couperin and haven't heard Hewitt either, but like Meyer's playing. So this post isn't really all that much use to you :-\ :P.

More knowledgeable people will come along anon :).

Durch alle Töne tönet
Im bunten Erdentraum
Ein leiser Ton gezogen
Für den der heimlich lauschet.

Josquin des Prez


scarpia

#4
Quote from: adamdavid80 on October 02, 2008, 11:29:36 AM
Anyone have any recommendations?  I recently heard some solo piano work - by Angela Hewitt - and am wondering what the best recordings are and even the best place to start.

I had all of Hewitt's Couperin discs but ended up selling them quite recently.  Now I have a 2CD set of Rousset's recordings on HM.  I have nothing against harpsichord music on piano, and I like Hewitt's Bach recordings.  But I came to feel that Couperin's harpsichord music really is idiomatic for the harpsichord and doesn't transfer well to piano (in contrast to a lot of Bach's keyboard music, which strikes me as being more universal in character).


SonicMan46

Quote from: scarpia on October 02, 2008, 12:21:26 PM
I had all of Hewitt's Couperin discs but ended up selling them quite recently.  Now I have a 2CD set of Rousset's recordings on HM.  I have nothing against harpsichord music on piano..............

I'm in the same mode - have the Hewitt discs (all 3; great price from the BMG Music Club) - quite enjoyable, but you must take a listen to this music on the piano vs. the harpsichord, and then decide 'for yourself' which instrument is your preference?  I own several harpsichord versions myself and have not been able to make up my mind - on this forum, you're have opinions that may be strongly favoring one or the other keyboard instrument, but again, it will come down to the end - what you enjoy, so just try to hear a number of performances on different instruments & by various performers - I'm still 'up in the air' about my own choice(s) -  :D

Que

Quote from: adamdavid80 on October 02, 2008, 11:29:36 AM
Anyone have any recommendations?  I recently heard some solo piano work - by Angela Hewitt - and am wondering what the best recordings are and even the best place to start.

This thread might be of interest: French Baroque Music

Q

val

Above all, I suggest the extraordinary Leçons des Tenèbres (Gens, Piau, Les Talents Lyriques, Rousset).

Then, the works for harpsichord, played by Christophe Rousset.

Regarding chamber music, Les Nations would be my first choice (Goebel, Linden, Hazelzet), followed by the Gouts Réunis and Suites for viola da gamba by Wieland Kuijken.

SonicMan46

Well, now my interest is 'peaked again' in obtaining Couperin's keyboard music on the harpsichord - I've had the Rousset option on my 'wish list' for months, but the complete set seems unavailable (at least here; the same w/ Ross).

Below is a Brilliant 11-CD box w/ Borgstede that received an excellent Fanfare Review, reprinted on the ArkivMusic site; also, in the last pages of the 'French Baroque Music' thread, a number of excellent postive comments were made (now $46 on the Amazon Marketplace) - any new thoughts on these recordings?

Also, there is a 10-CD set of these works on harpsichord w/ Oliver Baumont - also about $50 on the Marketplace and at BRO; this set received brief comments of the thread linked by Que, but I would be curious if there are further thoughts?

So, for $5/CD, both of these boxes seem to be excellent value - others to consider?  Thanks -  :D

 

DarkAngel

Quote from: SonicMan on October 03, 2008, 07:00:52 AM
Well, now my interest is 'peaked again' in obtaining Couperin's keyboard music on the harpsichord - I've had the Rousset option on my 'wish list' for months, but the complete set seems unavailable (at least here; the same w/ Ross).

Below is a Brilliant 11-CD box w/ Borgstede that received an excellent Fanfare Review, reprinted on the ArkivMusic site; also, in the last pages of the 'French Baroque Music' thread, a number of excellent postive comments were made (now $46 on the Amazon Marketplace) - any new thoughts on these recordings?

Also, there is a 10-CD set of these works on harpsichord w/ Oliver Baumont - also about $50 on the Marketplace and at BRO; this set received brief comments of the thread linked by Que, but I would be curious if there are further thoughts?

So, for $5/CD, both of these boxes seem to be excellent value - others to consider?  Thanks -  :D

 

I have that Borgstede Brilliant boxset and it was pretty good.......but I am not completely satisfied overall and think a better complete set can be had.

I have Couperin books 2 & 3 by Rousset and they are much better for me, and I also have book 4 by Baumont......a bit less dramatic than Rousset, but still preferred to Borgstede and the sound was very pleasing overall.

Therefore I did order the Baumont boxset (very cheap) shown above and expect delivery very soon, I will then do a more complete comparison but I am already biased to Baumont......


Que

Quote from: DarkAngel on March 31, 2010, 12:54:24 PM

I have that Borgstede Brilliant boxset and it was pretty good.......but I am not completely satisfied overall and think a better complete set can be had.

I have Couperin books 2 & 3 by Rousset and they are much better for me, and I also have book 4 by Baumont......a bit less dramatic than Rousset, but still preferred to Borgstede and the sound was very pleasing overall.

Therefore I did order the Baumont boxset (very cheap) shown above and expect delivery very soon, I will then do a more complete comparison but I am already biased to Baumont......

I share your reservations on Borgstede and it is a incredible pity that Rousset is not (yet) available again. I have that and it is wonderful. I also love Noelle Pieth's set, though that is quite different from Rousset: far less brilliantly theatrical, more inward looking and poetic and yet as (appropriately) enigmatic.

Q

Drasko

Quote from: Que on March 31, 2010, 01:02:38 PM
it is a incredible pity that ...

... Scott Ross' cycle is stuck on that beyond obscure French label.

It can at least be sampled. There is 24-bit/44.1 kHz LP transfer of Eight Order from Second Book, available as torrent provided by loudav. 

Que

Quote from: Drasko on March 31, 2010, 01:21:31 PM
... Scott Ross' cycle is stuck on that beyond obscure French label.


And I never had the chance to hear it! :o :'( Thanks for the link! :)

PaulSC

Old news to many GMGers, probably, but I just learned today that Johannes Brahms co-edited a complete edition of the Couperin Pièces de Clavecin. Interesting!
Musik ist ein unerschöpfliches Meer. — Joseph Riepel

FideLeo

Couperin (along with guys like Frescobaldi) also made a few appearances in in Bartok's diary  ;)

[asin]B0007RUT52[/asin]


HIP for all and all for HIP! Harpsichord for Bach, fortepiano for Beethoven and pianoforte for Brahms!

SonicMan46

Quote from: DarkAngel on March 31, 2010, 12:54:24 PM

I have that Borgstede Brilliant boxset and it was pretty good.......but I am not completely satisfied overall and think a better complete set can be had.

I have Couperin books 2 & 3 by Rousset and they are much better for me, and I also have book 4 by Baumont......a bit less dramatic than Rousset, but still preferred to Borgstede and the sound was very pleasing overall.

Therefore I did order the Baumont boxset (very cheap) shown above and expect delivery very soon, I will then do a more complete comparison but I am already biased to Baumont......

Guys - back a year ago, there was a series of posts discussing the available Couperin boxes - one post is quoted above from DarkAngel - I was hoping he would report back here once his Baumont box arrived (even sent him a PM recently, but he has not been active since the beginning of the year).

So, over the last year, any additional or new comments on Borgstede vs. Baumont, or on other options that may have appeared in the interim?  Thanks -  :D


Archaic Torso of Apollo

Quote from: PaulSC on March 10, 2011, 04:53:49 PM
Old news to many GMGers, probably, but I just learned today that Johannes Brahms co-edited a complete edition of the Couperin Pièces de Clavecin. Interesting!

Brahms was really interested in early music: he also collected scores by the likes of Scarlatti and Rameau, and I think even Renaissance composers as well.

As for recordings: authenticity be damned, I get a kick out of Tharaud's Couperin disc on piano, which includes such modifications as overdubbing and, in one piece, the addition of a drum:



(BTW, I walked past Couperin's house when I was in Paris last year)
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

FideLeo

#17
Quote from: SonicMan on March 11, 2011, 05:56:08 AM
Guys - back a year ago, there was a series of posts discussing the available Couperin boxes - one post is quoted above from DarkAngel - I was hoping he would report back here once his Baumont box arrived (even sent him a PM recently, but he has not been active since the beginning of the year).

So, over the last year, any additional or new comments on Borgstede vs. Baumont, or on other options that may have appeared in the interim?  Thanks -  :D

Tharaud's piano travesty be damned, I root for Noelle Spieth's OOP (other than as mp3) integral as the ultimate proof that Couperin works best on the harpsichord. :D  (In the review quoted below, Baumont scores a 4, Borgstede gets a mere 2 while Spieth claims the gold.)



http://www.musebaroque.fr/Critiques/couperin_integrale_clavecin.htm

HIP for all and all for HIP! Harpsichord for Bach, fortepiano for Beethoven and pianoforte for Brahms!

Que

#18
Quote from: milk on April 23, 2011, 04:16:21 PM
I'd also like to hear about people's favorite Couperin (F) recordings but perhaps it's for another forum.

I have and like  Christophe Rousset (HM) and Noëlle Spieth (Solstice). Olivier Baumont (Erato/Warner) should probably join them in the top three. I play Spieth the most.

Q

karlhenning

Quote from: ~ Que ~ on March 31, 2010, 01:02:38 PM

Quote from: DarkAngelI have that Borgstede Brilliant boxset and it was pretty good.......but I am not completely satisfied overall and think a better complete set can be had.

I share your reservations on Borgstede [ ... ]

Thank you both.