French harpsichord music

Abstract

Choosing a programme for a CD is analogous to picking holiday destinations: do you opt for frequently visited places, or less well-trodden territory? Of the six French harpsichord discs under review here, some feature music by the obvious candidates of Couperin (both Louis and François) and Rameau, while others highlight music by composers of more modest origins. Between them a range of approaches to the performance of this music is reflected, by the selection of pieces (and sometimes their omission), the choice of instrument (antique or replica), their tuning, the acoustical space and the recording technology—in addition, of course, to the artistry of the individual performers. Four discs contain works by a single composer, and the other two are mixed programmes. D'Anglebert: Pièces de clavecin (early-music.com emccd-7759, rec 2003) by Hank Knox breaks new ground by using an upright harpsichord (or clavicytherium) built by Yves Beaupré in Montre'al in 2002 after a late 1760s instrument of Albert Delin (1712–71). The novelty has more to do with the shape of the instrument than with the maker, as Kenneth Gilbert recorded D'Anglebert's solo harpsichord music on a 1768 Delin in 1973. Knox's performance abounds with vitality, and he extracts a range of timbres from this single-keyboard instrument, enough to bring out the different characters. I particularly admire his skill of subtly varying the speed of the ornaments and the spreading of the chords whilst maintaining a rock solid, yet bouncy, rhythm.