Froberger: Suites de clavecin & Toccatas

On this CD:

1. Suite for harpsichord, No 30 in A minor Plainte faite à Londres pour passer la Melancholie
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

2. Suite for harpsichord, No 30 in A minor Courante
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

3. Suite for harpsichord, No 30 in A minor Sarabande
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

4. Suite for harpsichord, No 30 in A minor Gigue
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

5. Toccata for harpsichord, No 9 in C major
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

6. Suite for harpsichord, No 19 in C minor
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

7. Tombeau sur la mort de M. Blancheroche
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

8. Toccata for harpsichord, No 14 in G major
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

9. Suite for harpsichord, No 18 in G minor
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

10. Toccata for harpsichord, No 2 in D minor
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

11. Suite for harpsichord, No 20 in D major
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

12. Toccata for harpsichord, No 18 in F major
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

13. Lamentation n the death of Ferdinand III, for keyboard in F major
Composed by Johann Jacob Froberger
Performed by Christophe Rousset

Tracks:

Prelude
Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Gigue
Prelude (Toccade) In A Minor
Prelude In F Major
Tombeau De M. De Blancrocher In F Major
Prelude
Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Passacaille
Prelude
Allemande
Courante
Courante (Croisee)
Rigaudon Et Double
Gigue
Prelude In A Major
Pavane In F Sharp Minor
Prelude (Toccade) In D Minor
Prelude In G Major
Galliarde In G Major

Divers Styles Dans L'Eloquence: Pièces De Clavecin From The Bauyn Manuscript, Vol. II

Average customer rating:

Divers Styles Dans L'Eloquence: Pièces De Clavecin From The Bauyn Manuscript, Vol. II

Manufacturer: Collins Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000003VYH
Release Date: 1995-01-24

Tracks:

Pavanne in f#
Ste in a: Prld
Ste in a: Allemande
Ste in a: Courante
Ste in a: Sarabande
Ste in a: La Piemontoise
Ste in a: Menuet de Poitou, Double par Mr. Couperin
Toccata in a
Ste in a: Allemande
Ste in a: Gigue
Ste in a: Sarabande
Pavanne in e
Pavanne in a
Pavanne in e
Pavanne in a
Ste in d: Prld
Ste in d: Allemande
Ste in d: Courante
Ste in d: Sarabande
Ste in d: Canaries
Ste in d: Pieces de trois sortes Mouvements
Ste in d: Chanconne (La Complaignante)
Toccata in G
Ricercar in C
Capriccio in G
Fantasia in e
Prld in C

Average customer rating:

Passion - yes; atmospherics and inner resonance - never

Froberger: Suites de clavecin; Toccatas

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000007IL
Release Date: 1997-05-09

Tracks:

Ste XXX in a: Plainte Faite A Londres Pour Passer La Melancholie...
Ste XXX in a: Courante - Christophe Rousset C
Ste XXX in a: Sarabande
Ste XXX in a: Gigue
Toccata IX in C
Ste XIX in c: Allemande
Ste XIX in c: Gigue
Ste XIX in c: Courante
Ste XIX in c: Sarabande
Tombeau: Fait A Paris Sur La Mort De Monsieur Blancheroche...
Toccata XIV in G
Ste XVIII in g: Allemande
Ste XVIII in g: Gigue
Ste XVIII in g: Courante
Ste XVIII in g: Sarabande
Toccata II in d
Ste XX in D: Meditation Faict Sur Ma Mort Future Laquelle Se Joue Lentement Avec Discretion
Ste XX in D: Gigue
Ste XX in D: Courante
Ste XX in D: Sarabande
Toccata XVIII in F
Lamentation: Faite Sur La Mort Tres Douloureuse De Sa Majeste Imperiale, Ferdinand Le Troisieme...

Amazon.com

Froberger lived and flourished in the mid-17th century, and he was one of the first great German composers of keyboard music. But although his nationality was German, his style was more or less formed and influenced by the Italian school--Frescobaldi in particular. It's a fascinating fact, but you can get through a lot of music history up to the 19th century if you look at it as a series of ideas originating in Italy, further developed by composers in Germany and France. All of these pieces are short, striking, and full of original ideas. This was one of Rousset's earlier recordings for Harmonia Mundi, and it established him at once as an artist to be reckoned with. Good stuff. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Passion - yes; atmospherics and inner resonance - never.......2004-04-09

Here, Rousset rolls his chords and ornaments like they're dice, assuming he'll get lucky with his listeners. But a gaming table at Monte Carlo and the harpsichord are quite different beasts - each must dealt with in dramatically different fashions. Here, for Rousset everything is undaunted dash - there's no reflection, no quiet breathing/phrasing - little recognizable emotion unless maybe what - grandiosity? Most aficionados surely would consider this a highly uncharacteristic, over-simplified reading of Froberger's music. Yes, it appears that early music's "enfant terrible" is having one of his more "interesting" moments.

This is very odd, considering how utterly beautiful and profound were many of his efforts recording Francois Couperin's complete works for harpsichord. There (though, like so many of us, he often gave relatively humdrum performances on Couperin's harder-to-fathom, superficially more colorless pieces) he was often as sublime sounding as possibly anyone who has ever played the instrument; and was never close to coming off as obnoxious.

Tracks:

Ste in D: Prelude
Ste in D: Allemande
Ste in D: Courante
Ste in D: Sarabande
Ste in D: Gaillarde
Ste in D: Chaconne
Ste In a: Prelude a L'imitation de Mr Froberger
Ste In a: Allemande L'Amiable
Ste In a: Courante La Mignonne
Ste In a: Sarabande
Ste In a: La Piemontoise
Ste In a: Menuet de Poitou et son Double
Tombeau de M. de Blancrocher
Ste In C: Prelude
Ste In C: Allemande
Ste In C: Courante
Ste In C: Sarabande
Ste In C: Passacaille
Ste In F: Prelude
Ste In F: Allemande grave
Ste In F: Courante
Ste In F: Sarabande
Ste In F: Branle de Basque
Ste In F: Gigue
Ste In F: Gaillarde
Ste In F: Chaconne

Customer Reviews:

The Harpsichord Music of Louis Couperin.......2006-04-01

I love the music of the French harpsichord composers. This music for the queenliest and most elegant of instruments combines beauty, stateliness and grace with flights of fancy and imagination. This CD on Naxos was recorded in 1993 and features the music of Louis Couperin (1626-- 1661). The uncle of the more famous Francois Couperin, Louis Couperin was a musician in the court of Louis XIII and himself the composer of highly innovative works for the harpsichord and other instruments. The harpsichordist Lawrence Cummings performs his music idiomatically on this CD, using a period-style instrument with period tuning. The use of period tuning means that some intervals are tuned perfectly with the consequence that other intervals sound out-of-tune to modern listeners. The "equal temprament" tuning used uniformly today was championed by J.S. Bach.

Early French harpsichord music derives from music for the lute with its arpeggios, stumming, and improvisatory character. Louis Couperin's "Tombeau d M. de Blancrocher" was composed to commemorate the 1654 death of a famous lutenist. This is an elegy in variation form, with many harmonic changes and shifts in register. The initial stately theme appears six times with increasing elaboration. This is a grand work of the harpsichord literature and a good place to start with Louis Couperin.

The remaining works on the CD are in the form of dance suites. As they have come down to us, the opening preludes (some 13 of them) were all printed together while the remaining movements were arranged by key and subsequently grouped into suites. There are four suites on this disk, in D major, A minor, C major, and F Major.

Couperin's most original moments are found in his preludes. These are free-form, improvisatory pieces which developed from the strumming and arpeggios that lutenists typically did in process of tuning their difficult instruments. Most of Louis Couperin's preludes are written without bar lines, emphasizing their improvisatory and fanciful character. But some of the preludes include both measured and unmeasured sections. Thus, the Prelude of the Suite in A minor, titled, "Prelude a l'imitation de Mr. Froberger" includes a slow, linear opening and close, both of which are unmeasured with a middle, faster fugal section based upon a tocatta of the Italian composer, Froberger. The prelude of the suite of F major is short but full of marked changes, beginning with a slow introduction, transitioning gracefully into a faster, gigue-like section, and concluding with a grand arpeggiated gesture.

In addition to the preludes, I also enjoyed Couperin's movements in variation form, the chaconnes of the suites in D major and F major and especially the long, elaborate passacalle which concludes the suite in C major.

Louis Couperin's suites include a good deal of contrasting material within and among the various movements. The A minor suite includes an especially ornate sarabande. Interspersed in each of the suites a short, lively movements juxtaposed with the more stately sections. Thus, the D major and the F major suites each include a fast court dance known as the gailliarde. The A minor suite includes an unusually light courante styled "Courante La Mignonne" together with an unusual, flashy movement called "La Piemontoise". The F major suite includes a gigue and a short, showy piece called "Branle de Basque".

I am pleased that this CD has attracted several reviews on this site, some of them recent. I hope the attention signals a growing interest in the harpsichord and in the composers who wrote for it.

Robin Friedman

Exquisite sound & expression !.......2005-07-13

There are very few harpsichords available on CDs that sound so lovely like this one ! L Couperins music can be the most beautiful french music if it is played on an appropriate ,excellent instrument. and the performance here by Mr Cummings is so perfect, passionate, fancinating that seeing the blank star on the item makes me uneasy . so i can no longer keep silent.

Louis XIV serait heureux ..........2005-07-06

Pour le prix, une belle découverte.
Je ne suis pas un pédagogue du clavecin,
mais il me semble de Laurence C. respecte l'aspect «français»
de ces pièces. Le touché est posé, articulé «à la française»,
ce qui évite la sonorité brouillonne.

Suggestion: écoutez ce disque en regardant des photos d'album
de l'époque de Louis XIV. ...pour la rêverie.

Excellent sound quality but wobbly performances.......2000-08-17

The bargain price, excellent sound quality, rarity of the repertoire, and the use of an instrument tuned to the antique style of "mean tone" temperament on this recording make it attractively tempting.

Customer Reviews:

Passion - yes; atmospherics and inner resonance ý never.......2004-04-09

Here, Rousset rolls his chords and ornaments like they're dice, assuming he'll get lucky with his listeners. But a gaming table at Monte Carlo and the harpsichord are quite different beasts - each must dealt with in dramatically different fashions. Here, for Rousset everything is undaunted dash - there's no reflection, no quiet breathing/phrasing - little recognizable emotion unless maybe what - grandiosity? Most afficionados surely would consider this a highly uncharacteristic, over-simplified reading of Froberger's music. Yes, it appears that early music's "enfant terrible" is having one of his more "interesting" moments.

Another strike against this CD - the harpsichord sounds as if it was mike?d right above its soundboard ? it is very harsh, and the stereo field is unnatural sounding, i.e. extremely wide. This is analogous to listening with your head/ears right above the soundboard, it would probably cause you physical pain ? it certainly would not sound good, sweet, etc.

When recording a harpsichord, it?s often best to walk around while the musician is playing to get a sense where things sound the best; after all the stereo microphones are playing the role of artificial ears. Better yet, let the harpsichordist him/herself listen while another keyboardist is playing ? then of course you'd want to crosscheck your determination with the (hopefully) experienced engineer.

A couple of effective strategies are to place the microphones either above the head of the performer (to get it from his/her perspective), or else somewhat farther away (an audience perspective) ? if and when you want the ambience of the room to come into play. In this second scenario, it?s important to find a good spot (there could be several) so that the natural reverberations from the room aren?t overly prominent leading to a muddy sound (where, for instance, you cannot hear all the notes clearly). Check out the always sweet-sounding CDs of harpsichordist Mitzi Meyerson for incredibly well-recorded examples presumably using this second method. She is also one of the greatest players on the planet.

Note that one fix for this Rousset CD would be to place your audiophile speakers relatively close together and turn the volume down so that it?s as if you are sitting in the room where the instrument is being played. The speakers then would approximate the harpsichord's actual position in the room, and the overload/distortion on your ears would possibly be compensated for. I didn?t try this, but it might work in a medium to large-sized room. [Or for a less desirable result - run your tracks through a reverb box to artificially achieve the same thing.] The point is though, that it?s the engineer?s job to make this home-stereo ready; or else sell the darn thing for a whole lot less!

Tracks:

Fantasie Caprice De Chaconne
Prelude En A Mi La
La Piemontoise
Courante
Sarabande
Les Carillons De Paris
Prelude
Allemande La Royalle
Courante I &II
Sarabande
Gavotte
Chacone
Mascarade Rondeau
Tombeau De Mr. De Blancrocher
Allemande L'Auguste
Premiere Courante - Second Courante
Sarabonde La Majestuese
Gavotte
Gigue La Milordine
Chaconne En Rondeau La Favourite
Passacaille
Lamento Sopra La Dolorosa Perdita Della Real Msta Di Ferinando

Customer Reviews:

What a shame to see this lovely album no longer available.......2002-05-12

Andrew Lawrence-King continues to give performances as amazing as on his debut CD, only this time the composers are more familiar. Well, the Couperins anyway. In Le Caprice Royal (Francesco Corbetta) his virtuosity is nothing short of stunning, while in Les Carillons de Paris (Louis Couperin) you could almost imagine yourself listening to a real carillon, except that Lawrence-King's wooden, gut-strung harp is sweeter sounding than any carillon could hope to be.

Tracks:

Ste in F: Prld
Ste in F: Courante
Ste in F: Courante
Ste in F: Branle
Ste in F: Tombeau
Tocade in G
Ste in d: Allemande
Ste in d: Courante
Ste in d: Sarabande
Ste in d: Gigue
Pavane
Ste in a: Prld
Ste in a: La Piemontoise
Ste in a: Courante
Ste in a: Gavotte
Ste in a: Double
Ste in C: Allemande
Ste in C: Courante
Ste in C: Sarabande Grave
Ste in C: Chaconne
Ste in F: Allemande Grave
Ste in F: Courante
Ste in F: Sarabande
Ste in F: Gaillarde
Prld in g
Ste in g: Allemande
Ste in g: Gigue
Ste in g: Courante
Ste in g: Sarabande
Passacaille in g
Sarabande in C: Piece Croisee

Customer Reviews:

A performance even the composers would love........1998-11-30

Terrific recording of a talented harpsichordist playing works of several different 17th century composers. Performed with delicacy, expression, and musical virtuosity. Very inspirational for this music student.

Average customer rating:

Incredible sound, incredible performances
History of Baroque Music: great sound, wealth of information

History of Baroque Music

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000028TYP
Release Date: 1999-10-12

Amazon.com

For anyone with more than a casual interest in music, any music, A History of Baroque Music: Instrumental Music and its companion volume devoted to secular music will prove invaluable. Here, thoughtfully arranged as five thematic programmes, is an anthology that delivers exactly what the title promises, and in doing so lays out the foundations of Western music; not just classical music, but the folk tradition and most everything else that has developed since. Despite the budget price, the collection is attractively packaged like a miniature LP box set, each disc presented in its own tastefully designed card sleeve. There is an astonishing six and a half hours of music, from the emergence of instrumental forms in the early 16th century to the development of the baroque orchestra and the concerto, with the final disc being devoted to an exploration of the specifically German Lutheran and polyphonic tradition. The accompanying booklet sets the context with 25 pages of, clear, accessible English-language notes, making the collection appropriate for educational use as well as providing undiluted pleasure through the music of Bach, Corelli, Dowland, Handel, Monteverdi, Purcell, Telemann, Vivaldi, and many lesser-known composers. The recordings, taken from Harmonia Mundi's extensive back catalog, come from many of the top names in early music performance, including the Academy of Ancient Music, William Christie, Ensemble 415, René Jacobs, London Baroque, and Ton Koopman and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. In other words, this is an anthology of the very highest quality, a rich banquet of absolutely wonderful music. --Gary S. Dalkin

Customer Reviews:

Incredible sound, incredible performances.......2002-12-03

This 5-CD set, one of three parts of an anthology of baroque music originally called "Pathways of Baroque Music," is undoubtedly the best introduction to Baroque music that has been issued, and it should be in the collection of every lover of Baroque or classical music. Unlike most anthologies or single-disk samplings of baroque music, the works are arranged according to genre and in historical order. Thus the set is extremely useful for increasing our understanding of Baroque instrumental music and its development, while giving us a taste of many composers and works that even hardened Baroque music lovers like myself may never have heard of.

What is more, the quality of the recordings and of the disks is unmatched -- I have never heard better sound out of my stereo equipment than I have with these disks, except perhaps when playing DVDs with 5-track surround sound and DTS. While these are only "conventional" CDs, I think they even sound better than the small number of SACDs that I have purchased. I wish harmonia mundi would re-release the whole 15-CD collection in large quantity so that we can purchase them new instead of used!

History of Baroque Music: great sound, wealth of information.......2002-01-30

This review is based on the French edition. The textual portion of the booklet is trilingual (French, English, German). The playlist is partly bilingual. The music is grouped and subgrouped by genre.

Disks:
The Emergence of Instrumental Music-transition from the earlier Renaissance: Improvisation, toccata, dance,etc.
Chamber Music
The Baroque Orchestra
Concerto
The Specifically German

All of the last four are similarly subgrouped.

The text is very informative about genres and specific compositions. This recording is refreshing in that it presents some lovely but lesser known music of the Baroque era.

Above all, Baroque music is a wonderful stress-buster. It is a shame this lovely collection has been so hard to get.

Music Review: