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François Couperin: Concerts Royaux
François Couperin: Concerts Royaux in Bloomington, MN
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François Couperin
's
Concerts Royaux
were keyboard dance suites from 1714, preceding those of the set known as
Les Goûts Réunis
.
Couperin
wrote them for a single keyboard but noted that they could also be performed by a small ensemble, and the many available recordings of the pieces have availed themselves of both options. This one by
Pierre Gallon
and
Matthieu Boutineau
, however, is unique; it is for two harpsichords, with a few continuo additions from theorbo and Baroque guitar. The suites are presented as versions for two harpsichords; these are not credited to anyone but have been created by the performers. The reasoning for this, as presented in the booklet, draws from the ideas that
, even if he did not suggest this option, clearly imagined the instrumentation as flexible, that
did suggest a two-harpsichord option for the
Apothéoses
for chamber ensemble, and that harpsichord works by the composer
Gaspard Le Roux
were said by the composer to be playable on two harpsichords. These factors do not quite prove the point being made by the performance, and this recording might better be regarded as an elaboration on
's music. In some pieces, the two players each perform the bass line, distributing the rest of the music between them, and this creates a rich, monumental sound that differs quite a bit from the usual intimate detail one associates with
. The effect is intensified by
Harmonia Mundi
's booming church sound environment, which doesn't correspond with what
imagined, either. It is true that those who want the versions
himself approved have plenty of major recordings to choose from, and this one is genuinely novel. The bottom line is that a bit of sampling will inform listeners as to whether they find the approach convincing or not. ~ James Manheim
's
Concerts Royaux
were keyboard dance suites from 1714, preceding those of the set known as
Les Goûts Réunis
.
Couperin
wrote them for a single keyboard but noted that they could also be performed by a small ensemble, and the many available recordings of the pieces have availed themselves of both options. This one by
Pierre Gallon
and
Matthieu Boutineau
, however, is unique; it is for two harpsichords, with a few continuo additions from theorbo and Baroque guitar. The suites are presented as versions for two harpsichords; these are not credited to anyone but have been created by the performers. The reasoning for this, as presented in the booklet, draws from the ideas that
, even if he did not suggest this option, clearly imagined the instrumentation as flexible, that
did suggest a two-harpsichord option for the
Apothéoses
for chamber ensemble, and that harpsichord works by the composer
Gaspard Le Roux
were said by the composer to be playable on two harpsichords. These factors do not quite prove the point being made by the performance, and this recording might better be regarded as an elaboration on
's music. In some pieces, the two players each perform the bass line, distributing the rest of the music between them, and this creates a rich, monumental sound that differs quite a bit from the usual intimate detail one associates with
. The effect is intensified by
Harmonia Mundi
's booming church sound environment, which doesn't correspond with what
imagined, either. It is true that those who want the versions
himself approved have plenty of major recordings to choose from, and this one is genuinely novel. The bottom line is that a bit of sampling will inform listeners as to whether they find the approach convincing or not. ~ James Manheim
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