The album features a unique heptachord (seven-string guitar) from 1842, designed in collaboration between composer Napoléon Coste and luthier René Lacôte.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in October 2022 at Église Saint-Benoît in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada.
Performer Biography
David Jacques, the performer, holds a doctorate in early music performance and has given over 3,500 concerts in more than 35 countries across five continents.
Cultural Impact
The early 19th century was known as 'Guitaromania' due to the instrument's immense popularity, as depicted in a famous illustration by Charles de Marescot.
Historical Context
The lyre-guitar, an instrument featured on this album, became a fashionable accessory at the end of the 18th century, fitting the neoclassical style favored by Napoleon and Josephine.
Instruments
Some guitars on this album, like the one by Joseph Aubry, are richly decorated with mother-of-pearl, sometimes depicting rural life, luxury, or elaborate floral motifs.
Instruments
The album includes a very rare original Italian baroque mandolin from around 1740, lavishly decorated with mother-of-pearl and a tortoiseshell-plated back.
