Avec discrétion

Featuring

Anne Marie Dragosits
Johann Jakob Froberger

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Recording & Production

This recording features a harpsichord built by Girolamo de Zenti in 1658, chosen for its unique sound and physical qualities, which influenced the interpretation of Froberger's music.

Composer Biography

Johann Jacob Froberger's oeuvre, a treasure of 17th-century harpsichord repertoire, reflects his travels and friendships with musicians and intellectuals across Europe.

Interpretation

The instruction 'avec discretion' in Froberger's 'free-form' pieces is not a precise directive, leaving many possibilities for interpretation, as few knew how to play them correctly without his direct teaching.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Froberger developed a unique individual style, blending Italian expressive toccatas and polyphonic works influenced by his teacher Frescobaldi, with a later shift towards French suite forms.

Composition History

The 'Allemande faite pour remercier Monsieur le Marquis de Termes' and the Gigue with 'la rusée Mazarinique' allude to Froberger's time in Parisian musical circles and the political situation of Cardinal Mazarin's return from exile.

Composition History

Froberger's 'Plainte faite à Londres pour passer la Melancolie' was inspired by his experience of being robbed and humiliated in London after arriving penniless.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Froberger was a deeply religious man, and his numerous laments and tombeaux demonstrate his fascination with death, which he depicted with masterful rhetoric in early 'programme music'.