"Conversation" Gaspard Le Roux: Suites for 2 Harpsichords
6/28/2024, 33 Tracks, 1:08:47
Featuring
William Christie
Justin Taylor
Gaspard Le Roux
Jean-Baptiste Lully
François Couperin
Marin Marais
Did you know?
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Composer's Artistic Vision
William Christie, one of the harpsichordists on this album, describes Gaspard Le Roux as primarily a 'symphonist' who conceived ambitious forms with refined and often complex harmonic richness.
Recording & Production
The recording sessions took place in a small Romanesque stone church in the Vendée region of France, near William Christie's estate.
Performer Biography
William Christie, a harpsichordist and conductor on this album, founded the instrumental and vocal ensemble Les Arts Florissants in 1979, which played a pioneering role in rediscovering Baroque music.
Interpretation
For this recording, the harpsichordists William Christie and Justin Taylor aimed to create a single, immense harpsichord sound rather than two distinct voices, by positioning the instruments side-by-side.
Instruments
One of the harpsichords used in this recording is a period instrument, likely from the late 17th century, that was 'ravalé' (reworked) by Joseph Collesse in 1748 and restored by Laurent Soumagnac.
Compositional Technique
Gaspard Le Roux's 1705 collection of harpsichord pieces is unique because it offers the possibility of performing the works solo, with several instruments, or with two harpsichords.
Composer Biography
Gaspard Le Roux, whose harpsichord pieces are featured on this album, is a mysterious composer about whom virtually nothing is known except that he was an excellent harpsichordist.
