Couperin: Music for Two Harpsichords, Vol. 1

Featuring

Jochewed Schwarz
Emer Buckley
François Couperin

Did you know?

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Couperin aimed to unify French and Italian musical styles, a subject that concerned him for nearly thirty years, as shown in his work Le Parnasse.

Composition History

Couperin initially published an Italian sonata under an alias, an anagram of his own name, because he was reluctant to reveal himself as the composer to a French audience critical of foreign music.

Historical Context

Louis XIV, the Sun King, used the visual arts, literature, music, and theatre as tools for his political ambitions to establish an impressive court and strong state.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded in the von Nagel harpsichord workshop in Paris, using two double manual harpsichords in the eighteenth-century French tradition.

Interpretation

Couperin himself suggested that his trio compositions, including those on this album, could be played on two harpsichords.

Composer Biography

François Couperin was born into a family of musicians in Paris in 1668; his family had settled there by 1650, beginning a new era in their musical life.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Couperin's collection Les Nations may have been intended to send a message of peace, honoring the four political powers of France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and Piedmont.