Pierre Hantaï, the harpsichordist on this album, developed a passion for Bach's music at age ten and studied with Gustav Leonhardt.
Composer Biography
François Couperin held the prestigious position of music teacher to the French royal family for twenty years.
Composer Biography
François Couperin, the composer, was predestined for a distinguished career due to his family environment and precocious gifts.
Compositional Technique
Couperin's harpsichord pieces, despite their titles, are often 'portraits' that were found to be 'fair enough likenesses under his fingers'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Couperin's method, "L'art de toucher le clavecin" (The art of harpsichord playing), aimed to bring refinement and 'soul' to the harpsichord, an instrument often criticized as 'cold'.
Instruments
The harpsichord used in this recording was a 'wreck' in 1993, then meticulously reconstructed and restored by Laurent Soumagnac, a harpsichord maker.
Composer's Artistic Vision
François Couperin insisted his pieces be performed exactly as written, without any additions or omissions, to achieve their intended effect.
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