Many of Daquin's Noëls use a cumulative variation technique where the figuration becomes increasingly rapid, creating an effect of greater brilliance.
Composer Biography
Louis-Claude Daquin, the composer, showed prodigious talent from a young age; at six, the King himself heard him play, and at eight, he reportedly directed a performance of his own work.
Composer Biography
Daquin defeated the famous composer Rameau in a competition in 1727 to become organist at St Paul.
Instruments
The organ of St Rémy in Dieppe, France, used for this recording, is considered one of the best surviving examples of the French Classical model and was built around the same time Daquin composed his Noëls.
Composition History
Daquin's 'Nouveau livre de Noëls' are a collection of twelve Noëls (Christmas carols) from about 1740, on which his fame principally rests.
Recording & Production
The organ used for this recording underwent a complete historical reconstruction in 1992, returning it to its original glory, as 70% of the original 1739 pipework survived.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Daquin, unlike his predecessors, focused less on structure or counterpoint, aiming instead for pictorial immediacy and virtuosity for its own sake.
