Rameau's piece "L'Enharmonique" features harmonic thinking so bold that he warned contemporary musicians and listeners about its potentially unsettling effect.
Performer Biography
Constance Luzzati, the harpist on this album, expanded the harp repertoire by transcribing 18th-century French harpsichord music for her doctoral thesis.
Compositional Technique
In his piece "Cyclops," Rameau introduced novel harpsichord techniques, including one where the left hand crosses over the right to play bass and treble alternately, which he believed was unique.
Historical Context
The introduction of the German-made pedal harp in the mid-18th century, which greatly expanded playing possibilities, led to a harp craze, further fueled by Queen Marie Antoinette, who was a harpist.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Jean-Philippe Rameau, the composer, believed each note in his harpsichord pieces was essential, with nothing artificial or superfluous.
Interpretation
This album, "Enharmonique," is the first Rameau monograph recorded for the harp and the first disc of French harpsichord music adapted for the harp.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in December 2021 at the Abbaye de Royaumont, using a Camac Atlantide Prestige harp.
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