Skip Sempé, the conductor, aimed to recreate the theatrical side of Couperin by combining the Concert dans le goût théâtral with his complete airs de cour to form a light divertissement.
Critical Reception
Skip Sempé believes that interpretation should be an act of artistic creation, criticizing the conformism that followed the pioneering work of Harnoncourt and Leonhardt in early music.
Interpretation
The order of pieces in 16th-18th century musical scores was not always fixed, allowing musicians to decide the sequence based on the moment's constraints and opportunities.
Composition History
Musicologist Peter Holman suggested that Couperin's Concert dans le goût théâtral was originally an acte de ballet, a short opera, with some parts now lost.
Compositional Technique
The recording includes a transcription of 'L'Amphibie' for two harpsichords, arranged by Skip Sempé and Olivier Fortin from one of Couperin's harpsichord pieces, to replace a missing chaconne.
Composer's Artistic Vision
François Couperin, though known for his intimate works, was a Baroque composer who mastered expressive and dramatic effects in his instrumental music.
Interpretation
Skip Sempé's Capriccio Stravagante Orchestra emphasizes a deep bass register, combining bowed, bass bowed, and plucked instruments like multiple harpsichords, harps, and theorboes.
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