Gravier's harpsichord sonatas show an openness to Italian music with clear melodic lines and rich harmonies, while also incorporating elements of virtuosity and personal expression.
Compositional Technique
The Six Sonates pour le Clavecin combine elements of the Galant style, characterized by simple, elegant melodies, with inspiration from French harpsichordists like François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau.
Performer Biography
Fernando De Luca, the harpsichordist on this recording, founded 'Sala del Cembalo del Caro Sassone' in 2006, which has become the largest source of recordings made by a professional harpsichordist in the world.
Composition History
Gravier's Six Sonates pour le Clavecin, published in Paris in 1759, are among his best-known works and demonstrate his talent for the harpsichord.
Composer Biography
Jean-Baptiste Gravier, known as l'abbé Gravier, was a French Catholic priest, composer, and organist who lived and worked in the Occitanic region.
Recording & Production
The album cover features "Young Girl Reading" (c.1769) by Jean Honoré Fragonard, a French painter.
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