Le Grand Jeu. French Baroque Organ Favourites (Collection "L'âge d'or de l'orgue français", No. 4)
8/28/2020, 17 Tracks, 1:05:22
Featuring
Gaétan Jarry
Louis Marchand
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-François Dandrieu
François Couperin
Nicolas de Grigny
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Michel Corrette
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Henry Purcell
George Frideric Handel
Did you know?
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Historical Context
The prestige of the French organ school began in the 17th century and flourished in the 18th century, coinciding with the reign of Louis XIV and his successors.
Instruments
The organ was meticulously restored to its early 18th-century identity, allowing it to sound as it did for famous organists like François Couperin, Louis Marchand, Jean François Dandrieu, and Louis Claude Daquin.
Performer Biography
Gaétan Jarry, the organist, is also a conductor and choirmaster, and his passion for early repertoires led him to found the ensemble Marguerite Louise.
Instruments
The Royal Chapel organ was designed for both the tribune (gallery) and as a concertante keyboard for Grand Motets, making it unique for its royal use.
Recording & Production
This recording uses modern editing and 're-recording' techniques to enhance the organ's orchestral qualities, allowing for multiplied changes in registration and color within a single work.
Instruments
The organ used for this recording is the historic Grand Organ of the Royal Chapel of Versailles, inaugurated in 1711 by Louis XIV.
Recording & Production
The recording also uses 'superposition' to layer solo parts (like the trumpet in Charpentier's Te Deum), orchestral parts (Corrette's Concerto), and vocal parts (Rameau's Les Sauvages choir).
