Unusually for French collections of the time, Moyreau's harpsichord music includes concertos and sonatas, reflecting the growing influence of Italian musical forms.
Composition History
Christophe Moyreau dedicated his six books of 'Pièces pour clavecin' to Duke Louis-Philippe, hoping to gain favor after the death of Louis d'Orléans, who had lost interest in music.
Performer Biography
Fernando De Luca, the harpsichordist, founded 'Sala del Cembalo del Caro Sassone,' which has become the largest source of recordings by a professional harpsichordist in the world.
Compositional Technique
Moyreau's harpsichord music incorporates dance rhythms and structures, a common feature in French music of the Baroque era, and includes descriptive 'pièces of character'.
Composer Biography
At the age of 19, Christophe Moyreau became the main organist of the great organ in the church of Saint-Aignan in Orléans, a position he held for nearly two decades.
Recording & Production
The harpsichord used for this recording is a copy of a French harpsichord after Blanchet (ca.1754), built by C. Caponi in Rome in 1985.
Composer Biography
Christophe Moyreau, the composer, began his musical education early, likely as an altar boy in the choir of the collegiate Saint-Aignan or the cathedral in Orléans.
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