Album

One of the great black holes in the history of Western music is the lack of roughly the first two centuries of harpsichord music from France, despite ample evidence that the tradition was flourishing well before its most famous exponent, François Couperin, took his place at the manuals. The reasons for this lapse are manifold, though a lack of surviving manuscripts and the refusal of monopolistic French printer Ballard to publish such material remain among the most conspicuous suspects. Notwithstanding the breach in the repertoire, Canadian harpsichordist Johanne Couture has put together an intriguing program out of some of the earliest extant French harpsichord music in her album La belle homicide for the enterprising early-music.com label. This draws from expected sources within this realm, such as Champion de Chambonnières, Jean-Henri d'Anglebert, and Louis Couperin, but also draws from lute music known to have been played interchangeably on both instruments; most of these pieces date from the middle of the seventeenth century. It might not take us back to the true foundations of French harpsichord music circa 1500, but it does demonstrate that the basic seeds that were harvested in the work of Couperin's Le Grand were planted not only in the enigmatic music of his uncle, but that of lute composers like Ennemond Gaultier and even a female composer, Germain Pinel, Louis XIV's lute instructor.

Couture plays a copy, made by Canadian instrument builder Yves Beaupré, of a magnificent French harpsichord in the Victoria and Albert Museum dated 1681 that seems almost psycho-acoustically matched to the music under consideration and has a deep, royal color while retaining a great deal of intimacy; seventeenth century French tastes put a high premium on quiet music-making. Couture's own sense of style brisé—a manner of keyboard playing derived from the arpeggio figures favored by lutenists—is innate and serves to transmit the deep flowing sense of emotion and graciousness; in recordings of French harpsichord music, one does not always get both of these aspects. Couture's La belle homicide will well more than satisfy tastes already attuned to early harpsichord music, but might well reach out to those simply looking for a quiet, elegant, and reflective musical experience.

© Uncle Dave Lewis , All Music Guide

CD 1
Louis Couperin Composer Suite in A- Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
1	1.Prélude à l'imitation de Mr. Froberger	6:33			$0.99
Jacques Gallot Composer Allemande le Bout de l'An de Mr. Gaultier, for lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
2	Allemande le Bout de l'An de Mr. Gaultier, for lute	3:11			$0.99
Ennemond Gaultier Composer Courante ("La belle Homicide"), for lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
3	Courante ("La belle Homicide"), for lute	2:52			$0.99
Jacques Gallot Composer Sarabande "La Pièce de huit heures" Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
4	Sarabande "La Pièce de huit heures"	2:40			$0.99
Jacques Gallot Composer Canaris "Les castagnettes," for lute in A- Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
5	Canaris "Les castagnettes," for lute in A-	1:49			$0.99
Jacques Gallot Composer Chaconne "Le Doge de Venise", for lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
6	Chaconne "Le Doge de Venise", for lute	5:51			$0.99
Jacques Champion Chambonnières Composer Allemande "Le Moutier" (after Louis Couperin) Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
7	Allemande "Le Moutier" (after Louis Couperin)	5:25			$0.99
Jean-Henri D'Anglebert Composer Allemande du Vieux Gautier 'La Vestemponade' for Lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
8	Allemande du Vieux Gautier 'La Vestemponade' for Lute	2:39			$0.99
Anonymous, French Composer Courante, for lute or harpsichord (Manuscrit Babell) Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
9	Courante, for lute or harpsichord (Manuscrit Babell)	2:02			$0.99
Ennemond Gaultier Composer Sarabande in C, for harpsichord (from the Bauyn Manuscript) Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
10	Sarabande in C, for harpsichord (from the Bauyn Manuscript)	2:12			$0.99
Jean-Henri D'Anglebert Composer Chaconne Du Vieux Gautier in C Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
11	Chaconne Du Vieux Gautier in C	4:30			$0.99
François Dufaut Composer Prelude, for lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
12	Prelude, for lute	2:27			$0.99
Anonymous, French Composer Allemande "La Verdure", for lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
13	Allemande "La Verdure", for lute	2:47			$0.99
Ennemond Gaultier Composer L'immortelle, courante in D- for 2 lutes (from Piéces de Luth en Musique, 1680) Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
14	L'immortelle, courante in D- for 2 lutes (from Piéces de Luth en Musique, 1680)	2:52			$0.99
Anonymous, French Composer Courante "Le Printemps", for lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
15	Courante "Le Printemps", for lute	2:07			$0.99
Anonymous Composer Sarabande et Double in C- for lute or haprsichord (from Manuscrit Ottobeuren) Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
16	Sarabande et Double in C- for lute or haprsichord (from Manuscrit Ottobeuren)	2:24			$0.99
Ennemond Gaultier Composer Canaris in D- (from Piéces de Luth en Musique, 1680) Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
17	Canaris in D- (from Piéces de Luth en Musique, 1680)	1:57			$0.99
Ennemond Gaultier Composer Gigue "L'Estourdie", for lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
18	Gigue "L'Estourdie", for lute	1:19			$0.99
Ennemond Gaultier Composer Tombeau de Mezangeau, for lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
19	Tombeau de Mezangeau, for lute	3:28			$0.99
Germain Pinel Composer Prélude (from Manuscrit Ottobeuren) Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
20	Prélude (from Manuscrit Ottobeuren)	1:46			$0.99
Germain Pinel Composer Allemande "La Théologie", for lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
21	Allemande "La Théologie", for lute	3:34			$0.99
Anonymous, French Composer Courante "La Discretion" et son double, for lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
22	Courante "La Discretion" et son double, for lute	2:19			$0.99
Ennemond Gaultier Composer Chaconne "La Cascade", for lute Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
23	Chaconne "La Cascade", for lute	5:48			$0.99
Louis Couperin Composer Suite in F Work Johanne Couture Harpsichord
24	9.Tombeau de M. Blancrocher	5:55			$0.99