Search - Elizabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre, Elizabeth Farr :: Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet De La Guerre: Harpsichord Suites Nos. 1-6

A Woman Composer of the French Baroque

Robin Friedman | Washington, D.C. United States | 03/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is an excitement in finding a new composer and writing about it on this site. In this case, I found a double excitement in hearing this recording of harpsichord suites by Elixabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre (1664/65 -- 1729) on the Naxos label. First, this was my first experience with de la Guerre, even though, I found, she is reasonably well-represented on CD. Second, this CD includes de la Guerre's first set of harpsichord suites, composed in 1687, that were lost until recently. The CD also includes a subsequent set of harpsichord suites, composed in 1707. These latter suites also include an optional part for the violin, which is not included here.



Elizabeth de la Guerre was a child prodigy who, as an adult, composed music in a variety of genres during the time of Louis XIV. With the recovery of the harpsichord suites of 1687, she has the distinction of being the only French composer who wrote surviving works for the harpsichord in both the 17th and 18th centuries. A contemporary observer wrote of de la Guerre's harpsichord playing:



"she had a marvellous talent for on the spot playing of preludes and fantasies. Sometimes during an entire half hour, she would follow a prelude and fantasy with melodies and harmonies that were extremely varied and in excellent taste."



I think de la Guerre's harpsichord suites amply confirm this report of her gifts as a performer. These works are highly improvisatory and, in this recording, come alive as if they were being created under the hands of the gifted performer, Elizabeth Farr, a teacher of harpsichord and organ at the University of Colorado. Indeed, the scores that have come down to us include no tables of ornamentation; and Ms Farr has improvised and varied her performance of the ornaments and embellishments in accordance with her informed understanding of the performance practices of the French Baroque. In addition to a lovely performance, Ms. Farr has written informative liner notes for this CD.



De La Guerre's harpsichord suites are heavily indebted to earlier French music for the lute. Thus, they are composed in what is referred to as the "style brise", derived from plucking of the lute, and featuring open, rolling arpeggios and a light texture rather than thick chords and a fully-realized counterpoint. The opening preludes of the suites, in particular, were "unmeasured" -- written without bar lines or distinct note values -- giving the music a deeply improvisatory character. Each of the movements of these suites is derived from a dance form.



De la Guerre's music succeeds in being both highly stylized and highly free. In hearing it, I felt transported, not merely to the world of the Grand Siecle in France, but to the inner world of the imagination. The music, and the harpsichord on which it is played, is light in character with clear bell-like tones, quirky harmonies, and lyrical melody. There is great use made of the entire instrument in its upper and lower registers. I was caught in the flow of this music during my listening.



Lovers of the harpsichord or of French music will enjoy this excellent CD.



The quotation in this review describing de la Guerre's harpsichord playing is taken from the revised edition of "French Baroque Music" by James R. Anthony, page 258.



Robin Friedman

"

Rare Repertoire, Gifted Harpsichordist

Leslie Richford | Selsingen, Lower Saxony | 03/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre (c. 1664/65 - 1729): Les Pièces de Clavecin (1687) and Pièces de Clavecin qui peuvent se jouer sur le viollon (1707). Performed by Elizabeth Farr on a French-style harpsichord made by Keith Hill, Manchester, Michigan, in 2003. Recorded at the Orum Hall in Valparaiso, Indiana, USA from 3rd to 6th August 2004. First published in 2004 as Naxos 8,557654-55 (2 Cds). Total playing time: 2 hrs 22'50".



The Composer: Although Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre was a celebrity at the court of Louis XIV, where she was already performing on the harpsichord as a 10 year old child prodigy, she is today known chiefly for being a woman composer, something generally unusual not only at this period. Her talent was above-average, and she produced not only the harpsichord music to be heard on these discs, but also an opera, cantatas and chamber music (examples here: Jacquet de la Guerre: Sonatas; Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre: Le Sommeil d'Ulisse).



The Music: These two CDs contain all of Jacquet de la Guerre's published harpsichord works: four suites from 1687 and two from 1707. These must be considered as very rare repertoire as there is only one surviving copy each of the published editions, one of which was only discovered comparatively recently. The suites follow the typical French baroque pattern of stylized dances (Allemande - Courante - Sarabande - Gigue) with some additional numbers such as Chaconnes, Menuets, Rigaudons or Rondeaux. Most of the suites also have a prelude in unmeasured notes, imitating the preludes of the great French lutenists (Gaultier, Du Fault, Gallot). Elizabeth Farr points out in her notes that she has studied de la Guerre's practice of ornamentation and that in the repeats she has added ornaments of the kind that the composer would herself have played. The result is some extremely pretty music, which, while never managing to achieve the charm of Couperin's harpsichord pieces or the profundity and emotional depth of Rameau's Pièces de Clavecin, is nevertheless highly entertaining and listenable (although I would not recommend attempting to listen to all six suites - over 2 hours and 20 minutes! - in one sitting, that could be too much of a good thing).



The Harpsichord: Elizabeth Farr plays a copy of a French harpsichord made by Keith Farr of Michigan in 2003. The instrument sounds as clear as glass and was chosen for its ability to reflect Elizabeth Farr's interpretative style, enabling her to "sing" each voice or line. However, a close listening will reveal that the instrument produces quite a lot of mechanical "clicks". Also, I would have appreciated more information in the booklet about pitch and tuning.



The Interpretation: It was an interview with Elizabeth Farr on her label's website which whetted my appetite enough to buy this set. Ms. Farr is obviously a very gifted harpsichordist and has taken a great deal of care and trouble over this recording. In particular, she is concerned to emphasize the "style brisé", the arpeggiated style of harpsichord playing which was predominant at the end of the 17th century in France as a result of the respect felt for the great lutenists of that period. Elizabeth Farr's determination to uphold this style has a mesmerizing effect, at first at least, although by the time I had reached the fifth suite, I was feeling that it was, perhaps, a little studied, rather reducing the "spontaneous", improvised, "relaxed and unpremeditated" impression which Elizabeth Farr states in her notes to be her goal. Fact is, of course, that French baroque music has the reputation of being "mannered", and although Jacquet de la Guerre's music is well worth hearing, it does not escape this censure entirely.



The Engineering: Naxos seems to have escaped its earlier tendency to "fudge" the sound: producer and engineer Wolfgang Rübsam has here excelled with a sound that is clear and present and is easily on the same level as harpsichord discs from other labels (such as Analekta). At the Naxos price, this is a bargain indeed!



Summa summarum: Recommended to all fans of French baroque music, harpsichord music, and to those who are not afraid to leave the "beaten track" and familiarize themselves with a less-well-known female composer."