Search - Antoine Forqueray, Christophe Rousset :: Forqueray: Pièces de Clavecin (Works for Harpsichord) - Christophe Rousset

Music worth having for the completeness of the set

Yevgeniy Sheshenin | San Francisco, CA | 03/28/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"this recording is a treasure trove for the lovers of a single composer programs. the immersion into the world of one of the most original and quirky figures in french music is an exciting experience. besides the player is a french "l'etoile" of harpsichord the most talented christoph rousset. nevertheless being a big fan of cristoph rousset i can't help but wonder why the playing is unfocused and especially on the first disc is somewhat impatient with the tempos and seems a bit forced.

forqueray's writing is a deliberately resisting hurrying since it has these rhythmic rivulets that slows things down a bit and divert from the typically gracious and harmonic french way. naturally his music leads into a darker sound driven by the sometimes deliberately confusing rhythmic figures. no wonder he was considered a devil against angelic marin marais. his convoluted ways remind me another great (german this time) froberger. interestingly rousset recorded a disc with froberger which wasn't as revelatory as his now sadly deleted from the catalog set of complete couperin's harpsichord "ordres". apparently the convoluted writing is not sitting well with his artistic temperament.

to prove the point i would urge anyone to listen to his recording of pascale royer and you'll be astonished by the fire and intensity and keen understanding of the material. we are talking about harpsichord here...

all in all this set is absolutely worth having for the stated completeness(?) of the music from this author since only one book of his material survived. and of course rousset has a really fine moments in the second disc. he is a rare performer that elicit a rich sound from the finicky instrument harpsichord is."

Music worth having - period

Esteban Molina | San Francisco | 01/08/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I enjoyed Mr. Sheshenin's remarks, though I don't completely agree. And that is why I am entering this, which may be only a comment, as a review: so that I can add the extra star that he withholds. I don't myself find anything particularly unfocused about the first disc, and this is after several hearings. But then I am an ardent fan of M. Rousset who seems to me the Callas of the harpsichord. He is for me one of the few people, perhaps the only person, who can make the harpsichord sing. This music hasn't the charm of Couperin and Rameau; it is altogether more complex and - heady? As I listen I keep thinking of an odalisque running rampant through the streets of Paris, le vent sifflant dans la chevelure! At least in these transcriptions of viole music for solo clavesin [possibly by Forqueray's son], M. Forqueray seems - what, perhaps the 18th century equivalent of the 19th century's Alkan? But it's intriguing music; and M. Rousset not only executes it easily [a feat in itself] but musically. So, from me at least, five big gold stars. Bravo, Christophe!"