Jean Rondeau complete Louis Couperin project.

[MickyD]

Just learned that the wonderful Jean Rondeau is going to record the complete works of Louis Couperin on original harpsichords and organs over 7 CDs for Erato. We've had cycles from Moroney, Egarr and Van Asperen, but I think this new one promises to be very special.

He has recorded a video interview in English about the project.

[richardfinegold]

Personally I prefer the music of Louis to that of Francois

[Mandryka]

Just learned that the wonderful Jean Rondeau is going to record the complete works of Louis Couperin on original harpsichords and organs over 7 CDs for Erato. We've had cycles from Moroney, Egarr and Van Asperen, but I think this new one promises to be very special.

He has recorded a video interview in English about the project.

The mention of "organs" made me pay attention.

There are only four significant selections of the organ music on record that I know of -- Moroney, Pieter Dirksen, Willem Jansen and Laurent Beyhurst -- and only Moroney's is more than one CD's worth. David Ponsford in his book on French baroque organ music makes out a good case for its quality and importance. I'm very keen to get to know it better.

[MickyD]

Listening to the interview, Rondeau says that five discs will be music for harpsichord, the remaining two for organ.

[Mandryka]

Listening to the interview, Rondeau says that five discs will be music for harpsichord, the remaining two for organ.

For me, this music along with Titelouze’s is the most interesting French baroque organ music. Both are potentially, in the right hands, an orgy of colour. Of all the recordings I know Laurent Beyhurst’s has caught my imagination most.

[MickyD]

The difference of styles between Louis and François is so vast that to me, all they do is share the same family name. I love both - I listen to Louis when I am in a pensive and reflective mood.

Apparently all seven discs are to be released in a set towards the end of 2025. There is a funding page if you want to support the artist. Various options, from 50 dollars right up to thousands, which gets you a place in the recording sessions and dinner with Jean!

[Sir Velo]

Of course, there have been notable single disc selections of Louis' harpsichord works: those by Skip Sempe and Rinaldo Alessandrini come to mind, but above all this one, my own personal favourite, which is on 2 CDs:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7988010--christophe-rousset-plays-louis-couperin

[CallMePaul]

Of course, there have been notable single disc selections of Louis' harpsichord works: those by Skip Sempe and Rinaldo Alessandrini come to mind, but above all this one, my own personal favourite, which is on 2 CDs:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...louis-couperin

Sadly now download only on the Presto website, but there is a 2 CD selection "out of stock at the UK distributor".

[MickyD]

Sadly now download only on the Presto website, but there is a 2 CD selection "out of stock at the UK distributor".

There's a copy left on Amazon fr but around 30 euros. Rousset has since recorded more selections for Harmonia Mundi.

[Mandryka]

Fun factoid: Rousset’s Tombeau for Blancrocher is the slowest in the history if the universe, because he has the vision and courage to let it breathe, he manages the silences like a real poet. It’s what Japanese aesthetics (or at least Toyahiko Satoh) calls iki - I absolutely love it!

I wish he’d have ikified the whole thing! Toyahiko Satoh has shown us that the spacious approach works wonders in style brisé, so it’s natural to use it for Louis Couperin, I would have thought!

His second one, the Harmonia Mundi one, has the merit of being on a special harpsichord - a Couchet (the one in Paris I think) Well worth hearing IMO.

[Mandryka]

The difference of styles between Louis and François is so vast that to me, all they do is share the same family name. I love both - I listen to Louis when I am in a pensive and reflective mood.

Apparently all seven discs are to be released in a set towards the end of 2025. There is a funding page if you want to support the artist. Various options, from 50 dollars right up to thousands, which gets you a place in the recording sessions and dinner with Jean!

According to this essay it’s just not possible to tell whether many of the pieces were written by Louis, Charles or Francois Couperin! I remember once hearing Davitt Moroney say that there’s more grounds for thinking that the organ music is by Louis than the harpsichord music - it was in a discussion of a paper by Glen Wilson where he asserts that the organ music is not Louis Couperin.

https://static.qobuz.com/goodies/16/000142861.pdf

The CD that that booklet’s taken from seems really rather nice - I’m listening to it for the first time now.

[MickyD]

What a Pandora's box! To add to the confusion Mandryka, did you ever acquire this disc by another member of the family and other composers of the period? It can be had second hand for under 4 euros on Amazon France at the moment. It's very enjoyable.

[smittims]

Many years ago Oiseau-Lyre recorded Louis Couperin's keyboard music on six LPs, played on a Pleyel harpsichord by Ruggero Gerlin. I recall also a three-disc set of the Pieces d'Orgue. I still have one of the Harpsichord discs, OL 50110 , which gives pleasure. This was quite a pioneering effort for the 1950s.

[Mandryka]

What a Pandora's box! To add to the confusion Mandryka, did you ever acquire this disc by another member of the family and other composers of the period? It can be had second hand for under 4 euros on Amazon France at the moment. It's very enjoyable.

I think there’s very little confidently attributed to a Couperin on that CD! On my rip of it, where ever I see the name Couperin I see a question mark after.

In that CD booklet essay I linked to yesterday, I liked the idea (which I never thought of before) that they could have passed scores from one family member to another for review, to make suggestions for changes etc, or maybe one Couperin working under the supervision of another, so the Couperin marque was a like a workshop.

[MickyD]

I must confess, I was very lazy and didn't look inside the booklet - the CD has been on my shelves for years and I think I only played it once. I must give it a spin this weekend. A bit of a cheeky marketing ploy on Moroney and Hyperion's part to make us think that there was another Couperin waiting to be unveiled?! Fascinating, all the same.