D'ANGLEBERT
Complete harpsichord works
Cristophe Rousset
(harpsichord)
DECCA 458 588-2
[79.04+79.35]
Squeezed into two well-filled CDs, this is an authoritative production of
an innovative 17 C. composer, played on a Ruckers instrument of 1624, now
at Colmar. Jean-Henry D'Anglebert (1635-91) shares the expressive
vocabulary of Louis Couperin, and his style evolved before the arrival of
the later, greater François. D'Anglebert's sound is luxurious and
the precisely prescribed ornaments are profuse, solving thereby the harpsichord's
limited sustaining power.
There are 65 pieces in this rich collection; uniformly accomplished and
enjoyable, but don't play them all straight off! We've found a few ideal
for that difficult time between waking in the morning and getting up!
Peter Grahame Woolf