These discs represents
a truly rare collection. The first four
suites from 1687 were believed lost
until possibly the only copy of the
scores was found in Venice. The remaining
two suites are from the only extant
copy of Jacquet de la Guerre’s second
book of harpsichord pieces.
For those not familiar
with de la Guerre, she was a child prodigy
born to a family of harpsichord builders.
Certain liberties were of course taken,
just as with Mozart and the young Beethoven,
with her age while she performed for
the court of Louis XIV until Versailles
was constructed. She chose to stay in
Paris and pursue composition, as well
as her own salon, which she maintained
in her home until she died in 1729.
Composed in the then-popular
stile brise fashion, intended
to emulate the playing of a lute, all
chords are arpeggiated. This imitation
of lute music goes even to the point
of including unmeasured, unmetered preludes
that were commonly used to allow lutenists
to tune the instrument before the main
movements of a work were played. The
instrument, built on a French model,
was chosen because its sound is close
to that of the lute for which the music
strives. Closely miked, the harpsichord
has great presence during playback;
the recording is crisp and excellently
balanced.
Much of the notes in
the booklet concern the use of ornamentation.
Ornamentation tables indicating the
composer’s intent regarding the symbols
used in the scores were not included
when the documents were discovered.
Contemporary composers’ scores were
consulted to make sure that these pieces
were as close as possible to what the
score required. The unfortunate part
of this discussion on ornamentation
is that there is simply too much of
it in the performance. Indication is
given that additional ornamentation
was included during repeated passages
and this, atop the already-notated indications
in the score, give the lily a three-layer
coat of gilt.
For those who greatly
enjoy this type of music, played in
this manner, this might be worth a listen
— this music isn’t available anywhere
else, and production values of the recording
are superb. For many, though, this recording
may just be too much of a good thing.
David Blomenberg
see also review
by Glyn Pursglove
Elizabeth Farr (harpsichord) 
