This set of two discs offers a selection from the output for the
harpsichord and the organ of one of the main French composers of his
time. Jean-François Dandrieu was born in Paris and received
his first music lessons from his uncle, Pierre, organist of St Barthélemy,
and probably also from Jean-Baptiste Moreau. From 1705 until his death
he acted as organist of St Merry, a post earlier held by the famous
Nicolas Lebègue. In the last years of his life he also succeeded
to the position of his uncle at St Barthélemy.
The German theorist Marpurg states that Dandrieu was called "the German
organist", probably because of his preference for counterpoint which
was associated with the German style. That comes to the fore in his
two collections of trio sonatas which were printed in 1705 and 1710
respectively. The organ works also show his mastery of counterpoint;
he often makes use of fugues. At the same time his organ suites are
quite modern in that they include pieces which show the influence
of Lully’s operas. Some pieces are transcriptions of movements
from his trio sonatas. There are also pieces which one often finds
in harpsichord suites and instrumental works of the time, such as
the musette. A piece like the
Duo en cors de chasse sur la trompette
(
Suite en D La Ré majeur) has little in common with
the more 'ecclesiastical' style of the 17th century. Dandrieu's organ
suites bear witness to the changes in organ music in the early 18th
century which is also reflected in the almost complete disappearance
of plainchant melodies.
A genre typical of French organ music was the
Noël, variations
on popular Christmas carols. This set includes five of such pieces;
they come from a book of Noëls which was printed 21 years after
his death, probably by his sister who was also an organist. These
are not original compositions, but rather arrangements or reworkings
of pieces by his uncle Pierre. Modern influences are traceable here
as well, such as a variation over a repeated chord, a kind of drone,
in
Chantons de voix hautaine.
The organ music is played by André Isoir, one of the early
advocates of classical French organ music. He plays a historical organ
from 1714 which miraculously has escaped major disaster including
two fires and the First World War when the pipes of many organs were
used for the construction of weapons. In 1980 it was restored to its
original condition; the pitch is the same as in 1714, one tone below
modern pitch, whereas the temperament is after Lambert Chaumont. Isoir
delivers fine performances in which we can hear the broad spectrum
of this organ with its typical reed stops, such as
trompette, cromorne
and
nasard. The articulation is not always as clear as one
would wish, but that doesn't reduce the importance of this reissue.
How much Dandrieu was concerned about closing up with contemporary
fashion is demonstrated by his oeuvre for the harpsichord. Between
1710 and 1720 he published two harpsichord books; in 1724 and 1728
two further books were printed, as his first and second books. That
seems to indicate that he wanted to distance himself from his earlier
works. In these two later books every indication of traditional dance
forms has disappeared; instead we find character pieces as they had
become popular at the time, and were included in the harpsichord books
of François Couperin. Dandrieu treated them differently, though.
Whereas Couperin's purpose was the musical expression of an idea,
Dandrieu used the titles to indicate the character of the respective
pieces and the way they should be played. Couperin started with the
idea, Dandrieu with the music.
Another feature of the latter's harpsichord suites is the frequent
use of variations. The second disc begins with
La Fastueuse
with five variations and the last piece from the first book recorded
here is
La Timpanon with four variations. A sign of the modernity
of Dandrieu's harpsichord music is that many pieces have the form
of a
rondeau.
L'Harmonieuse, from the first Suite of
the First Book, is a sequence of three
rondeaux.
Olivier Baumont plays a historical instrument, constructed by Benoist-Stehlin
in 1750; it was restored in 1974. Baumont gives fine performances
which show his sensitivity towards the Dandrieu style. He stands clear
of trying to make the more extroverted pieces too spectacular, whereas
the more intimate ones come off with refinement and subtlety. Among
the highlights are
La Lyre d'Orphée from the Second
Book and the already mentioned
L'Harmonieuse.
Some of Dandrieu's
Noëls now and then appear on recital
discs. There are also some discs with harpsichord pieces, but as far
as I know there is still no complete recording of his organ and harpsichord
oeuvre. That is most regrettable and this set convincingly demonstrates
the quality of his oeuvre. This production is a worthwhile tribute
to this great composer.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
Track listing
CD 1 (organ)
Noël Une bergère jolie [2:44]
Suite en D La Ré mineur [14:47]
Noël Chantons de voix hautaine [3:50]
Suite en G Ré Sol [13:18]
Noël Chantons je vous prie [1:29]
Suite en A Mi La [10:05]
Noël Or nous dites Marie [4:20]
Suite en D La Ré majeur [7:13]
Noël Joseph est bien marié [3:30]
CD 2 (harpsichord)
[Premier Livre, 1724]
5e Suite:
La Fastueuse et cinq variations [3:23]
2e Suite:
L'afligée [1:43]
La Gémissante (rondeau) [2:11]
Les Tourbillons (rondeau) [1:37]
1e Suite:
La Plaintive [3:11]
L'Harmonieuse (rondeaux I, II, III) [3:05]
La Musète (rondeau) [1:17]
Double de la Musète [1:27]
3e Suite:
Les Cascades [2:08]
La Fugitive [2:58]
La Tranquille [1:36]
La Bouillonante [1:37]
Le Timpanon et quatre variations [2:08]
[Deuxième Livre, 1728]
1e Suite:
La Lully (ouverture) [2:32]
La Corelli [1:21]
Double de la Corelli [1:25]
La Lyre d'Orphée [2:40]
Le Turbulent (menuet) [0:51]
4e Suite [10:22]
[Troisième Livre, 1734]
5e Suite:
La Légère (rondeau et deux variations) [3:23]
