François Couperin: Pièces de Clavecin Blandine Verlet

• François Couperin (1668-1733)
• 1La ménetou03:14
• 2II. Les petits-âges - I La Muse naissante02:57
• 3III. Les petits-âges - II l'Enfantine01:40
• 4IV. Les petits-âges - III l'Adolescente02:24
• 5V. Les petits-âges - IV les Délices03:31
• 6VI. La Basque02:57
• 7VII. La Chazé04:29
• 8VIII. Les Amusements05:02
• 9I. La Raphaèle06:00
• 10II. Allemande - L'Ausoniène02:58
• 11III. Courante02:33
• 12IV. Seconde Courante03:10
• 13V. Sarabande - L'Unique02:35
• 14VI. Gavotte01:39
• 15VII. Rondeau02:14
• 16VIII. Gigue03:33
• 17IX. Passacaille06:47
• 18X. La Morinète02:46
• 19I. La Visionnaire04:09
• 20II. La Misterieuse05:09
• 21III. La Monflambert02:09
• 22IV. La Muse Victorieuse03:05
• 23V. Les Ombres errantes03:22
• 24I. La Convalescente05:25
• 25II. Gavotte02:20
• 26III. La Sophie03:15
• 27IV. L'Epineuse05:41
• 28V. La Pantomime04:46
• 29I. Allemande - L'Exquise04:01
• 30II. Les Pavots05:58
• 31III. Les Chinois03:16
• 32IV. Saillie03:23
• Total Runtime01:56:28

Info for François Couperin: Pièces de Clavecin

Blandine Verlet is now one of the last living legends of the harpsichord. After a few years of absence, she has joined the label Aparté with a programme dedicated to Francois Couperin's harpsichord music, recorded on a sumptuous Hemsch of 1751 upon which she already performed Goldberg Variations in 1993. Throughout these pieces with evocative titles (Les Amusements, the Raphaèle, the delights, the Poppies, the Wandering Shadows ..) she reveals an artist with a voice more than inspired, powerful and constantly renewed.

“She captures the richness of the material, the Balzacian catalogue of character and conceit...one wishes the ornaments were more fluid and natural...But it is fine playing, even so...she makes the most of this robust, prismatic instrument...It seems strange but also very appropriate to hear harpsichord-playing that sounds wise and autumnal.” (Gramophone)

Blandine Verlet, harpsichord

Blandine Verlet
a noted French harpsichordist, studied with Ruggiero Gerlin and Ralph Kirkpatrick. She began recording in the late 1970s for Philips, switching to the Astree label in the 1990s. Her recordings range from J.S. Bach's keyboard works to Froberger to lesser known composers such as Louis Couperin and Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre. Her second recording of the Goldberg Variations, in 1992, has been called "one of the finest harpsichord versions in the catalog." With violinist Gerard Poulet she has recorded early violin sonatas by Mozart, using the older Baroque keyboard instruments rather than a fortepiano or modern piano. Verlet has also worked with flutist Stephen Preston and viola da gambist Jordi Savall. Her playing is noted for her control and restraint in not letting emotion carry her away.

This album contains no booklet.