Marek Toporowski - Balbastre: Pièces de Clavecin (1759) (2025)
BAND/ARTIST: Marek Toporowski
- Title: Balbastre: Pièces de Clavecin (1759)
- Year Of Release: 2025
- Label: Brilliant Classics
- Genre: Classical Harpsichord
- Quality: flac lossless (tracks) / flac 24bits - 96.0kHz +Booklet
- Total Time: 01:37:02
- Total Size: 662 mb
- WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist
01. Prélude de Monsieur Balbastre (1777)
02. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: I. La de caze
03. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: II. La d'héricourt
04. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: III. La ségur
05. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: IV. La monmartel ou la brunoy
06. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: V. La boullongne
07. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: Vi. La castelmore
08. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: VII. La courteille
09. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: VIII. La bellaud
10. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: IX. La lamarck
11. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: X. La berville
12. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XI. La lugeac
13. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XII. La Suzanne
14. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XIII. La genty
15. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XIV. La malesherbe
16. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XV. La berryer ou la lamoignon
17. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XVI. La laporte
18. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XVII. La morisseau
19. La d'esclignac (1787, BnF)
20. Le coucou extrait de la sonate IV
Claude-Benigne Balbastre (1727-1799) published his first book of harpsichord pieces in 1759, nine years after a decisive move from his home city of Dijon to the metropolis of Paris. France had been inundated with Italian music and musicians for more than 50 years, and Balbastre’s style is inflected by the latest Italian trends, while remaining unmistakably and deliciously French.
The titles of the individual works refer to the surnames of distinguished and influential figures in the Parisian world of the mid- to late18th century. They are not necessarily portraits; the point here is rather the dedication, although this music indubitably represents a wonderful picture of the world surrounding Balbastre. One of the composer's biographers has remarked that 'More than portraits without words supposed to musically evoke a personality, the harpsichord pieces constitute a tribute or a sign of gratitude with regard to said personality. The portrait thus painted is only allusive and mysterious.'
For example, one of Balbastre’s most famous and spectacular works, the Italian-style gigue La Lugeac (F major), is probably a portrait of Louis XV’s close companion, the Marquis Charles-Antoine de Guérin (1720–82), who had been born at the Chateau de Lugeac and was described by his contemporaries as ‘Le beau Lugeac’.
In his own booklet introduction to Balbastre’s life and work, Marek Toporowski extols the First Book as ‘a true masterpiece’, combining French elegance of Classical style; imagery alluding to the operas of Rameau; virtuosity reminiscent of Scarlatti, Mozart and Rameau; mastery of form and textural richness. Compared to other surviving music by Balbastre, Toporowski finds these pieces ‘less simple in the sense of Classical economy of texture, more sophisticated and Baroque.’
The Polish harpsichordist, organist, chamber musician, and conductor Marek Toporowski was a pupil of both Bob van Asperen and Daniel Roth, He has made this new recording on a copy of a French harpsichord, completed in 1984 for harpsichordist, pianist and painter Julitta Slendzińska by Zygmunt Kaczmarski. ‘It is a fascinating, exceptional instrument,’ he says, ‘in terms of timbral class, with a full, juicy sound and enchanting dynamic capabilities.’
01. Prélude de Monsieur Balbastre (1777)
02. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: I. La de caze
03. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: II. La d'héricourt
04. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: III. La ségur
05. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: IV. La monmartel ou la brunoy
06. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: V. La boullongne
07. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: Vi. La castelmore
08. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: VII. La courteille
09. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: VIII. La bellaud
10. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: IX. La lamarck
11. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: X. La berville
12. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XI. La lugeac
13. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XII. La Suzanne
14. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XIII. La genty
15. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XIV. La malesherbe
16. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XV. La berryer ou la lamoignon
17. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XVI. La laporte
18. Pièces de clavecin, premier livre: XVII. La morisseau
19. La d'esclignac (1787, BnF)
20. Le coucou extrait de la sonate IV
Claude-Benigne Balbastre (1727-1799) published his first book of harpsichord pieces in 1759, nine years after a decisive move from his home city of Dijon to the metropolis of Paris. France had been inundated with Italian music and musicians for more than 50 years, and Balbastre’s style is inflected by the latest Italian trends, while remaining unmistakably and deliciously French.
The titles of the individual works refer to the surnames of distinguished and influential figures in the Parisian world of the mid- to late18th century. They are not necessarily portraits; the point here is rather the dedication, although this music indubitably represents a wonderful picture of the world surrounding Balbastre. One of the composer's biographers has remarked that 'More than portraits without words supposed to musically evoke a personality, the harpsichord pieces constitute a tribute or a sign of gratitude with regard to said personality. The portrait thus painted is only allusive and mysterious.'
For example, one of Balbastre’s most famous and spectacular works, the Italian-style gigue La Lugeac (F major), is probably a portrait of Louis XV’s close companion, the Marquis Charles-Antoine de Guérin (1720–82), who had been born at the Chateau de Lugeac and was described by his contemporaries as ‘Le beau Lugeac’.
In his own booklet introduction to Balbastre’s life and work, Marek Toporowski extols the First Book as ‘a true masterpiece’, combining French elegance of Classical style; imagery alluding to the operas of Rameau; virtuosity reminiscent of Scarlatti, Mozart and Rameau; mastery of form and textural richness. Compared to other surviving music by Balbastre, Toporowski finds these pieces ‘less simple in the sense of Classical economy of texture, more sophisticated and Baroque.’
The Polish harpsichordist, organist, chamber musician, and conductor Marek Toporowski was a pupil of both Bob van Asperen and Daniel Roth, He has made this new recording on a copy of a French harpsichord, completed in 1984 for harpsichordist, pianist and painter Julitta Slendzińska by Zygmunt Kaczmarski. ‘It is a fascinating, exceptional instrument,’ he says, ‘in terms of timbral class, with a full, juicy sound and enchanting dynamic capabilities.’
| Classical | FLAC / APE
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