Livre De Tablature De Clavecin: Moroney

The Couperin family included some of most respected composers of the French baroque. While most listeners are familiar with the music of Louis and Francois, the name Marc Roger Normand is less familiar. Marc Roger Normand (Louis's cousin) worked at the Court of Turin and was known at court as "Coperino." This recording, taken from a recently discovered manuscript, contains works by Couperin as well as works by his contemporaries, Chambonnieres, d'Anglebert, Le Begue and others.
There is a world of fascinating music on this recording, performed by the brilliant keyboardist Davitt Moroney. The Menuet and Sarabande of Couperin impress with their fluid, elegant melody that's typical of the French school. There are also a number of pieces that Couperin arranged from other composers' works. The "Air de trompette" is taken from an opera by Lully, Moroney brilliantly recreates the martial sounds of the trumpet on the keyboard. Moroney plays two different instruments, a French harpsichord and a smaller, Italian virginal that are ideally suited to the delicate nuances found in this colorful music.