François COUPERIN (1668-1733)
Concerts Royaux
(1722)
Les Talens Lyriques [Stéphanie-Marie Degand (violin), Georges Barthel
(flute), Patrick Beaugiraud (oboe), Atsushi Sakaï (Viola da
Gamba)]/Christophe Rousset (harpsichord)
rec. 20-23 December 2015, Lutheran Church of Saint-Pierre, Paris. DDD.
APARTÉ AP196
[62:10]
There is no one way to play this music, which exists simply on two staves,
so can be performed by a solo keyboard player, though I don’t believe that
there are any recordings in that form. Performed at the French court
between 1714 and 1715, and published in 1722 as part of the Troisième livre de clavecin, the suites simply bring together these
pieces in a form not originally conceived as a sequence. Couperin notes
that the harpsichord may be supplemented ‘si l’on veut’, if desired, and
Rousset’s line-up offers one of the more varied interpretations of that
indication, less simple than the instrumentation of Trio Sonnerie (ASV
CDGAU101, Presto CD or download) and akin to the more elaborate realisation
of Le Concert des Nations and Jordi Savall (Alia Vox AVSA9840, SACD;
AV9840, CD).
Couperin mentions the violin and transverse flute as possible additions,
and a cello or other bass instrument is needed to supplement the keyboard,
here the viola da gamba, while the oboe is also a logical addition. A
rather different line-up performs the first concert on a Naxos recording
entitled Inner Chambers which I enjoyed last year, performed by Les
Ordinaires – the name taken from the intimate servants of the French King,
so not ‘ordinary’ in the usual sense (8.573814 –
review).
I’ve taken that recording as my reference point for Concert No.1.
The performance is less up-front than from Les Talens Lyriques; it’s not
just that the instrumentalists are less forwardly recorded, the mood is
also less intense, with less flute and more bass in the balance, from the
viola da gamba and theorbo combined in the case of Les Ordinaires. In the
opening prelude, the effect on Naxos is to sound far more laid-back, yet
the clock says that it’s 20 seconds faster. In the third movement sarabande Les Ordinaires are speedier, this time by quite an amount,
but in the closing minuet it’s Les Talens Lyriques who are faster, with Les
Ordinaires sounding rather sedate.
Generally speaking, the faster tempi work better in the livelier sections of
this dance-based music, so the reckoning is about even in that regard. I
like the way that there’s less flute in the mix from Les Ordinaires and
more of the bass – the flute is sometimes a little too prominent for my
taste from Les Talens Lyriques. On the other hand, Les Ordinaires are
rather too fast in the sarabande, where Les Talens Lyriques capture
the more solemn mood of this dance.
From Trio Sonnerie there’s no flute, just violin, viola da gamba and
harpsichord. The effect is quite different again, with a good balance
between the instruments and a feeling of greater intimacy overall,
especially in the sarabande, where the stately pace, as on Aparté,
suits the music.
With three versions, each offering different pros and cons, I turned to
Jordi Savall, half expecting to find a wild, unrestrained sound. Instead I
found a model of balance in the opening prelude, with the oboe prominent
but not over-prominent. With tempi a little on the slow side, this is
probably my ideal compromise version – not a word I had expected to use of
a Savall recording. Those requiring better-than-CD sound should note that
it comes as an SACD; there’s a separate CD release for those without the
necessary player.
Having been a little critical of Les Talens Lyriques by direct comparison
with other recordings, I have to say that, taken on their own merits, I
found their recording very enjoyable. If you want to hear the at their
best, try track 11, the airs tendrement which conclude the second concert. This is as good as Couperin gets, even in the works which I
like the most, mentioned below, and it receives as fine a performance as
you are likely to hear.
The sarabandes of the third and fourth concerts are ethereal
from Les Talens Lyriques. That in the fourth concert, where violin
and flute duet in such a way as to banish feelings of the flute dominating,
is followed by as sprightly a performance of the rigaudon as you are
likely to hear, its légèrement et marqué indication followed to the
letter.
Could there be a better way to end this recording than with the excellent
performance of the forlane en rondeau which ends the fourth concert? Gaiement is what it says, and that’s what you get.
Elsewhere, I retain a nagging suspicion that the prominence of the flute or
oboe may not be to all tastes. With so many different ways of realising the
bare bones of Couperin’s music, I recommend sampling if you can: Naxos
Music Library has the new Aparté, Les Ordinaires and the Trio Sonnerie,
while Qobuz has the Savall.
Would I start a collection of Couperin’s music with the Concerts Royaux? There are, I think, other priorities. Another
Aparté release this month, on 2 CDs, brings Les Talen Lyriques in Les Nations, a recording which I haven’t yet heard, but it has been
well received. I think that series of depictions of various nationalities
would be a good place to start, with fine recordings from Jordi Savall
again, this time with Hespèrion XX (AVSA9928, SACD), from the Purcell
Quartet on two separate Chandos recordings (CHAN0684 and 0729) and from
Juillard Baroque (Naxos 8.573347-48 –
review). The Chandos and Naxos are considered in
DL News 2015/4
.
Best of all, however, are the pieces where Couperin sought overtly to
reconcile the French and Italian styles, his apotheoses of Lully and
Corelli, of which there is a fine recording by London Baroque (BIS-CD-1275,
DL News 2013/11). Bargain lovers should be aware that uk.7digital.com (the new name) is
offering the Savall recording of Les Nations for £2.99 (mp3) or £3.99 (lossless),
without booklet. They also continue to offer the two multi-CD extracts from
the Brilliant Classics Couperin chamber music for £4.49 each.
For all this, the Concerts Royaux contain some beautiful music and
the performances from Les Talens Lyriques and Christophe Rousset grew on me
as I listened to them. With good recording and an informative set of notes
– the English often a shortened paraphrase of the original French – this
new release is well worth considering. But do investigate the other music
which I have mentioned, and bear in mind that there are other ways to play
this charming music.
Brian Wilson
