1.3 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La D'héricourt
1.4 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Ségur
1.5 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Monmartel Ou la Brunoy
1.6 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Boullongne
1.7 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Castelmore
1.8 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Courteille
1.9 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Bellaud
1.10 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Lamarck
2.1 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Berville
2.2 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Lugeac
2.3 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Suzanne
2.4 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Genty
2.5 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Malesherbe
2.6 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Berryer Ou la Lamoignon
2.7 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Laporte
2.8 Pièces de Clavecin, Premier Livre-La Morisseau
2.9 D'esclignac
2.10 Sonate Iv-Le Coucou
Description:
This CD presents an exquisite selection of harpsichord works from Claude-Bénigne Balbastre's collection "Pièces de Clavecin" (1759), interpreted by the distinguished harpsichordist Marek Toporowski. Balbastre, a key figure in late French Baroque and early Classical keyboard music, was admired for his brilliant, highly ornamented style, his sense of colour, and his ability to merge courtly elegance with a vivid, almost theatrical expressiveness. The pieces on this recording capture that world in all its variety: noble dances, character pieces brimming with charm, and virtuoso movements that showcase both the poetic and the flamboyant side of the harpsichord. The recording focuses on clarity of texture, rhythmic vitality and tasteful ornamentation, allowing Balbastre's inventive harmonies and melodic flair to emerge with natural ease.
Marek Toporowski is known for his refined approach to historical keyboards, his stylistic sensitivity and his deep knowledge of Baroque and early Classical performance practice. On this album he shapes each piece with a keen ear for timbre and rhetoric, using articulation and rubato sparingly but expressively to bring out the dance impulses, the cantabile lines and the rich harmonic colours inherent in Balbastre's writing. His discography and concert activities have made him a respected name in early music circles, where his playing is appreciated for its balance of scholarly insight and spontaneous musicality. In this Balbastre programme, he combines technical control with a narrative sense of flow, creating a listening experience that is both intellectually satisfying and immediately engaging.
The CD is released by Brilliant Classics, a label renowned for making high-quality classical recordings widely accessible. Over the years, Brilliant Classics has built a strong reputation with intelligently curated catalogues, complete edition projects and thoughtfully chosen repertoire, ranging from core masterworks to rarities and rediscoveries. Their productions are noted for solid artistic standards and excellent value, offering both newcomers and seasoned collectors a way to explore lesser-known corners of the repertoire without compromise in musical integrity. This Balbastre recording fits perfectly into that philosophy, opening a window onto an important yet still relatively underrepresented French harpsichord master, presented in a well-recorded, carefully produced edition that invites repeated listening.
Solo Instrument
6.763
- Accordion 25- Bassoon 5- Bugle 3- Cello 138- Clarinet 22- Clavichord 46- Double Bass 5- Early Instrum. 16- Flute 57- Guitar 343- Harp 53- Harpsichord 247- Lute 109- Mandolin 11- Oboe 8- Organ 577- Other Solo Instrum. 2.040- Percussion 19- Piano 2.721- Recorder 12- Saxophone 15- Trombone 5- Trumpet 11- Viola 31- Violin 235Symphonic Music 14.562
!["Rondeau, Jean-The complete works [DE-Version, Regio 2/B]-Erato-CD+DVD"](https://www.grooves-inc.co.uk/images/cover/719/283/f7588knt.j11 "\"Rondeau, Jean-The complete works [DE-Version, Regio 2/B]-Erato-CD+DVD\"")
