Even in scholarly explorations of French-Baroque harpsichord repertoire, the name of Jean-Jacques Beauvarlet-Charpentier (1734-1794) is mentioned only in passing. Previous albums of his music have been dedicated to his organ output; this new album will attract any collectors of French Baroque music, who will be rewarded by memorable and colourful portrait pieces every bit as vivid as the likes of d’Anglebert and Couperin.
Beauvarlet-Charpentier succeeded his father as titular organist of the Hospice de la Charité in Lyon, where the family had lived since 1748. In 1771 he took up a more prestigious post in Paris and remained in the capital to the end of his days, associated with the Concerts Spirituels, the Church of St Paul (where he succeeded Daquin) and even Notre Dame.
This First Book of Harpsichord Music was published around 1770, and features 16 pieces, most of them titled after individuals. There is an orchestral richness to the texture of his harpsichord writing in this volume, announced in grand style by the opening piece, La Cécile. From halfway through, La Pitras is likewise disinclined to introversion, rewarding the full-bodied approach of a player such as de Luca who plays a 1985 copy of a 1754 instrument ‘after Blanchet’.
Beauvarlet-Charpentier is the latest discovery from the industrious Fernando De Luca, who has turned up several unknown names from the era for Brilliant Classics, among them albums of Pierre-Claude Foucquet, Pierre-Thomas Dufour, Charles-Alexandre Jollage (96773) and Christophe Moyreau. These sets have met with no shortage of critical enthusiasm. Fanfare: ‘“Charm” is such an overused word, but I cannot think of a better one to describe this music and these performances.’ (Jollage) Musica dei Donum: ‘I have nothing but praise for Fernando De Luca's performance. He rightly does play Moyreau with aplomb; too much subtlety would be out of place. This is mostly pretty extraverted stuff, and that is the way De Luca treats it.’
- Jean-Jacques Beauvarlet-Charpentier (1734-1794), succeeded his father, an organist and organ builder, at the organ of the Hospice de la Charité in Lyons, where the family had lived since 1748. In 1771 he obtained the organ of the royal abbey of St Victor in Paris and performed the same year at the Concert Spirituel. In 1772, he succeeded Louis-Claude Daquin at the St Paul church, he added a post at St Éloi des Orfèvres in 1777 and a term at Notre-Dame in 1783.
- Jean-Jacques Beauvarlet-Charpentier published the first Livre de Pièces de Clavecin around 1770. This collection of Pièces is particularly exemplary of a gallant style revised by the French, but perhaps it is more correct to speak of pre-classicism, while a characteristic feature of this music is the use of textures and progressions typical of orchestral writing.
- Played on a French harpsichord after Blanchet (1754) built by C. Caponi (1985) by Fernando De Luca, one of Italy’s foremost harpsichord players. He recorded to great critical acclaim the complete keyboard works by Graupner, Jollage, Dufour, Foucquet and Moyreau, published by Brilliant Classics. His recording of works by Jollage received 5 stars in the French Diapason.
