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CDA67520

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Recording details: September 2004
Henry Wood Hall, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Ludger Böckenhoff
Engineered by Ludger Böckenhoff
Release date: October 2005
Total duration: 68 minutes 22 seconds

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'Angela Hewitt works her magic on the most instrument-specific of the French grand siècle harpsichordists, not least by respecting rather than rejecting the harpsichord … her fingering clarity matches the articulation of a harpsichord's plucked string. Above all, her impeccably even tone allows her to deck the melodic lines with Couperin's carefully-specified ornaments, without a hint of obtrusive accent' (BBC Music Magazine)

'played with this degree of sensitivity to articulation, textural balance and colour, it comes blazing off the printed page … Hewitt is inimitable' (Classic FM Magazine)

'Hewitt's dynamic shading and careful ornamentation work together to produce the scintillating musical equivalent of light shining through crystals' (Toronto Star)

'First, the bad news. This third splendid selection of Couperin's keyboard music from Angela Hewitt is reported to be the last in the series. The good news, however, is that it is, if possible, even more delightful than its predecessors, illustrating the wit, charm, and above all the vivid descriptive power of his music' (The Daily Telegraph)

'Hewitt's feather-light agility, crystal-clear sense of independent line and suggestion of harmony without sluicing the sustain, makes for the perfect 'harpsichord experience' on the piano: the best of both worlds. There's grace and dance everywhere, and this delightfully pure music is perfect to accompany afternoon tea or for intense listening with a score' (HMV Choice)

'Angela Hewitt's third (and final) selection of François Couperin's keyboard music for Hyperion confirms her to be a poetic and sensitive guide to this enchanting French Baroque idiom … Altogether, this is another absorbing, excellently recorded Couperin recital; Hyperion's three-disc set is an altogether compelling package' (Pianist)

'Angela Hewitt's final Couperin volume demonstrates once again her mastery in Baroque music. The Canadian pianist doesn't reject period style altogether, as her crisp, precise articulation and stylistically faithful ornamentation demonstrate. Add the singing melodic lines made possible by the modern piano, and Hewitt's graceful journey through these expressive, witty vignettes becomes absolutely breathtaking' (Time Out, New York)

Keyboard Music, Vol. 3
Pièces de clavecin, Book 3
Pièces de clavecin, Book 1
Pièces de clavecin, Book 3
Pièces de clavecin, Book 2
Pièces de clavecin, Book 3
Pièces de clavecin, Book 1
Pièces de clavecin, Book 3
Pièces de clavecin, Book 2
With this third volume Angela Hewitt concludes her personal survey of Couperin’s keyboard music and proves that, in the hands of someone as steeped in Baroque keyboard style as herself, music which was previously thought the exclusive domain of the harpsichordist can be successfully transferred to the modern piano.

Unlike her programming on the previous discs Hewitt here only plays one complete Ordre (suite) – the hugely entertaining 13th with its wicked parody of a debauched masked ball. For the rest, after tackling a group of pieces from the 14th Ordre she chooses, almost as encores to her series, a wide selection of her favourite pieces taken from suites not featured previously.

 
Other albums in this series
Cover of 'Couperin F: Keyboard Music, Vol. 1' (CDA67440)
Cover of 'Couperin F: Keyboard Music, Vol. 2' (CDA67480)
Cover of 'Couperin F: Keyboard Music, Vol. 2 (SACD)' (SACDA67480)
Buy? £16.99  Super-Audio CD