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Track(s) taken from CDA68071/2

La Dauphine

composer
? circa 1747

Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord)
Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
CD-Quality:
Studio Master:
CD-Quality:
Studio Master:
Recording details: February 2014
The Music Room, Hatchlands Park, Surrey, United Kingdom
Produced by Tim Oldham
Engineered by David Hinitt
Release date: November 2014
Total duration: 2 minutes 49 seconds

Cover artwork: Study for the right arm of Lucretia (1518). Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)
 

Reviews

‘I don’t think I have heard a harpsichord sound as supple and rich in colours … Rameau’s five suites rank with the finest keyboard music of the first half of the 18th century, but they remain neglected by the side of masterpieces by Handel and Bach. Esfahani’s magnetic advocacy could change all that. His rhythmic verve, wide spectrum of tone colour and joie de vivre is evident throughout’ (The Sunday Times)» More

‘The genius of Rameau still inspires and challenges us today. He is certainly lucky that performers like Esfahani have engaged his spirit in well-thought and ultimately, highly communicative readings like this one’ (Audiophile Audition, USA)» More

‘Esfahani does something special and, I think, unique here, so identifying his own maverick intelligence with Rameau’s supple, refined use of wit and irony’ (Limelight, Australia)» More

‘This, as you would expect, is a beautifully produced and presented recording of Rameau’s complete Pièces de clavecin … Mahan Esfahani is a brilliant technician, but more than that he is a master at delivering the character in these pieces. Dark minor-key drama, dancing rhythms and elegance are created with the utmost refinement, and refinement is a major strength of this set as a whole’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘The real star of this recording is the ravishing sound of the harpsichord itself … what a great sound’ (The Toronto Early Music Newsletter, Canada)» More
La Dauphine comes from an autograph in the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris and is thought to be the notated version of an improvisation performed at the wedding of the Dauphin Louis Ferdinand in 1747. According to the Rameau scholar Cuthbert Girdlestone, the ‘true Rameau’ of this piece makes his appearance in the interrupted cadence five bars from the end. It is rather puzzling that Rameau provides diacritical markings to indicate ornaments, in the style associated with French violin music (using a ‘+’ sign, which can mean a variety of things depending on the context). I have made my own decisions, having referred to two other manuscript copies of the piece in the same library.

from notes by Mahan Esfahani © 2014

La Dauphine vient d’un autographe conservé à la Bibliothèque nationale à Paris et serait la version transcrite d’une improvisation jouée au mariage du dauphin Louis Ferdinand en 1747. Selon le spécialiste de Rameau Cuthbert Girdlestone, le «vrai Rameau» de cette pièce fait son apparition dans la cadence rompue à cinq mesures de la fin. Il est assez curieux que Rameau utilise des signes diacritiques pour noter les ornements, à la manière de la musique française pour violon (il emploie un signe «+», qui peut avoir différentes significations selon le contexte). J’ai fait mes propres choix sans autre commentaire, m’étant référé à deux autres copies manuscrites de cette pièce conservées dans la même bibliothèque.

extrait des notes rédigées par Mahan Esfahani © 2014
Français: Marie-Stella Pâris

La Dauphine stammt aus einem Autograph in der Bibliothèque nationale in Paris und gilt als notierte Fassung einer Improvisation, die 1747 anläßlich der Hochzeit des Dauphins Louis Ferdinand aufgeführt wurde. Dem Rameauforscher Cuthbert Girdlestone zufolge tritt der „wahre Rameau“ dieses Stückes in der unterbrochenen Kadenz fünf Takte vor dem Schluß hervor. Verwirrenderweise verwendet Rameau diakritische Zeichen, um Verzierungen anzugeben, die stilistisch mit französischer Violinmusik verbunden sind (so ein „+“-Zeichen, das abhängig vom Kontext vielerlei bedeuten kann). Ich habe meine eigenen Entscheidungen ohne weiteren Kommentar getroffen und mich auf zwei weitere Abschriften des Stückes in der derselben Bibliothek bezogen.

aus dem Begleittext von Mahan Esfahani © 2014
Deutsch: Christiane Frobenius

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