Jean-Nicolas Geoffroy (1633 -1694) Prelude, Allemande "La Confidante", Tombeau en forme d'allemande.

Jean-Nicolas Geoffroy (1633 - 1694)
Gregory Hamilton, Harpsichord
Geoffroy is one of the French masters of the Clavecin school, about which little is known. It is possible he was a pupil of Nicolas Lebegue, who was the organist who proceeded him at the Parisian church Saint-Nicholas-du-Chardonnet, in the bustling 5th arrondissement. At some point before 1690, he because titular organist after Lebegue. It is not know why he forsook this prestigious position and settled in the rather obscure southern city of Perpignan, becoming organist at the Cathedral - (Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste) that during his life had about 6000 inhabitants.
His music is certainly unique in its extreme chromaticism, his oeuvre is one of the first to feature suites in a very wide ranging array of keys, and his exploration of the expressive possibilities of chromatic harmony is striking. These two pieces are from his single surviving harpsichord collection “Livre des pièces de clavecin de tous les tons naturels et transposéz”
The Suite has three Allemandes, the first two are recorded here “La Confidente” and “Tombeau en forme d’allemande”. The Allemande was the form chosen by the luthistes and clavecinestes for the expression of the French Tombeau - a uniquely French musical form memorializing most often, a beloved musician who had passed. Such Tombeau comprise a significant portion of the French keyboard repertoire, and are often personal, even greatly so to the point of some composers such as Froberger ruminating upon his own passing - Méditation sur ma mort future (Meditation on my future death)
This Tombeau is one of the longest in the repertoire, and is headed with the somewhat cryptic inscription: “il faut couler les notes” - possibly just a reminder of legato playing, as recommended by Couperin. Halfway through the second strain, there is an evocative passage marked “Carilion” intended to evoke church bells before a funeral.
Art by Jean Baptiste Monnoyer (1636-1699) and other 17th century floral artists.
Harpsichord: Lynn Krajewski, Houston Tx. 1991 after Flemish models.
Temperament: based on 17th century models.
www.gregoryhamilton.org

[@sigurdm]

👌👌👌

[@GilbertMartinezHarpsichord]

Very beautiful playing!

[@ghmus7]

thank you!

[@lauraingeorgia5052]

Beautiful! I've always loved the harpsichord.

[@stevenellis3108]

Dr. Dude, you rock.