Kenneth Gilbert (harpsichord) d'Anglebert (1628-1691), Pièces de clavecin

[@stephenchurley2438]

The best D'Anglebert recording ever made. Period.

[@JesusLopez-yv1rj]

Estoy fascinado por la interpretacion genial de Kenneth Gilbert y por los increhibles y luminosos sonidos del clavecin, sobre todo los bajos tan bellos y potentes

[@TheGloryofMusic]

Thanks for uploading this, one of the great harpsichord recordings. Gilbert at his best!

[@beasheerhan4482]

I agree, Dear Glory, and before HVG was doing his great work, the only place we could find some of this was with you!

[@John9V1VV]

Thanks for this... There are several new recording of d'Angelbert including Rousset. The Gilbert dates from a time that hardly new the composer, except as an obscure exercise in music school. It is wonderful to hear it for the first time.

[@beasheerhan4482]

Yes, Mr. Davies - Mr. Gilbert's Danglebert really swept me off my feet, decades ago, for many reasons. He also was the first to do an album of Chambonnieres, as well.

[@beasheerhan4482]

By the way, I did not enjoy Rousset's D'Anglebert - it lackt gravity, (outside of the preludes) lackt spirutal depth, and, at times, seemed to be batting it's eyelashes, qualities which are quite at odds with the rhetorick of Monsieur D'Anglebert!

[@tepmich]

Angleberts Musik zelebriert Traute, Verwegenheit und Mannhaftigkeit !!! Tepper Michael.

[@paulcaswell2813]

I should have commented on this much earlier. Utterly superb - both playing and instrument.

[@HarpsichordVinylGallery]

I have to agree on that one

[@beasheerhan4482]

One thing I would like to add : though much ado is made about D'Anglebert's ornamentations, the fact remains that his voicing is very good, so good, in fact, that one can play these pieces, without any ornamentation, and still the strength of the counterpoint, and the dramatick strength of the melodick motifs is quite sufficient, in and of itself. Of the entire output of great French musicians of the 17th & 18th centuries, none of them equal the gentle non-formulaick contrapuntal strength of D'Anglebert.

[@giveoncornfield2285]

Spelling, spelling!

[@beasheerhan4482]

Though the performance by Dr. Gilbert is sterling, what makes this recording so very memorable for me is the match between the musick of D'Anglebert & the instrument by Monsieur Delin. Though I realize an inventory of the personal effeckts left behind by D'Anglebert at his death records that his private instrument was a single manual Walnut Ruckers, I have never heard any Ruckers, ravaled, unravalaed, or otherwise, so suit his musick as this. The reasons for that is that the incredibly carefully-crafted sound of this clavecin by Delin possess within in a kind of taut glassy and steely sharpness, the kind of which call to mind the cold landscapes of either Avercamp, Douzette, or Apol. If you have never built pluckt musical instruments, you simply have no idea how difficult it is to wrest such a strong, virile, and yet poignantly pointed seasonal sound as this. Delin knew exactly the affeckt for which he was seeking, as he commencet the construction of this, and spared no effort to tune every part of this instrument, until he heard that sound echoing back to his ears. An instrument in the same vein as the harpischords by Donzelague, held in Lyon, or Vaudry, this instrument is the superior to those instruments, though, not by much. In either case, I am unaware that we have more than one surviving and functional instrument by either luthier, sad to say - yet grateful that these solitary examples did survive.

[@HarpsichordVinylGallery]

I think the instrument was from the personal collection of Gilbert château de Maintenon (Eure-et-Loir, France) and was restored by Hubert Bedart in 1973. Yes you are right, it has a very unique timbre of its own. It might be the recording technique used but I experience the sound as a bit from a distance as opposed to an intimate sound I would like to experience from the pieces by d'Anglebert but that might be my personal perception. .

[@beasheerhan4482]

Thank you, dear HVG... Of course it is your 'personal perception'. Nothing wrong with that. That said, I do not like D'Anglebert with an ' intimate' harpsochrod sound, this because it starts to sound feminine, flowery, sugary, decadent, and weak. D'Anglebert's musick is a very strong, very masculine, (in the French Way) and very universal. It is a musick almosst entirely devoid of self-pity, pity for other, or sympathy of any kind. Too, it is almost entirely lacking in sentiment, though, it is not objectivist, bercause one feels, in listening to the musick of D'Anglebert, as were one one peering out on the whole cosmos from a window in avery specifick house. That is also why I like the strong metal and glassy sound of this instrument, in this musick, for D'Anglebery's musick is anomolous amongst French Haprischord musick and it requires singular treatment. Be well!

[@foliesamsterdamfolk7255]

@@beasheerhan4482 The music from the Northern organ school is strong imho and every note is functional without any sitraction. In contrast d'Angleberts flirtation with embellishment and ornamentation without any strong melody lines I simply cannot see as masculine or strong but very intimate.Sort of style brisé in a very eloquent way. When you cnsider it that way, the instrument is not the best choice although Gilbert will be on your side in this one.

[@beasheerhan4482]

Dear Folies - in that case, D'Anglebert's garden is a very strong and masculine one; yes, intimate, but not filled full of little pretty flowers, but, instead, filled with tall shade tres, noble bushes, heroick fountains, and strong perennial flowers that do not flirt with the eye or whisper coquettes to the ear. In any case, I thank you for your reply, and look forward to more.

[@HarpsichordVinylGallery]

@@beasheerhan4482 I guess we have a deadlock. My association with elegance, souplesse and intimacy is hard to combine with the masculine and strong association from your part. But does that matter? No, as long as we both enjoy the music, the instrument, the player and recording technique. I browsed in my d'Anglebert cd's and on the whole they all sound rather metallic. Circa 11 cd's but I always return to three recording because I like the sound of the instruments the best and the way of playing is also very nice. Best of all I like Laurent Stewart playing an Andreas Kilström 2005 after an instrument by Joannes Rückers (1638), Petit ravalement (GG, AA - d') Since I like the sound of the famous Hemsch instruments very much the recording by Brigitte Tramier (Hemsch 1754) and Frédérick Haas (Hemsch 1751) are also clear favourites. But I know it is very personal these things.

[@beasheerhan4482]

Yes, coming back here to check myself, after listening to Boulay's D'Anglebert, I have to say that this is a much better place for Jean-Henri. Boulay was out of his everloving mind with his hurried tempi, and, not only because I think he grew fatigued from overpracticing it, but, as well, because he was only listening intellectually to the structure of D'Anglebert's music and in no other way. When one just listens structurally to a piece of music, and that particular music is not intended to be listened to that way, one often makes the mistake of speeding up the piece to make the structure seem more interesting, but, while it may achieve that, it poisons everything else in the music. That kind of mistake, however, is not noticed by the one who is only listening structurally of the music, but, by those who listen in many other ways, and who are forced, or, at least, for a time, to listen to the mono-dimensional recitation of it.

[@HarpsichordVinylGallery]

Yes we agree on that one. Although when the playing is fast as Mrs Boulay (she definitely is a woman) do with most pieces, the preludes and sarabandes played relatively at the right speed, sound even more beautiful than they actually are. Like oases in the Boulay-turbo-desert.

[@HarpsichordVinylGallery]

Rest of the documentation 1/1 L'auteur Le plus grand des clavecinistes français avant François Couperin ». C'est en ces termes que l'éminent biographe de Couperin, Wilfrid Mellers, décrit Jean-Henry d'Anglebert dans le dictionnaire Groves. On connaît peu de choses sur sa vie. Né à Paris en 1628, d'Anglebert devient, avec Louis Couperin, l'élève de Chambonnières. En 1661 il est organiste du Duc d'Orléans; de cett~ époque peuvent dater les cinq admirables Fugues pour orgue,'qui font figure à part dans la littérature française pour cet instrument. En 1664 il est nommé Ordinaire de la Musique du Roi. Les Pièces de Clavecin, le .seul recueil qu'il ait publié, datent de 1689, deux années avant sa mort. Cette collection comprend quatre suites, augmentées d'un certain nombre de transcriptions de Lulli, ainsi que les pièces d'orgue précitées, et une courte Méthode pour apprendre la basse continue. Trop longtemps sous-estimé en France, l'oeuvre de d'Anglebert est d'une richesse, d'une force d'expression et d'une gravité qui risquent d'étonner l'auditeur pour qui la musique française ancienne est plutôt synonyme de grâce et de légèreté. Ici, rien de « charmant» dans le sens conventionnel du terme (dit-on d'une sonate de Beethoven qu'elle est « charmante.» ?). On sait, d'ailleurs, que J.S. Bach et plusieurs de ses contemporains portaient à ce Maître la plus grande admiration; rappelons que la table d'ornements copiée par Bach à l'intention de son fils Wilhelm Friedemann s'inspire largement de celle de d'Anglebert. N'ayant voulu présenter surce disque que le visage original du compositeur, j'ai écarté les diverses transcriptions de Lulli (ouvertures, chaconnes, airs et danses), pourtant d'un intérêt instrumental indéniable, pour ne conserver que les pièces essentielles des trois principales suites. Elles commencent par un de ces Préludes non mesurés si caractéristiques de f'école française du 17e siècle, sorte de « musique aléatoire» avant la lettre, où nnterprète doit « composer» le discours musical à partir d'une série· de notes non-rythmées. Ces Préludes de d'Anglebert se signaient par leur force déclamatoire et la hardiesse des harmonies. Puis viennent les quatre danses fondamentales, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande et Gigue, d'une densité polyphonique remarquable. Une somptueuse Chaconne en rondeau, grave et sereine, termine la Suite en sol majeur. Chez d'Anglebert, l'art de l'ornementation atteint son apogée. Sa table d'ornements, la plus complète qui soit, comprend plusieurs signes qu'on ne trouve nulle part ailleurs. L'interprète devra donc se soucier d'intégrer parfaitement tous ces « agréments» à la trame mélodique, sans que le rythme fondamental de la danse en soit perturbé. Ces pièces qui, au premier abord, peuvent sembler surchargées, se révéleront alors, après plusieurs auditions, dans toute leur simplicité structurale. KENNETH GILBERT

[@paul-etienne.pierrecourt]

9:23 I thought I was hearing Handel's Sarabande...

[@HarpsichordVinylGallery]

Yes the opening is the same as the famous Sarabande in D Minor from harpsichord suite nr. 11 in D minor, Book II (1727) by Händel. You made it to the next round!

[@victorpecora340]

I tought i was listening to robert de visee sarabande from his d minor suite for guitar.

[@horiaganescu3948]

D'ANGLEBERT

[@HarpsichordVinylGallery]

Thanks, I've corrected it.

[@horiaganescu3948]

@@HarpsichordVinylGallery My pleasure! You're welcome! I have discovered your channel today, when I learned about Kenneth Gilbert's death... I have immediately subscribed to all of your posts. Excellent music! And Vinyl... I live in Bucharest, Romania and my foreign languages are English and French! All the best!

[@HarpsichordVinylGallery]

@@horiaganescu3948 It is sad to hear that Kenneth Gilbert died. Yesterday I could nowhere find any confirmation of his death so I thought it would be another person with the same name. Best of luck in Rumania with the corana. and be careful.

[@horiaganescu3948]

@@HarpsichordVinylGallery I read this morning in "Diapason". It is definitely the great harpsichordist... You can read the complete article on the Facebook page of "Diapason"... R.I.P., Maestro!

[@HarpsichordVinylGallery]

@@horiaganescu3948 Ok, we will remember him well!

[@陽天-g8g]

ケネス・ギルバートはバッハはうまいが、フランスもんはいまいちやと思っていたが、このダングルベールはなかなかいい。しかし、やはり、フランスもんはフランス人やな。オリヴェボーモンがええ。クリストフ・ルセはあかん。

[@HarpsichordVinylGallery]

ケネス・ギルバートはフランス音楽にも精通しています。 したがって彼はフランスに長い間住んでいました