Lebegue: Les Pieces de Clavessin, Books I & II

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Release Date: 17th Jan 2020
Catalogue No: 95671
Label: Brilliant Classics
Length: 3 hours 9 minutes

Nicolas Lebègue: Les pièces de clavessin, Book 1, Suite No. 1

Work length29:55

$14.00

$18.20

Agustín Álvarez (harpsichord)

I. Prélude en d la re sol

Track length1:44

$1.00

$1.30

II. Allemande

Track length4:09

$1.00

$1.30

III. Courante grave

Track length1:42

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Courante gaye - Double

Track length2:55

$1.00

$1.30

V. Sarabande

Track length3:28

$1.00

$1.30

VI. Gavotte

Track length1:05

$1.00

$1.30

VII. Menuet

Track length0:58

$1.00

$1.30

VIII. Canaris

Track length1:52

$1.00

$1.30

IX. Courante en D-Sharp

Track length1:17

$1.00

$1.30

X. Sarabande grave

Track length3:39

$1.00

$1.30

XI. Gigue

Track length1:59

$1.00

$1.30

XII. Chaconne grave

Track length2:56

$1.00

$1.30

XIII. Ballet

Track length1:12

$1.00

$1.30

XIV. Gavotte

Track length0:59

$1.00

$1.30

Nicolas Lebègue: Les pièces de clavessin, Book 1, Suite No. 2

Work length22:11

$13.00

$16.90

Agustín Álvarez (harpsichord)

I. Prélude en G ré sol ut

Track length1:24

$1.00

$1.30

II. Allemande

Track length3:56

$1.00

$1.30

III. Allemande gaye

Track length3:05

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Courante grave

Track length1:35

$1.00

$1.30

V. 2me Courante

Track length1:17

$1.00

$1.30

VI. Sarabande grave

Track length2:51

$1.00

$1.30

VII. Gavotte

Track length0:48

$1.00

$1.30

VIII. Menuet

Track length1:06

$1.00

$1.30

IX. Courante in G

Track length1:21

$1.00

$1.30

X. Gigue d'angleterre fort viste

Track length1:17

$1.00

$1.30

XI. Bourée - Double

Track length1:10

$1.00

$1.30

XII. Menuet

Track length1:09

$1.00

$1.30

XIII. 2me Menuet

Track length1:12

$1.00

$1.30

Nicolas Lebègue: Les pièces de clavessin, Book 1, Suite No. 3

Work length14:53

$8.00

$10.40

Agustín Álvarez (harpsichord)

I. Prélude en a mi la ré

Track length1:15

$1.00

$1.30

II. Allemande

Track length2:45

$1.00

$1.30

III. Courante

Track length1:48

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Courante II

Track length1:26

$1.00

$1.30

V. Sarabande grave

Track length3:05

$1.00

$1.30

VI. Gigue

Track length2:27

$1.00

$1.30

VII. Menuet

Track length1:04

$1.00

$1.30

VIII. Menuet II

Track length1:03

$1.00

$1.30

Nicolas Lebègue: Les pièces de clavessin, Book 1, Suite No. 4

Work length19:35

$9.00

$11.70

Agustín Álvarez (harpsichord)

I. Prélude en C sol ut fa

Track length1:22

$1.00

$1.30

II. Allemande

Track length3:39

$1.00

$1.30

III. Courante

Track length1:30

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Courante II - Double

Track length2:12

$1.00

$1.30

V. Chaconne

Track length3:50

$1.00

$1.30

VI. Bourée - Double

Track length1:49

$1.00

$1.30

VII. Gigue

Track length2:18

$1.00

$1.30

VIII. Gavotte - Double

Track length1:43

$1.00

$1.30

IX. Menuet

Track length1:12

$1.00

$1.30

Nicolas Lebègue: Les pièces de clavessin, Book 1, Suite No. 5

Work length13:06

$7.00

$9.10

Agustín Álvarez (harpsichord)

I. Prélude en F ut fa

Track length1:36

$1.00

$1.30

II. Allemande

Track length3:07

$1.00

$1.30

III. Courante

Track length1:15

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Courante

Track length1:22

$1.00

$1.30

V. Sarabande grave

Track length2:56

$1.00

$1.30

VI. Gigue

Track length1:46

$1.00

$1.30

VII. Gavotte

Track length1:04

$1.00

$1.30

Nicolas Lebègue: Les pièces de clavessin, Book 2, Suite No. 1

Work length9:35

$5.00

$6.50

Agustín Álvarez (harpsichord)

I. Allemande

Track length2:41

$1.00

$1.30

II. Courante

Track length1:45

$1.00

$1.30

III. Sarabande grave

Track length3:07

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Gigue

Track length1:19

$1.00

$1.30

V. Menuet

Track length0:43

$1.00

$1.30

Nicolas Lebègue: Les pièces de clavessin, Book 2, Suite No. 2

Work length21:52

$11.00

$14.30

Agustín Álvarez (harpsichord)

I. Allemande

Track length4:00

$1.00

$1.30

II. 2e Allemande

Track length2:50

$1.00

$1.30

III. Courante

Track length1:30

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Sarabande

Track length3:10

$1.00

$1.30

V. Rondeau

Track length0:56

$1.00

$1.30

VI. Gigue

Track length2:20

$1.00

$1.30

VII. Passacaille

Track length3:19

$1.00

$1.30

VIII. Menuet

Track length0:55

$1.00

$1.30

IX. Gavotte I

Track length1:02

$1.00

$1.30

X. Gavotte II

Track length1:02

$1.00

$1.30

XI. Menuet

Track length0:48

$1.00

$1.30

Nicolas Lebègue: Les pièces de clavessin, Book 2, Suite No. 3

Work length10:02

$5.00

$6.50

Agustín Álvarez (harpsichord)

I. Allemande

Track length3:52

$1.00

$1.30

II. Courante

Track length1:35

$1.00

$1.30

III. Sarabande

Track length2:56

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Gavotte

Track length0:49

$1.00

$1.30

V. Menuet

Track length0:50

$1.00

$1.30

Nicolas Lebègue: Les pièces de clavessin, Book 2, Suite No. 4

Work length13:20

$6.00

$7.80

Agustín Álvarez (harpsichord)

I. Allemande

Track length3:30

$1.00

$1.30

II. Courante

Track length1:40

$1.00

$1.30

III. Sarabande fort grave

Track length2:40

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Gigue

Track length2:04

$1.00

$1.30

V. Bourée - Double

Track length1:34

$1.00

$1.30

VI. Cannaris

Track length1:52

$1.00

$1.30

Nicolas Lebègue: Les pièces de clavessin, Book 2, Suite No. 5

Work length13:44

$7.00

$9.10

Agustín Álvarez (harpsichord)

I. Allemande

Track length3:09

$1.00

$1.30

II. Courante

Track length1:40

$1.00

$1.30

III. Sarabande

Track length3:16

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Gigue

Track length1:15

$1.00

$1.30

V. Menuet I

Track length0:38

$1.00

$1.30

VI. Menuet II

Track length0:57

$1.00

$1.30

VII. Chaconne

Track length2:49

$1.00

$1.30

Nicolas Lebègue: Les pièces de clavessin, Book 2, Suite No. 6

Work length21:04

$10.00

$13.00

Agustín Álvarez (harpsichord)

I. Allemande

Track length3:35

$1.00

$1.30

II. Courante

Track length1:32

$1.00

$1.30

III. Sarabande grave

Track length3:26

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Chaconne grave

Track length3:48

$1.00

$1.30

V. Menuet

Track length0:35

$1.00

$1.30

VI. Gigue

Track length2:15

$1.00

$1.30

VII. Bourée

Track length0:56

$1.00

$1.30

VIII. Air de hautbois

Track length1:46

$1.00

$1.30

IX. Gavotte - Double

Track length1:47

$1.00

$1.30

X. Petite chaconne

Track length1:24

$1.00

$1.30

About
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About

Nicolas Lebègue (1631-1702) is largely represented in the record catalogue by albums of organ music. Yet his pieces for harpsichord are no less distinctive and appealing in their way, and this new recording presents a rare chance to survey that side of his output in toto.

Known in his day among the most renowned organists of Paris, Lebègue left to us three books of organ music, and this pair of volumes for harpsichord. Their style may owe something to the examples of Chambonnières and Louis Couperin, but there are notable differences. Lebègue tends to underplay the pictorial or illustrative potential of his genre, and emphasise instead its natural language of formal elegance. Such formality is reflected in the organization of his suites, which open with an allemande–courante coupling, preceded only in his first book by unmeasured preludes. After the courante there follows a mixture of dances, always poised and gracefully turned. Particular high-points include the Chaconne in C (first book) and the Chaconne grave in G (second book), which attain a stature worthy of Louis Couperin.

In a personal, engaging but also scholarly booklet essay, Agustín Álvarez outlines his approach: ‘not only as a musician, but from the point of view of a dancer, trying to understand the steps, as well as the physical and intellectual attitudes which mould the sublime art of movement of French Baroque dance and which Nicolas Lebègue gradually reveals to us as a ceremonial master of his art.’ Born in Venezuela and trained in in Madrid and Milan, Álvarez also studied Baroque dance and continues to work with an important Spanish dance company. In 2015 he recorded the Concertos for Two Harpsichords by Soler: a Brilliant Classics album (BC95327) that attracted praise from distinguished quarters: ‘These French-styled harpsichords have beautiful tone… Alvarez and Fernandez make the music sound noble and even sometimes sombre’ (American Record Guide, March 2017).

Nicolas Lebègue (1631-1702) spent most of his life at the Court of the Sun King Louis XIV in Versailles, where he was court organist, but also played an active part in all of the manifold musical activities at the court, such as playing the harpsichord for the King, participating in the court orchestra and accompanying famous visiting musicians.

Lebègue played an important role in the development of the Suite, establishing the now common order of Prelude-Allemande-Courante-Sarabande-Menuet-Gigue. He also introduces a writing system for the “preludes non-mesurés”, the introductory movement of the suite in which improvisation plays an important part.

In this new recording Augustín Álvarez plays the complete two books of Suites: “I have tried to approach this beautiful music not only as a musician, but from the point of view of dance, of a dancer, trying to understand the inmensity of codes, lost for us today, which were so important at the time, as well as the physical and intellectual attitudes which conform the sublime art of movement of French Baroque dance and which Nicolas Lebègue slowly reveals to us as a ceremonial master.”

Lebegue: Les Pieces de Clavessin, Books I & II

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