Dorian Recordings
DOR-93169
of
Jacques Duphly
(1715-1789)
Katherine Roberts Perl
The peices recorded here are taken from the first and third of Duphly's books of clavecin music, published in 1744 and about 1758, respectively. Using a convention already well over a century old, Dulphy published pieces grouped by key, but left selection and order of presentation up to the performer. All of the pieces, including those with peoples' names for titles, are standard suite movements, derived from court dances. As such, they are typical of the genre, and typically Baroque, in being tableau-like: each presents a single clear affect, or in the case of Menuets and Rondeaux, clearly differentiated affects in alternation. However it would be stretching things to think of the titled pieces as portraits. With a couple of possible exceptions, these pieces do not constitute representations of so much as presentations to the people they name: they are less portraits than calling cards. The most interesting exception is Médée, presumably named for the Greek Medea rather than any eighteenth century Parisian; it is rather melodramatic, as befits the stage context in which Duphly would most likely have envisioned such a character.Elisabeth Le Guin ©May 1998
|
[1] La de Belombre [2] Allemande [3] Courante [4] Rondeau in D Major [5] La Damanzy [6] Rondeau in D Minor [7] Les Graces |
[ 8] La Vanlo [ 9] Menuets [10] La de la Tour [11] Médée [12] La Forqueray [13] Chaconne |
Dorian Recordings & Dorian Discovery
are distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading