Terence Charlston
www.charlston.co.uk is a performer,
teacher and academic researcher, specialising in early keyboard instruments who
founded the Department of Historical Performance at the Royal Academy of Music
in 1995.
His latest recording
for Divine Art Records www.divine-art.co.uk
is entitled Mersenne’s Clavichord. Not one example of an original French
clavichord survives, therefore the instrument played on this historically
important recording is a new construction following the specifications
published by Marin Mersenne (1588-1648) www.britannica.com/biography/Marin-Mersenne
in
the 17th century. It is, therefore, the only example of how early French
keyboard music may have actually sounded.
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It was Peter Bavington http://homepage.ntlworld.com/peter.bavington/clavicho.htm who decided, in 2010, to attempt a
reconstruction of a clavichord depicted and described by Marin Mersenne. Mersenne’s
precise and detailed description and accompanying engraving of a manicordion was
published in the 1630s. The design is strikingly
different from that of most surviving clavichords that date from much later. By
comparison, Mersenne’s clavichord was much larger than a typical late
seventeenth or eighteenth-century instrument.
Terence Charlston demonstrates this fine instrument with a
recital of French works from the 16th and 17th centuries as well as a toccata
by Sweelinck whose music was prevalent in France at the time. Many of the
pieces are especially arranged for clavichord by Charlston.
Terence Charlston divides his recital into three eras
starting with The Sixteenth Century and
Antoine de Févin’s (c. 1470-1511/12) Sancta Trinitas. What a wonderfully
distinctive sound this clavichord makes. Charlston brings some lovely phrasing
and clarity to the musical lines as well as an intimacy, aided very much by the
ideal recording. Harmonies are lovely as this fine piece makes its way forward
to a lovely simple coda with a sudden chord to end.
An anonymous Prelude
sur chacun ton finds Charlston allowing
space for this attractive piece to unfold naturally, bringing such fine
musicality. Longtemps y a que je vis en
espoire is another anonymous work with some lovely, quite delicious timbres
drawn by Charlston from this instrument.
La Magdalena is possibly
by lutenist Pierre Blondeau (fl. 1st half of the 16th century).
Charlston brings terrific, buoyant and fine textured playing to this
irresistible piece. He adds some lovely individual touches through its varying
tempi and rhythms.
Placed together are an anonymous Prelude followed by a Fantasie
by Guillaume Costeley (1530/31-1606) and Nicolas Combert’s (c. 1495-c. 1560) Hors Envyeux. This fine musician brings a lovely flow to these
highly attractive pieces with such a variety of textures.
There is a lovely La
Bounette, again by an anonymous hand, with Charlston bringing a remarkable
agility together with fine phrasing and clarity in another fine melody.
Gamba Gagliarda -
Moneghina Gagliarda is attributed to Antoine
Gardane (1509-1569) and allows
this artist to conjure up some fine harmonies with a subtle rhythmic pulse.
Also placed together are Pierre Megnier’s Prelude and
organist Jacques Cellier’s (f. 1580-1590. died c.1620) Pavane where lovely light textures are allied
to a variety of fine timbres in the Prelude
with some terrific intricate passages in the Pavane.
We then move to The
Early Seventeenth Century for the next part of this recital with five
pieces, a finely pointed up Canaries, a
lively Borree with fine, subtle tonal
variations, a rhythmic Volte appellee la Marcielleze, a
beautifully laid out Pavane de Aranda and
a lovely Fantasie sur l'air de ma
Bergerer Fantasie to conclude,
full of fine textures and sonorities.
Charles Racquet
(1597-1664) was organist at Notre Dame Cathedral. His Fantaisie moves forward with a measured pace winding its way
through some lovely moments in this fine outpouring of invention. Tu
Crois, O Beau Soleil brings some really lovely textures and sonorities,
Charlston providing such a fine touch, revealing many subtleties.
In Mercure d’Orléans’
(fl c1590. died: c.1619) Praeludium Charlston
reveals some very fine sonorities right across the keyboard with a lively Volte brilliantly played to conclude.
Four Preludes by
anonymous composers are placed together, a beautifully paced slow Prelude bringing out many fine textures,
a gentle Prelude that is beautifully
shaped, a rhythmically pointed Prelude
that nevertheless reveals itself slowly and gently and a slightly livelier rhythmically
poised Prelude.
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck’s
(1562-1621) Toccata in C Major is
very fine with much variety throughout its length, Charlston finding some
terrific timbres from his instrument.
Five pieces are gathered together next; three anonymous
works - a rhythmic Bergamasca, a
lively Gavotte, most attractive with
some terrific playing and a lovely light textured Courante, 'La Chabotte' together with a leisurely Hereaux Séjour e
Partenisse by Antoine Boësset (1586-1643) bringing
lovely light sonorities and a crisp Bransle,
'Les Frondeurs' by Germain Pinel
(c. 1600-1661).
To end the Early Seventeenth Century period there is a
wonderfully done Echo in F Major by a
certain Gérard Scronx, apparently a scribe at a monastery in Liege.
Charlston brings such care and exquisite control with an echo of the theme
played softer and quieter. This is a rather memorable piece, beautifully
developed.
The Later Seventeenth
Century opens with Jean-Henri
D’Anglebert’s (1635-1691) Prelude from
his Pièces de clavecin, Suite No. 3 in D Minor a slowly unfolding piece
that is wonderfully phrased, achieving some quite lovely timbres.
French composer and harpsichordist Jacques Champion or Jacques
Champion Chambonnieres (1601/02-1672)
was also known as Sieur de Chambonnieres
or Mr Chambonnieres (his family name being Champion). His Sarabande in A minor is finely paced, a lovely work that slowly
reveals its attractions with Charlston revealing lovely little details.
A lively Duo by Louis Couperin (c. 1626-1661) follows, weaving two musical lines with this fine keyboard player finding a
lovely clarity and flow. There is a slow, gently paced Recit à trois by Nicholas
Gigault (c. 1627-1707) where Charlston allows the music and, indeed, this
instrument to reveal some lovely timbres. Finally there is Nicolas-Antoine Lebègue’s (c. 1631-1702) Laissez paistre vos Bestes, a lively, rhythmically sprung work
with Charlston bringing some terrific timbres from his instrument showing just
how he can find a variety of sounds.
This is a remarkably entrancing disc. Charlston extracts so
many fine sounds, lovely sonorities and ear catching timbres from this
remarkable instrument.
This is a terrific survey of French music of the 16th
and 17th century refracted through an instrument of many fascinating
and attractive qualities. The recording is ideal; the microphones set perfectly
with much detail and intimacy.
There are excellent detailed notes by Terence Charlston as
well as a beautifully produced and illustrated booklet full of facsimiles of the
music and photos of the instrument.
It is terrific that Divine Art continues to bring us such
treasures as this.
See also:
http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/excellent-performances-from.html
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