Customer Reviews

Chorégraphie: Music for Louis XIV's dancing masters

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This CD consists of music published in _Choregraphie_ by Raoul-Auger Feuillet (1700), the first dance instruction book to depict dance movements symbollically rather than with words. It is divided into five (unequal) sections: Entrée, Suite, Passacaille, A l'Espagnole, and Chaconne. Most of the music comes from Lully and Campra, with a few pieces by Gaultier, Mersenne, Brade, and D'Anglebert, who also arranged much of the operatic music for solo instruments. In addition, the CD includes some very interesting and informative liner notes, with illustrations, placing the music in the context of Louis XIV's court.

I'm no music expert, but as far as I can tell, Andrew Lawrence King performs marvellously - really, it's amazing what he can do on the baroque triple harp. There is a wide variety of music here, some of it exciting and some relaxing, but always interesting.

I've never reviewed a classical CD before (or any CD for that matter), so I'm not quite sure what to say... I just thought there should be another review than the one complaining about our uncertainty of the tempi. The editorial review above puts it much better than I ever could though. In any case, I greatly enjoy listening to "Choregraphie," particularly since the harp is one of my favorite instruments and I like Baroque dance music, but really, I think anyone would enjoy this fascinating and unique CD. I'm glad I bought it and I highly recommend it.

[P.S., in case anyone cares, the disc is packaged not in a jewel case like most CDs, but in a kind of cardboard case that opens like a book. I do not see this as a drawback but thought I would mention it just so people know.]

This recording is very valuable to anyone working with the notations in Choregraphie, regardless of opinions on tempi. However, I am surprised with many of the tempi for the dances and I ask myself, " How can such basic questions still be in the air after all the research and all the practice of current scholarship and performance?" Such an important recording as this illuminates the lack of communication among dance practioners in the early dance field.