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Justin Taylor’s Harpsichord Debut

David Vernier

Artistic Quality:

Sound Quality:

Whatever would possess a gifted young boy to choose to study the harpsichord? Something about the instrument attracted 11-year-old Justin Taylor who went on to win a major international prize in Belgium at age 23. This debut release is a result of that success. Perhaps it was the instrument itself, at once more approachable, much less imposing than a concert grand; maybe there was just something about the sound, the assertive pluck, the vibrant, ringing resonance–and the whirling clusters of tones in all the ornamental flourishes!

Whatever it was, there’s no question that Taylor’s fascination turned to a commitment that has resulted in an artist of fluid, flawless technique, bold ideas, and as much sensitivity as the instrument will allow. A harpsichord’s expressive options are mostly limited to tempo and ornamentation, but in the right hands–ones Taylor certainly possesses–a performer/interpreter can hold the interest of even the most plucked-string-phobic listener, at least for a Jean-Baptiste Forqueray (1699-1782) suite or two. The music in the two big suites is certainly exciting, complex, harmonically rich, and melodically inventive, each movement referring to (or dedicated to) a person–Couperin, Rameau, Guignon, Montigni, even Jupiter! Taylor exploits the wide variety of style and “temperaments” (personalities) contained in these movements, keeping melody recognizable and harmony secure amid the fantastic, relentless swirl of ornaments.

For all of Taylor’s considerable talents, your first impression as you listen will not be your amazement at his playing but rather with the instrument he plays. And your impression will be immediate and significant: this is a harpsichord the likes of which we rarely hear on a recording. It’s huge, and I mean huge; its tone is ringing and brilliant, but absolutely not twangy or clinky; the bass is incredibly clear yet it can boom so you feel it; there’s an extraordinary harmoniousness to the sonority across the length and breadth of strings and keyboard that gives you the true sensation of hearing not just strings being plucked but rather an embodying of sound that emanates from the entire instrument. It’s not only pleasing but strangely, deeply powerful.

So what is this amazing instrument? Good luck finding out more than an almost apologetic note at the bottom of the track listing: Ruckers-Hemsch Harpsichord 1636-1763/Anthony Sidey & Frédéric Bal. That’s it–and that’s a shame, because this instrument should receive equal billing to Taylor, or at the very least some thoughtful description in the notes. Is this a period instrument? A copy? What do those dates mean? Who is Hemsch? Who are Anthony Sidey and Frédéric Bal? Nothing. And good luck finding much without a determined online search.

Anyone who cares about harpsichords knows the name Ruckers, the famed, many would say unequalled, Flemish family of makers. These instruments were known for their construction–more robust than Italian models–and tone, described in one source as one in which “the energy imparted to the string by the initial pluck is not drained off so quickly.” This relatively slow dissipation gives a smoother quality to the sound compared to most other instruments of the period. Compared to a Ruckers, says the same source, most modern harpsichords sound “weak and wiry”, which is why most listeners today find their ears tiring after only a few minutes’ listening. And which is why it is so surprising to hear an instrument such as this one in full bloom.

Nevertheless, these original 16th- and 17th-century Ruckers instruments tended to be limited to a single keyboard encompassing around four octaves. In order to play the big solo works of later centuries, a “bigger” instrument was needed. So this is where the name Hemsch comes in: Henri Hemsch was an 18th-century Parisian instrument maker, one of many in the city at the time who also performed keyboard-instrument modifications called ravalement, or grand ravalement, a “refurbishing” that preserved the original sound of the instrument (at least retaining the sound board) while extending its range, sometimes adding a second keyboard.

So this partially explains the background of the harpsichord we hear on this recording–but how “original” is it? It turns out that Sidey and Bal are modern Paris-based instrument makers who happen to build and restore harpsichords–but what exactly did they do to the one in question? I still don’t know the answer to that–how hard could it have been to provide just a few lines of explanation? Yes I was able to track down some important details, but it shouldn’t have to take so much time and effort, not to mention needing to be able to read French, just to discover the reasons for the specialness of the instrument that gave me so much listening pleasure.

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Recording Details:

Album Title: La Famille Forqueray--Portrait(s)
  • FORQUERAY, ANTOINE:
    Prélude non mesuré en ré mineur; Suite pour trois violes (transc. for solo harpsichord by Justin Taylor)
  • FORQUERAY, JEAN-BAPTISTE:
    Première suite en ré mineur; Cinquième suite en do mineur
  • COUPERIN, FRANÇOIS:
    Troisième livre de pièces de clavecin ordre XVII (La superbe ou la Forqueray)
  • DUPHLY, JACQUES:
    Troisième livre de pièces de clavecin (La Forqueray)

    Soloists: Justin Taylor (harpsichord)

  • Record Label: Alpha - 247
  • Medium: CD

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