What a splendid offering! I haven’t heard this kind of harpsichord duet playing since the grand collaborations of Igor Kipnis and Thurston Dart. The harpsichordists here, Luc Beauséjour and Hervé Niquet complement one another with great style and wit, allowing all the imbued vitality, panache, and elegance of this music to just about leap from the speakers. This is one of those all-too-rare instances when the performers seemingly become invisible in the service of the composer, thereby allowing the listener to hear the contemporary freshness of music too often dismissed as dated and excessively stylized. Some favorite moments: the third movement “Gayement” from the Sonata in G major by Boismortier, and the equally compelling “Sarabande” of the Sonata in D major by Leclair, with its pensive, introspective musical line and tumbling cascades of notes. Beauséjour and Niquet exploit this wonderful texture with elegance and grace.
Analekta’s usual, thoughtful presentation enhances the fine music making, and includes informative notes written by the performers. While I’ve been familiar with Beauséjour for some time as a fine keyboard performer, this is my first encounter with Niquet apart from his activities as a choral conductor. He is certainly a major talent. The recorded sound is quite good–a somewhat dry acoustic lends an apt crispness and sparkle to the sound of the instruments. Recommended to all!
