I heard this on the radio this morning and it completely floored me. I have to admit I’ve never been very aware of Rameau. He’s a contemporary of Lully and Couperin, who I know slightly better. I thought I wasn’t a big fan of solo harpsichord, because it always seemed slightly cold to me (skeletons copulating on a corrugated tin roof…)
But this is completely beautiful and passionate and…Rocking!
I’m not sure this is the best version, but once I find the best version, and save up all my money, I’m getting this!
skeletons copulating on a corrugated tin roof –
“wriggle that pelvis down the ripples of my farm shack”
all I can imagine now is the un-dead being hot to trot – I do have (boring) paper work in front of me – any distraction and I’m off in my imagination… tune kicks in after about 2 minutes – like it.
Sod Beecham! This is lovely!
It’s amazing how music possesses us- listening to this I find it quite formal- those trills to end phrases, the carefully measured bass lines, the “harpsichord riffs”.
That’s not to say you aren’t “right” about it being passionate, of course you are.
We saw a fantastic live performance of the Bach cello suites last week, it seemed incredibly spontaneous and inspiring. If I were to post a clip of it here, you’d no doubt respond as I have above, noting the formality of the structure, etc.
What a wonderful thing music is…
I’m sorry, Nilpferd, but I like this, and quite a few other people do as well. So if you don’t, you might want to seek psychological help to figure out why.
Actually, the problem might be that this is French music and the clip I posted is played by an Englishman, but apparently, it’s much better played by an American who has studied French phrasing and gained French citizenship… Try this…
I do understand the “formality” thing. I think that part of what I find so exciting about this is that you can hear the places where he’s being rebellious…he actually wrote a treatise on harmony that completely uprooted all the ideas of harmonic propriety at the time. We went to a used record store today and I found a CD of this, and I’m completely just smitten.
Thanks for listening, one and all.
Just had my first session.. my psychiatrist explained to me that I have to learn to love the harpsichord sound… she gave me a few tips like tying tin cans to my shoes and jingling the change in my pockets as I walk, getting one of those old beds with really squeaky springs, etc… I’m working on it.
As for the reasons for my phobia.. apparently I’ve got deeply submerged issues with those tinkly wind chime mobiles which hung in nearly everybody’s porch when I was a child, it’s all coming back to me now.
Thanks for getting me back on the straight road Steen, this has been very cathartic. It’s an emotional moment for me, but here goes… this is my very first ever post of a piece of harpsichord music…
http://open.spotify.com/track/2akqjwBZxyDIEJEJXq4Cvx
Excellent progress, Nilpferd! They’ve made wonderful advances in the crucial field of musical aversion therapy. It’s taken me decades of very expensive sessions to get to the point you’ve arrived at in such a short time.
I hate to admit it, but I’ve just regressed- (couldn’t stand all the hammering). The squeaky mattress is out- I’m on a waterbed tonight, and I’ve had to put little neoprene covers on my keys.