It is always such a joy to hear the optimal sound of a harpsichord when it is recorded close to the strings and not somewhere in the corner of the next room. Mjammie!
*_Notes based in part on an article by David Fuller in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. S. Sadie {London, 1979) 1/1_* François Dieupart, French harpsichordist, violinist and composer was active in London during the first half of the eighteenth century. Though his English contemporaries knew him as Charles, an autograph letter in French found with the first edition of Six Suittes de Clavessin (Bibliothegue Nationale, Paris), is signed "F. Dieupart." A French notarial act of 1714 (cited by P. Hardouin in Revuede Musicologie, XLI, 1958) mentions a François Dieupart living in the parish of St. James, Westminster. It is possible, though by no means certain, that this is the same man. Hardouin also cites a François Dieupart, père, a Parisian candlemaker whose marriage in 1667 may provide a terminus a quo for the lifetime of the musician, whose dates remain unconfirmed. Dieupart's instrumental music for Motteux's interlude "Britain's Happiness" (performed at the Drury Lane Theatre in March, 1704) provides the earliest dated record of his activities in England. The following year he collaborated with Clayton and Haym at the same theatre in the production of "Arsinoe." The eighteenth century music historian, Sir John Hawkins, credits Dieupart, together with Clayton and Haym, with promoting Italian opera in England. The Drury Lane enterprise involved some of the leading performers of the day: Valentini, Nicolini, Signora Margarita de l'Epine and Mrs. Tofts sang in the productions; and among the orchestra players were Dieupart, Pepusch, Loeillet and Haym. After the collapse of the Drury Lane enterprise in 1711, Clayton, Haym and Dieupart established a concert series in the York Buildings, described in The Spectator (no. 258, December 26, 1711; no. 278, January 18, 1712). The details surrounding the next years of Dieupart's life are purely conjectural. Hawkins reports at one point that he divided his time between playing violin in the" opera band" and teaching harpsichord; and at another, that he devoted himself entirely to teaching harpsichord and "in the capacity of a master of that instrument had admission into some of the best families in the kingdom." Paul Brunold, in the introduction to the I'Oiseau Lyre edition (1938) of the harpsichord suites, recounts a bizarre story involving a trip to the Indies. Hawkins says that he died advanced in years and in "necessitated circumstances" about 1740. Dieupart's Six Suittes de Clavessin were published by Estienne Roger of Amsterdam (n. d.). They were dedicated to Elizabeth, Countess of Sandwich, daughter of John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester. The wording of the dedication suggests that she may have been Dieupart's pupil, or at the very least that she was already familiar with some of the suites at the time of publication. A second printing of the Roger edition, parts only, appeared in 1702 with the title Six Suittes à un dessus & basse. Nearly all the pieces were included in a manuscript written by the Englishman Charles Babell and dated 1702. And several of the pieces were reprinted by the English publisher Walsh in Select Lessons for the Harpsichord (again, without date). Dieupart's treatment of the suite as a form with a fixed number of movements in a fixed order was without precedent in French harpsichord music. In only one suite is the order altered: in the second suite (not included in this recording) a passepied is substituted for the menuet. Also without precedent, two versions were published simultaneously, one for solo harpsichord, and one for a treble instrument and figured bass. The practice of alternative instrumentation to a solo scoring came to be widespread within the next twenty years. Though Dieupart's influence was widely felt in his time, it is not generally recognized today. It would seem that François Couperin drew upon Dieupart's ideas, as did Le Roux and Händel. J. S. Bach copied two of Dieupart's suites in his own hand: the first in A Major and the sixth in f minor. It is difficult to hear the ouverture of Dieupart's b minor suite (no. 3) without remembering Bach's Ouverture in the French Style, also in b minor. The g minor and F Major English Suite preludes are reminiscent of Dieupart's ouverture l in e minor and b minor respectively. In the prelude of the A Major English Suite of Bach one hears a subject from Dieupart's A Major gigue. Bach even transcribed the earlier composer's trill at the same point in his own theme, as if in tribute. In addition to the Six Suittes de Clavessin, Schering, in his Geschichte des Instrumental Konzerts (Leipzig, 1927), reports a manuscript in Dresden containing five "Konzertierende Sinfonien," including a sonata in strict church Style for double orchestra and flutes and a heavily scored concerto with oboes and trumpets. Other works include: Six Sonatas for Flute (London, 1717); Overture and Chaconne for the opera "Thomyris" (London, 1708); thirty-three Airs and Chansons (some with flute parts), twenty-seven of which appeared in the Musical Miscellany from 1729 to 1731 Notes based in part on an article by David Fuller in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. S. Sadie {London, 1979)
Thank you, Harpsichord Vinyl Gallery and Robert Tifft, for another fantastic album uploaded to TH-cam. The recording certainly hit the spot for me at 00:48 this early Sunday morning. 😀
You mean the continuous French thrillers? I only heard this recording myself quite recently, but what. a recording it is in my perception! They should have released it on Compact Disc as they did not do with so many other wonderful Titanic recordings. Thanks for the positive comment
@HarpsichordVinylGallery I'm sorry. I meant the time at which I was listening to the upload, which was at 00:48 in the morning. The recording was an excellent listen, and it's a shame they didn't release it for compact disk.
@HarpsichordVinylGallery Yes, it is early. Working the night shift makes me have odd sleeping patterns. Your information about each recording is always helpful. Thank you. 😊
It is always such a joy to hear the optimal sound of a harpsichord when it is recorded close to the strings and not somewhere in the corner of the next room. Mjammie!
It's no wonder J.S. Bach was taken with these beautiful suites. Thank you so much for making this recording available!
*_Notes based in part on an article by David Fuller in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. S. Sadie {London, 1979) 1/1_*
François Dieupart, French harpsichordist, violinist and composer was active in London during the
first half of the eighteenth century. Though his English contemporaries knew him as Charles,
an autograph letter in French found with the first edition of Six Suittes de Clavessin (Bibliothegue
Nationale, Paris), is signed "F. Dieupart." A French notarial act of 1714 (cited by P. Hardouin in
Revuede Musicologie, XLI, 1958) mentions a François Dieupart living in the parish of St. James,
Westminster. It is possible, though by no means certain, that this is the same man.
Hardouin also cites a François Dieupart, père, a Parisian candlemaker whose marriage in 1667
may provide a terminus a quo for the lifetime of the musician, whose dates remain unconfirmed.
Dieupart's instrumental music for Motteux's interlude "Britain's Happiness" (performed at the Drury
Lane Theatre in March, 1704) provides the earliest dated record of his activities in England.
The following year he collaborated with Clayton and Haym at the same theatre in the production
of "Arsinoe." The eighteenth century music historian, Sir John Hawkins, credits Dieupart,
together with Clayton and Haym, with promoting Italian opera in England. The Drury Lane enterprise
involved some of the leading performers of the day: Valentini, Nicolini, Signora Margarita de l'Epine
and Mrs. Tofts sang in the productions; and among the orchestra players were Dieupart, Pepusch,
Loeillet and Haym. After the collapse of the Drury Lane enterprise in 1711, Clayton, Haym and
Dieupart established a concert series in the York Buildings, described in The Spectator (no. 258,
December 26, 1711; no. 278, January 18, 1712).
The details surrounding the next years of Dieupart's life are purely conjectural. Hawkins reports at
one point that he divided his time between playing violin in the" opera band" and teaching harpsichord;
and at another, that he devoted himself entirely to teaching harpsichord and "in the capacity of a master
of that instrument had admission into some of the best families in the kingdom." Paul Brunold, in the
introduction to the I'Oiseau Lyre edition (1938) of the harpsichord suites, recounts a bizarre story
involving a trip to the Indies. Hawkins says that he died advanced in years and in "necessitated
circumstances" about 1740.
Dieupart's Six Suittes de Clavessin were published by Estienne Roger of Amsterdam (n. d.). They
were dedicated to Elizabeth, Countess of Sandwich, daughter of John Wilmot, Second Earl
of Rochester. The wording of the dedication suggests that she may have been Dieupart's pupil, or
at the very least that she was already familiar with some of the suites at the time of publication.
A second printing of the Roger edition, parts only, appeared in 1702 with the title Six Suittes à un
dessus & basse. Nearly all the pieces were included in a manuscript written by the Englishman
Charles Babell and dated 1702. And several of the pieces were reprinted by the English publisher
Walsh in Select Lessons for the Harpsichord (again, without date).
Dieupart's treatment of the suite as a form with a fixed number of movements in a fixed order was
without precedent in French harpsichord music. In only one suite is the order altered: in the
second suite (not included in this recording) a passepied is substituted for the menuet. Also without
precedent, two versions were published simultaneously, one for solo harpsichord, and one for
a treble instrument and figured bass. The practice of alternative instrumentation to a solo scoring
came to be widespread within the next twenty years.
Though Dieupart's influence was widely felt in his time, it is not generally recognized today. It would
seem that François Couperin drew upon Dieupart's ideas, as did Le Roux and Händel. J. S. Bach
copied two of Dieupart's suites in his own hand: the first in A Major and the sixth in f minor. It is
difficult to hear the ouverture of Dieupart's b minor suite (no. 3) without remembering Bach's Ouverture
in the French Style, also in b minor. The g minor and F Major English Suite preludes are reminiscent
of Dieupart's ouverture l in e minor and b minor respectively. In the prelude of the A Major English
Suite of Bach one hears a subject from Dieupart's A Major gigue. Bach even transcribed the earlier
composer's trill at the same point in his own theme, as if in tribute.
In addition to the Six Suittes de Clavessin, Schering, in his Geschichte des Instrumental Konzerts
(Leipzig, 1927), reports a manuscript in Dresden containing five "Konzertierende Sinfonien,"
including a sonata in strict church Style for double orchestra and flutes and a heavily scored concerto
with oboes and trumpets.
Other works include: Six Sonatas for Flute (London, 1717); Overture and Chaconne for the opera
"Thomyris" (London, 1708); thirty-three Airs and Chansons (some with flute parts), twenty-seven
of which appeared in the Musical Miscellany from 1729 to 1731
Notes based in part on an article by David Fuller in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. S. Sadie {London, 1979)
🎼✨✨✨ grazie!
Th🙂nks!
Excellent! 👏👏👏👏👏
🙂
Thank you, Harpsichord Vinyl Gallery and Robert Tifft, for another fantastic album uploaded to TH-cam. The recording certainly hit the spot for me at 00:48 this early Sunday morning. 😀
You mean the continuous French thrillers? I only heard this recording myself quite recently, but what. a recording it is in my perception! They should have released it on Compact Disc as they did not do with so many other wonderful Titanic recordings. Thanks for the positive comment
@HarpsichordVinylGallery I'm sorry. I meant the time at which I was listening to the upload, which was at 00:48 in the morning. The recording was an excellent listen, and it's a shame they didn't release it for compact disk.
@@Mattostar-z2d Wow, you could call that early in the morning indeed! Hopefully it was helpful.
@HarpsichordVinylGallery Yes, it is early. Working the night shift makes me have odd sleeping patterns. Your information about each recording is always helpful. Thank you. 😊
That is how Dieupart must be played!
So I am not the only one who thought that after listening to the first suite. 🙂