Louis vi

Young and aspiring musicians devoted to the performance of Baroque music are still having few problems finding composers whose works have remained in the recycle bin of history up until now. Louis-Antoine Dornel was an organist and composer active in Paris in the early decades of the eighteenth century. Much of his music has been lost, but enough records survive to suggest that he was well thought-of in his own day. The set of six suites recorded here was published in Paris in 1709.

When these suites by Louis Couperin were first issued their release coincided with Davitt Moroney's all-embracing survey for Harmonia Mundi, now on four CDs (4/90), of the composer's complete solo harpsichord music. Prior to that, the field belonged mainly to Gustav Leonhardt and Laurence Boulay (Harmonia Mundi and Erato, respectively—both nla). More recently, the French harpsichordist Blandine Verlet has entered the lists with two discs on Astree (see review above) with the promise, indeed assurance of more to come.

Jean-François Dandrieu, though largely forgotten today, was regarded as one of the finest composers of harpsichord music of his time, generally ranked just below Couperin and Rameau. He also produced much worthy chamber music, but only one rather insignificant piece for orchestra. If ever a composer's output were worthy of greater attention – indeed, of a full-scale revival – it is that of Dandrieu. Though his date of birth is not known, documentary evidence places it between September 11, 1681, and January 17, 1682. He came from a well-to-do family and showed rare musical talent in his early childhood. Before the age of 5, he gave a harpsichord concert for Princess Palatine Elisabeth-Charlotte of Bavaria and other royalty. His first teacher was composer and keyboard player Jean-Baptiste Moreau.

John Kitchen continues his much-lauded series of recordings from the instruments of the world-famous Roger Mirrey collection of keyboard instruments. Recorded in St Cecilia's Hall, Scotland's oldest purpose-built concert hall, this programme is specifically designed to highlight the unique qualities of the 1755 double-manual harpsichord by Luigi Baillon. Built in Cyteux, Burgundy, it has a very different sound from Parisian instruments of the time; cleaner and brighter in tone, it is the perfect vehicle for Kitchen's subtly nuanced playing, which brings the sophistication of the period to new life.