Jean Henri Hemsch

On this collection of three albums, Jos van Immerseel performs the music by seven masters of 18th century Paris on three historical harpsichords - some of the finest jewels in the Musée de la musique of Philharmonie de Paris: Jean-Henri Hemsch harpsichord, 1761; Ruckers-Taskin harpsichord, 1646/1780; Goujon harpsichord, 1749, restored by Swanen in 1784. Jos van Immerseel, who reappears on Channel Classics Records where he released his first recordings in the 1990s, pays homage to some of the composers who have accompanied him since the beginning of his prestigious career as a harpsichordist. The composers featured on these albums are often mentioned in the same breath, yet each has their own and completely unique style. In Jos van Immerseel's words: "Louis Marchand has whimsical and surprising turns, François Couperin is known for musical regality, Jean-Philippe Rameau portrays theatrical and folk influences, Antoine Forqueray speaks a daring language of the devil's gamba, Jacques Duphly makes the harpsichord sing, Claude Balbastre is a revolutionary challenger, and Armand-Louis Couperin wavers between brilliance and parting pain".

On this collection of three albums, Jos van Immerseel performs the music by seven masters of 18th century Paris on three historical harpsichords - some of the finest jewels in the Musée de la musique of Philharmonie de Paris: Jean-Henri Hemsch harpsichord, 1761; Ruckers-Taskin harpsichord, 1646/1780; Goujon harpsichord, 1749, restored by Swanen in 1784. Jos van Immerseel, who reappears on Channel Classics Records where he released his first recordings in the 1990s, pays homage to some of the composers who have accompanied him since the beginning of his prestigious career as a harpsichordist. The composers featured on these albums are often mentioned in the same breath, yet each has their own and completely unique style. In Jos van Immerseel's words: "Louis Marchand has whimsical and surprising turns, François Couperin is known for musical regality, Jean-Philippe Rameau portrays theatrical and folk influences, Antoine Forqueray speaks a daring language of the devil's gamba, Jacques Duphly makes the harpsichord sing, Claude Balbastre is a revolutionary challenger, and Armand-Louis Couperin wavers between brilliance and parting pain".

An organist at the Chapelle Royale de Versailles alongside François Couperin, François d’Agincour rubbed shoulders with the likes of Scarlatti, Bach, Handel and Rameau. Lesser known than his famous counterparts, this Normandy-born musician, who later moved to Paris, never created any operas or grandiose motets that could have established him as one of the greats in the musical hall of fame. Instead, he left behind a collection of organ pieces that has yet to be published, a few arias and this beautiful Livre de Pièces de clavecin from 1733 that was dedicated to Queen Marie Leszczinska, the wife of Louis XV… which is just glorious.

Organiste de la Chapelle Royale de Versailles aux côtés de François Couperin, François d’Agincour est l’exact contemporain de Scarlatti, Bach, Haendel et Rameau. Moins connu que ses glorieux collègues, ce Normand monté à Paris ne laisse ni opéras ni motets grandioses qui auraient pu consacrer sa gloire, mais un recueil de pièces d’orgue encore inédit, quelques airs et ce beau Livre de Pièces de clavecin de 1733, dédié à la reine Marie Leszczinska, l’épouse de Louis XV, ce qui est déjà en soit un beau titre de gloire.

On this collection of three albums, Jos van Immerseel performs the music by seven masters of 18th century Paris on three historical harpsichords - some of the finest jewels in the Musée de la musique of Philharmonie de Paris: Jean-Henri Hemsch harpsichord, 1761; Ruckers-Taskin harpsichord, 1646/1780; Goujon harpsichord, 1749, restored by Swanen in 1784. Jos van Immerseel, who reappears on Channel Classics Records where he released his first recordings in the 1990s, pays homage to some of the composers who have accompanied him since the beginning of his prestigious career as a harpsichordist. The composers featured on these albums are often mentioned in the same breath, yet each has their own and completely unique style. In Jos van Immerseel's words: "Louis Marchand has whimsical and surprising turns, François Couperin is known for musical regality, Jean-Philippe Rameau portrays theatrical and folk influences, Antoine Forqueray speaks a daring language of the devil's gamba, Jacques Duphly makes the harpsichord sing, Claude Balbastre is a revolutionary challenger, and Armand-Louis Couperin wavers between brilliance and parting pain".

Dans ce coffret de trois albums, Jos van Immerseel enregistre sept maîtres parisiens du XVIIIème siècle sur trois clavecins historiques, parmi les pièces les plus exceptionnelles du Musée de la musique de la Philharmonie de Paris : un clavecin Jean-Henri Hemsch de 1761, un Ruckers-Taskin de 1646 (modifié en 1780 par le second) et un Goujon de 1749 (restauré par Swanen en 1784).