Verlet

Blandine Verlet, the noted French harpsichordist, studied with Ruggiero Gerlin and Ralph Kirkpatrick. She began recording in the late 1970s for Philips, switching to the Astree label in the 1990s. Her recordings range from J.S. Bach's keyboard works to Froberger to lesser known composers such as Louis Couperin and Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre. This, her second recording of the Goldbergs, has been called "one of the finest harpsichord versions in the catalogue.

Blandine Verlet is now one of the last living legends of the harpsichord. After a few years of absence, she has joined the label Aparté with a programme dedicated to Francois Couperin's harpsichord music, recorded on a sumptuous Hemsch of 1751 upon which she already performed Goldberg Variations in 1993. Throughout these pieces with evocative titles (Les Amusements, the Raphaèle, the delights, the Poppies, the Wandering Shadows ..) she reveals an artist with a voice more than inspired, powerful and constantly renewed.

Un clavecin parfait (William Dowd probablement d'après Blanchet, ce qui se faisait peut-être de mieux en ce début des années 1970), brillant, assez tonique mais suffisamment puissant et riche pour exprimer la grandeur de cette musique. Une Blandine Verlet qui a bien travaillé son texte et est ici un modèle de concentration, d'éloquence et surtout de cantabile: elle fait chanter ces pièces de manière sculptée sur un tempo très raisonnable et sans ces libertés rythmiques que certains (pas forcément à tort) lui reprocheront parfois.

As the foremost representative of one of the most illustrious musical dynasties in history, Francois Couperin achieved distinction in every contemporary genre except opera. But it was in his pieces for the harpsichord that he revealed his personality – La Couperin, from the 21st Ordre, is a witty self-portrait (marked "with moderate vivacity"!).

Blandine Verlet, a noted French harpsichordist, studied with Ruggiero Gerlin and Ralph Kirkpatrick. She began recording in the late 1970s for Philips, switching to the Astree label in the 1990s. Her recordings range from J.S. Bach's keyboard works to Froberger to lesser known composers such as Louis Couperin and Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre.

Blandine Verlet, a noted French harpsichordist, studied with Ruggiero Gerlin and Ralph Kirkpatrick. She began recording in the late 1970s for Philips, switching to the Astree label in the 1990s. Her recordings range from J.S. Bach's keyboard works to Froberger to lesser known composers such as Louis Couperin and Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre. Her second recording of the Goldberg Variations, in 1992, has been called "one of the finest harpsichord versions in the catalog." With violinist Gerard Poulet she has recorded early violin sonatas by Mozart, using the older Baroque keyboard instruments rather than a fortepiano or modern piano. Verlet has also worked with flutist Stephen Preston and viola da gambist Jordi Savall. Her playing is noted for her control and restraint in not letting emotion carry her away.