Leonhardt's couperin

Talking of Louis Couperin, one may have to refer to his German contemporary Johann Froberger. Gustav Leonhardt's pioneering 1962 Froberger recital (played on a gorgeous 1640 Ruckers instrument) was long favored on a DHM LP and was released in its entirety again for CD first in Japan, then in Germany recently. What are everybody's favorite Froberger recordings? I am now listening to a CPO 2-disc set with the title "the Strasbourg Manuscript" performed by Ludger Remy. I didn't know of any previous recording by Remy as a harpsichordist, only as a conductor of vocal works. Is there any recommended recording for this apparently gifted musician from the group also? Thanks.

 

I just tried to listen to Assi Karttunen's Froberger record and was bored to death. Then I switched to Moroney's Byrd and I came back from the dead. Froberger - not my cup of tea. Glenn Gould's Byrd is also interesting - his Philips Great Pianists 2-cd is a treasure, although (or because) there is none of his Bach. Masolino, I think Oscar Wilde meant that Life imitates fart far more than fart imitates Life.

 

Hi Bat, why talk fart when there is art? And, if you can't stand Assi Karttunen, try Anssi Kartunen then.

 

Froberger is perhaps the most introvert and meditative composer ever. But I admit, that Moroney's Byrd stands comparation with almost everything.

 

Lutger Remy has made a splendid and dramatic expressive recording of Händels Eight great suites (first collection) on CPO. Strongly recommended.

My favorite Froberger interpretators are the austere and introvert Leonhardt as well as the above mentioned Lutger Remy and (excuse me RdS) Lars Ulrik Mortensen (on Kontrapunkt) . Of course Frobergers music is in essence introvert, but the more extrovert Remy and Mortensen adds an interesting perspective to the severe Leonhardt. I have got recordings by Bob van Asperen and Siegbert Rampe in my listening queue. At the moment my spare time for listening is limited.

 

Wanda Landowska once said something like that Chopin was the romantic Couperin. From that I recently got the idea that Landowska meant that literally - that Chopin was the reincarnation of Couperin. Landowska had a witch-like personality/appearance and perhaps she knew these things.

I have read that there are striking similarities in Couperin's and Chopin's music. But Chopin probably had not studied Couperin's music which was no more popular in the 1800's. The only explanation seem to be that Chopin remembered music that he had composed in his previous life as Couperin.

Further similarities are that both composers lived in Paris. Even their names, Fryderyk Chopin and Francois Couperin, are very similar.