Outstanding harpsichordist Luc Beauséjour has done the unexpected. Analekta is proud to present his brand new recording, Baroque Session on Piano, which once again raises the question of whether works intended for the harpsichord should be played on the piano. Luc Beauséjour answers the question by playing. For however many pianists have played Bach, Scarlatti, Handel, Rameau or even Couperin and Froberger, few harpsichordists have championed the harpsichord repertoire on the modern piano. Moving from a plucked‐spring instrument to the struck strings of the piano, the keyboardist noted a number of features that distinguish the two instruments: “One of the differences between the harpsichord and the piano is obviously the duration of the sounds,” he explains, “but contrary to what you might think, this has only a limited impact on the phrasing and the development of musical ideas. On the other hand, use of the pedal leads in many cases to highly interesting results. If it doesn’t muddle the harmonies, it allows for fantastic watercolor effects!” Luc Beauséjour has made a selection of German, Italian, French and English pieces from the Baroque period, a repertoire in which he has become a performer of choice. He has chosen first of all two sparkling sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti (K.1 and K. 159), a Ground by Henry Purcell, Georg Böhm’s Prelude, Fugue and Postlude, excerpts from Jean‐Philippe Rameau’s Les Indes galantes, Johann Sebastien Bach’s Toccata in E minor, BWV 914, and the same composer’s magnificent transcription for solo keyboard – BWV 974 – of Alessandro Marcello’s Concerto in D minor for Oboe and Springs. He rounds the recording off with an PRESS RELEASE early‐Baroque Corrente by Girolamo Frescobaldi, a Pavane by Louis Couperin, and finally George Frideric Handel’s exquisite Suite in D minor, HWV 437. The final word belongs to the performer, who provides a concise summary of his musical journey: “In any event, what matters here, as is always the case in music, is the pleasure of playing and of introducing listeners to the works of these great composers. And this project has provided me with considerable pleasure – I only hope you’ll enjoy every bit as much!” Baroque Session on Piano is Luc Beauséjour’s 24th recording for Analekta, but his first at the piano.
