Description
Pieces de clavessin is the only available critical edition of Gaspard Le Roux’s 1705 publication. It contains a cycle of seven suites that represent some of the most charming harpsichord pieces of the Grand siècle. A substantial preface dissects what we thought we knew about Le Roux and, by examining surviving records, a more plausible account has been provided. Also discussed is the genesis of the volume, the other surviving print and manuscript sources, and Le Roux’s instructions for the suites’ performance on two harpsichords or as trio sonatas. An erudite section by a leading authority on French baroque music, David Ledbetter, discusses ornamentation and performance practice.
