For his tenth Avie release, Daniel-Ben Pienaar flies the flag for the enigmatic French composer Gaspard Le Roux, by re-imagining his only published work – the exquisite “Pièces de clavessin” from 1705 – for its first ever recording on the modern piano.

Daniel-Ben distils the performing possibilities, explaining, “For this first recording of these Suites on piano – in both the do-it-yourself spirit of the score, and also in that of inviting the modern listener to treat Le Roux’s set as ‘art object’ – I have fashioned a version where I conflate Le Roux’s solo harpsichord and trio iterations of the same music, adding some of the extra inner voices or descants from the trios to the keyboard version on repeats, but in such a way that the delicate poise and occasionally elliptical voice-leading of the original keyboard score would still be largely maintained.”

GASPARD LE ROUX (c.1670–c.1706)
COMPLETE KEYBOARD SUITES (Pièces de clavessin – 1705)
(Performed on a modern Steinway model D)

CD 1:
Suite in D Minor
1. I. Prelude
2. II. Allemande la Vauvert
3. III. Courante
4. IV. Sarabande grave
5. V. Menuet
6. VI. Passepied
VII. Courante luthée

Suite in D Major
8. I. Allemande grave
9. II. Courante
10. III. Sarabande gaye
11. IV. Gavotte

Suite in A Minor
12. I. Prelude
13. II. Allemande l’Incomparable
14. III. Courante
15. IV. Sarabande
16. V. Sarabande en Rondeau
17. VI. Gavotte
18. VII. Menuet et Double, Second Menuet

Suite in A Major
19. I. Allemande gaye
20. II. Courante la Venetiene
21. III. Gigue

Suite in F Major
22. I. Prelude
23. II. Allemande grave
24. III. Courante
25. IV. Chacone
26. V. Menuet, Double, Double de la Basse
27. VI. Passepied
28. VII. Allemande

CD 2:
Suite in F Sharp Minor
1. I. Allemande gaye
2. II. Courante et Double
3. III. Sarabande grave en rondeau
4. IV. La Favoritte

Suite in G Minor
5. I. Prelude
6. II. Allemande
7. III. Courante
8. IV. Le Bel-ebat
9. V. La Piece sans titre
10. VI. Gigue
11. VII. Sarabande en 12 Couplets
12. VIII. Menuet

13. Gigue in G Major for 2 harpsichords (arr. for solo piano by Daniel-Ben Pienaar)

Recorded the 5th and 6th of March 2022 at the Concert Hall, Cardiff School of Music, the first CD of this brilliantly pleasing, witty and affecting new recording opens on Suite in D Minor: which itself first reveals the elegant Prelude, the dainty Allemande la Vauvert, the stirring Courante and the simply lovely Sarabande grave and then we get the strident Menuet, the scintillating Passepied, rounding out on the luxuriant Courante luthée.

Along next is Suite in D Major: which itself opens on the flourishing Allemande grave, the lush Courante and then comes the duo of the buoyant Sarabande gaye and the vibrant Gavotte; which are in turn backed by Suite in A Minor: which begins with the flared Prelude, the showy Allemande l’Incomparable and the strident Courante, and then we get brought forth the delicate Sarabande, the confident Sarabande en Rondeau, the perky Gavotte, ending on the dedicated Menuet et Double, Second Menuet.

Up next is Suite in A Major: which opens with the assured Allemande gaye before bringing us the sanguine Courante la Venetiene before quickly closing on the steeped Gigue; and then comes Suite in F Major: which begins with the articulate Prelude and the dulcet Allemande grave before the flowered Courante, the thoughtful Chacone, the flirtatious Menuet, Double, Double de la Basse, and the cheerful Passepied and the queitly sculpted Allemande are upon us.

The second CD opens on Suite in F Sharp Minor: and which begins with the radiant Allemande gaye and then we get the embracing Courante et Double, the agreeable Sarabande grave en rondeau, rounding out on the precise nature within La Favoritte; then comes Suite in G Minor: which itself opens on the assured Prelude, the brisk Allemande, the spry Courante and the bustling Le Bel-ebat and then we get the nimble La Piece sans titre, the adept Gigue, and both the cultured Sarabande en 12 Couplets and the comforting Menuet; the set closing on the energetically robust Gigue in G Major for 2 harpsichords (arr. for solo piano by Daniel-Ben Pienaar).

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