Brice Sailly has recorded pieces by "Mr. Couperin" on harpsichord, (p) 2021 Ricercar

This album of harpsichord works by “Mr Couperin” is an excellent demonstration of the concept that Ricercar’s recordings might, in a way, be regarded as individual pages in a history of music. Given that the autograph manuscripts of these pieces provide insufficient proof for an exact identification of the composer, research carried out by specialists in the field, Glen Wilson in particular, has led us to accept that not every work in this collection of pieces for harpsichord is by Louis Couperin, the eldest of the three Couperin brothers.

24 pieces, believed to be from the Couperin family, are assembled for this recording. The tie holding them together is the question of the author; are they from all the same pen? Or from which Couperin do they belong? While the answers to these questions are still open to conjecture, they are brought to life here in a clear and affective recording.

Auditioned with headphones, I could well be sitting next to Mr. Sailly, or else be in his seat. The recording is close and captures well a beautiful sounding clavecin, tempered in its tuning with enough color to enliven the pieces' harmonic language.

Sailly's performances helped me notice, perhaps more here than in other recordings by Louis and François Couperin, the important leading role the bass has; I found myself following the bass line more often than not, and how Sailly uses the bass to form his phrase units, which to me, made for smart interpretations.

While the pieces on this record don't form neat suites, per se, they are grouped by key. The best well-known to me is the great Passacaglia in C, track 23 on the disc. The repetition of the theme is somewhat of a curious invention; perhaps the piece might be better described as a rondo-passacaille; it is reminiscent to me of a mechanical device that would have been developed at this time—a clock or music box that would accurately reproduce the same theme time after time. If one wants to channel such devices in interpretation, the resurgence of the theme each time might call for a mechanically-accurate reproduction each time; Mr. Sailly thankfully indulges in some rubato as the piece develops.

Another piece worth mention is La Piémontoise, whose harmonic progressions lead it into a mindfield of color, at least with Mr. Sailly's harpsichord. It's the type of experience, clearly articulated here, that you simply won't get from a rendition on piano. I thought it was particularly stunning.

In short, this is a great recounting of pieces from the famous Bauyn manuscript of pieces that, perhaps wholesale, were attributed to Louis Couperin; the precise authors really shouldn't matter for our enjoyment; each here are rendered with sensitive playing.

Recommended.