Search - Francois Couperin :: Couperin: Concerts royaux

Good material made boring.

Nancy Moran | Baltimore, Maryland USA | 10/26/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Played without enthusiasm. No contrast between fast and slow. Feels half-speed throughout. Continuo and harpsichord appear to be out of sync with flute in a number of places. Lacking the spirit of the French Baroque. Recording is muddled. Does a disservice to Couperin and his era."

Not that bad

scott | Calgary, Canada | 01/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Other reviews of this recording have been very harsh, but I don't think the situation is really that grim. I have owned this for years now, and must admit that I have never listened to it much, and was of the mind that it was a bit dull. I finally listened to it again recently, and at one point I perked up and thought to myself, "this is really quite a good performance". It goes without saying, of course, that the music itself is quite fine.



The baroque flute always has a somewhat languid and aloof quality to its sound, and I don't think Robert Claire is by any means inferior to, say Lisa Beznosiuk, Rachel Brown, Bart Kuijken or Marc Hantai. Also, I don't hear that the continuo is ever out of sync with the flute. I won't go so far as to say this recording is a revelation, or the best these works can sound, but it is solid, and I think a good performance overall."