GRAUPNER

 

Partitas for Harpsichord – “Spring and Winter”

 

Geneviève Soly - harpsichord

 

The program on this recording covers nearly 35 years of Graupner’s creative output. It includes two works that have come down to us in original editions (from 1722 & 1733) and two in manuscript form, one of them autograph (c. 1750-1753), the other in the hand of Samuel Endler, Kapellmeister of the Darmstadt court (c. 1720). The titles, writes Graupner in his preface, have no pretension of being descriptive. The Four Partitas for the Harpsichord entitled The Four Seasons were published in Darmstadt in 1733 and engraved by Graupner himself. This was the last set of harpsichord pieces published by Graupner, who was aged 50 at the time. Unfortunately, only Winter, the first partita of the cycle, has come down to us.

 

“Soly is a formidable Graupnerian, performing a valuable service in editing, performing and generally rehabilitating the reputation of this gifted contemporary of Bach and Telemann.”

“Among other delights are some fine sarabandes and courantes.”

Nicholas Anderson BBC Music Magazine

 

Analekta AN29119