Les Graces, La Felix

An exact contemporary of C.P.E. Bach, Frenchman Jacques Duphly (1715-1789) was one of the most significant harpsichordists of his era. This was a time of momentous changes, both in music history and, of course, in France generally. Duphly died the day after the Bastille was stormed in Paris. The harpsichord’s role as solo instrument was in decline, though Duphly strove to pass the treasured literature and techniques of performance to a new generation of players. His original compositions are relatively few (about 50), for he spent far more time teaching than composing. However, pieces like La Félix (a highly ornamented work from Book II of Pièces de clavecin) and the darker Les Graces (Book III) amply show that Duphly could translate theory and pedagogy into practice.

(c) Jason Stell