Alienor Preludes for Harpsichord (SLP 140067)

Works by:

Rudy Davenport
Thomas Donahue
Pablo Escande
Edward Gerber
Andrew Gustar
Kent Holliday
Janine Johnson
Rachel Laurin
Ronald McKean
Philip Underwood

This volume of Aliénor Preludes includes the Honorable Mention Winners of the 2008 Composition Competition. Along with creating compositions that possess the pertinent qualities stated above, the 2008 entrants were instructed to use “L’art de toucher le clavecin” by François Couperin as inspiration. Each piece included in Aliénor Preludes is from a larger suite by its composer. They were chosen to demonstrate specific technical applications and specifically arranged to tell the larger story of modern harpsichord music. In short, the purpose of Aliénor Preludes is to further educate and to push the limits of the amateur harpsichordist.

The Aliénor Composition Competition debuted in 1982 to encourage composers to write new music for the harpsichord. Each quadrennial call for entries includes the specific directive that 1) each piece must be appropriate for amateur harpsichordists to enjoy and play at home (not too easy or too difficult); 2) the music must demonstrate originality and ingenuity to sustain a wider interest, appealing to the ear while sparking the imagination.

The harpsichord is a survivor. After close to a century of neglect, corresponding to the rise of today’s modern piano, enthusiasts have breathed new life into this instrument, reviving it to flourish with new possibilities in the 21st Century. In this modern world dominated by complex mechanics and amplified, synthetic sounds, the harpsichord stands with confidence as a model of acoustic simplicity and refined intimacy. However, to ensure this instrument’s longevity, new harpsichord music is essential to inspire fresh interest and reinvigorate loyal enthusiasm.

Included with the publication is CD recorded by harpsichordist Elaine Funaro of all the published works.

More information about Aliénor is available online at http://www.harpsichord-now.org.

Select Current Catalog for latest price.