Jean-francois Dandrieu: Noels (Pieces D'orgue); Pieces De Clavecin

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DANDRIEU Organ and harpsichord works • André Isoir (org); Olivier Baumont (hpd) • RADIO FRANCE 316041.42 (111:24)


This is a re-release of two albums whose contents were recorded by Radio France in 1987, and subsequently issued. Little is available of Jean-François Dandrieu outside of organ collections featuring an occasional work, so two discs of his music is most welcome on that count alone.


James Anthony, in his French Baroque Music from Beaujoyeulx to Rameau , has some unkind things to say about Dandrieu’s organ music. Quoting the composer’s desire for “noble and elegant simplicity,” Anthony states it “results in overall ennui for performer and listener.” I can’t claim to know what Isoir’s opinion was on the matter while playing these selections, but I find them to be charming miniatures that mix pieces in a serious French sacred vein with folk-flavored treats. Textures are always light, and flowing movement is maintained through Dandrieu’s command of counterpoint as a source of energy. Contrast is a strong element in their favor: The haunting “Flûtes” (whose parts mostly avoid the cliché of winds moving in thirds) in the D-Minor Suite is followed by a songful, two-part canon, Basse du cromorne , which in turn leads to the one of the lengthiest and most majestic pieces in the collection, an Offertoire that is a theme and variations. The four suites presented here are each preceded and followed by one of those noëls which drew crowds who loved the tunes and wished to hear their favorite church organists display their virtuosity.


Dandrieu’s harpsichord works were regarded by some of his contemporaries as equal in quality to those of François Couperin, and that’s high praise indeed. Most of the pieces reside at a level of complexity far beyond style brisé , though the latter makes an appearance in La Tranquille and the theme of La Fastueuse et cinq variations . The thematic profile overall is very high, and the harmonic treatment unfailingly distinctive.


The performances by André Isoir are unfailingly effective, with an excellent selection of stops. Olivier Baumont in turn is fine, though he has a tendency sometimes to rush basic tempos—as in L’Harmonieuse, La Patétique , and again in La Lully: Ouverture, which misses the grandeur of the piece’s opening section, and creates little sense of contrast with its second. Based on acquaintance with Baumont’s more recent recordings, I suspect he’d feature less hectic performances in such pieces if he were to record the same material over again today. And when he isn’t pushing here, he phrases elastically to strong effect. La lyre d’Orphée and La Fidèle both benefit from the additional breathing space this provides.


The instruments deserve a mention as well. Baumont performs on a 1750 Benoist Stehlin harpsichord—one of three surviving instruments from his workshop—that once belonged to the composer Bernard Jumentier. It is a bit dry and hard (at least, as recorded here) but very clear. The Jean-Boizard Organ at the Abbey of Saint Michel-en-Thiérache that Isoir plays apparently is blessed. No other conclusion is possible. It escaped a fire in 1715; avoided being gutted in 1791 when the abbey was purchased, before the s ans-culottes could get to it; was passed over when organ pipes were frequently requisitioned during World War I for their metal; and missed a second disastrous fire in 1971 because it had been dismantled for restoration. Its sound is pleasantly varied, and each note, tonally distinct, without any mechanical noise.


There’s a lot more of Dandrieu’s organ and harpsichord music out there awaiting the attention of recording companies, but this fair sampling, performed attractively, should be in the collection of every fancier of French Baroque keyboard music.


FANFARE: Barry Brenesal


Product Description:

  • Release Date: November 20, 2012


  • Catalog Number: TEM316041.42


  • UPC: 3149028024128


  • Label: Temperaments


  • Number of Discs: 2


  • Composer: Jean-François Dandrieu


  • Performer: Andre Isoir, Olivier Baumont