In addition to including three harpsichord concertos composed in the 20th century, this album offers suggestive interweavings: the Concertos by Falla and Poulenc were both composed for Wanda Landowska (1879-1959), the great Polish harpsichordist who decisively contributed to the rediscovery of much 17th- and 18th-century music and to the renaissance of the harpsichord, not only as an ancient instrument, but also as a source of inspiration for 20th-century musicians.
Poulenc’s Concert champêtre is the immediate heir of Falla’s Concerto. Accordingly, in the orchestral score of Poulenc’s Concert belonging to Falla, we can read the following autograph dedication by the French composer: “For you, my dear Falla, the little brother of your so magnificent Concerto. Fr. Poulenc”.
The three Concertos share a neo-classical aesthetic, albeit from different approaches: in his Concerto; Falla explores and uses the ancient sources of Hispanic music; Poulenc evokes the French Baroque; and Bacarisse adopts stylistic elements typical of the neo-classicism of the 1920s. © IBS Classical