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The surviving work of a mystery composer fromthe late French Baroque, in a new recording by ahighly accomplished young early-musickeyboardist.Nothing is known of Le Bret beyond the volume ofkeyboard pieces reproduced here, which analysisof both musical style and ancillary details hasdated to the 1730s or 1740s. Whoever he was, LeBret was clearly inspired by François Couperin andJean-Philippe Rameau, and his style is comparableto that of the harpsichordists who followed intheir footsteps between 1720 and 1740, such asJean-François Dandrieu, François d'Agincourt,Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Bernard de Bury andJacques Duphly in his first two books.Like them, Le Bret alternates dances and characterpieces. On the other hand, he makes noconcessions to the taste for pastoral and countrymusic, does not seem influenced by opera music,and does not overdo descriptive effectsand virtuosity. All in all, Le Bret remainsfaithful to the subtle and poetic languageof the harpsichord; as he says in hispreface, he has 'always endeavored incomposing them to adorn them with themost graceful songs, knowing from ourmost illustrious masters that this is thebeauty of this instrument.' As Simone ElOufir Pierini observes in his booklet essayfor this album, one evident example of LeBret's knowledge of 'our most illustriousmasters' arises in the piece titledL'Embarassante, a stylish homage to LesCyclopes by Rameau.Born in Rome in 1996, Simone El OufirPierini studied piano at the conservatoireof the Accademia Nazionale di SantaCecilia. Developing a particular interest inhistorically informed piano practice, heattended masterclasses led by Alexei Lubimovand Andreas Staier, before undertakingspecialised study of harpsichord and bassocontinuo with such teachers as Andrea Coen andGiovanni Togni. He has made several wellreceived albums for Brilliant Classics, both soloand with colleagues.Email Signup
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