Charles De Mars: Piece... - Simone Pierini - Audio CD (Arrives in 50 days)

The Pièces de Clavecin by Charles De Mars (1702–1774) are written in the rich tradition of French Baroque harpsichord music. A composer largely overshadowed by luminaries like François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau, De Mars nonetheless contributed to the genre with his distinctive style, characterized by elegant ornamentation and a refined sense of harmony.

De Mars’s harpsichord works are steeped in the galant aesthetic, bridging the ornate Baroque style with the more expressive and accessible traits of the early Classical period.

His music often features dance forms like the allemande, courante, and sarabande, which were central to the French clavecinistes. One of the hallmarks of his Pièces de Clavecin is his innovative use of ornaments, or agréments, which add a shimmering quality to the melodies. These works also reflect de Mars’s ability to evoke character and mood, making them miniature portraits of the 18th-century French musical ethos.

Played by Simone Pierini on a harpsichord by Giulio Fratini after M. Mietke, 2014.

Label: Brilliant Classics | Origin: Holland