With this recording, Aline d’Ambricourt offerslisteners an interesting opportunity to contemplate the relationship between Couperin and Marchand as organists, harpsichordists, court musicians, teachers and contemporaries. Although Bertrand Porot rightly confines his booklet essays to the musical character of the works included on the CD, the biographical parallels have long fascinated scholars. One has the impression that their relationship may have been rather like that of the viol players Marais and his younger contemporary, Forqueray.

Marchand was, in 1702, at the height of his powers as an organist when he published his two collections of harpsichord pieces. While these have been recorded before, La vénitienne, the Badine, and a short Gavotte, all from 1707 and preserved only in manuscript, are included for the first time on CD. Those who are familiar with his organ music, in which he notoriously delighted in using chromaticism and dissonant suspension to disorientate the congregations, will perhaps be surprised by the rather less distinctive music for harpsichord. It comes off here as introspective rather than communicative; in place of sentiment, we are fobbed off with waves of ornaments which challenge only the performer. D’Ambricourt dispatches them here unflinchingly.

Couperin’s portfolio of preludes and allemandes was not published until 1717 (the year in which Marchand was meant to have competed in Dresden against Bach), and were intended as teaching pieces. As such the former are jewel-like examples of best practice for both improvisatory and measured preludes. They exhibit a wonderful coherence, underpinned by elegant harmonic progressions and ornamentation. D’Ambricourt brings a marvellous sense of rhythm and pacing to these works, which serves to set the Marchand pieces in further relief.