Baroque Pearls
Rediscovered Gems from France and Spain

David Warren Steel, organ

Paris-Yates Chapel, University of Mississippi
Organ by Karl Wilhelm

The organ music of Spain is little known in the U.S. That of Louis Couperin is almost unknown: discovered over forty years ago, it was only published in 2003. This music is like a baroque pearl; eccentric, individual, and often miniature, it is both stylish and moody, fresh and spontaneous. The program, featuring works by Titelouze, Louis Couperin, Grigny, Correa de Arauxo, Cabanilles and Aguilera de Heredia, is inspired by my encounter with Louis Couperin's music, and with Spanish music as played on the surviving baroque organs of Oaxaca, Mexico, where I attended a festival last fall.

The Paris-Yates Chapel organ is the work of Karl Wilhelm, Mont-St.-Hilaire, Québec, Canada. It has mechanical key action, two manuals and pedal, 26 stops, 32 ranks. The compact disc was recorded, mastered and produced in June 2004 by Jeffery Reed for Taproot Audio Design, Oxford, Mississippi, using an Alesis Masterlink ML-9600, Digidesign ProTools, matched pairs of Audio Technica 4040 and CAD E-200 microphones, BAE Neve 1272 preamp, and Tannoy System 800 active monitors. Please note that MP3 is a compressed format, and that the audio fidelity of the samples below cannot approach that of the compact disc.

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Last modified 28 August 2004 by mudws@olemiss.edu
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