I was not familiar with any recorded performances of Laurence Cummings
until I acquired a recording on Signum having Bach's Viol and Harpsichord
Sonatas with Alison Crum on viola da gamba.  I found his playing on that
disc wonderful which is a good thing since Ms.  Crum often seems to be
performing from a back room.

Given my high opinion of Cummings from that Signum disc and my recent
obsession with French harpsichord music, acquiring the Cummings disc of
Louis Couperin Suites for Harpsichord from Naxos was the next logical step.
This is not a new disc by any means, having been issued in 1994.  The
catalog number is 8.550922.

The Cummings disc contains four suites:  D major, C major, F major, and A
minor.  Also included is the Tombeau de M.  de Blancrocher.  I should point
out that, like Rameau, Louis Couperion did not compose "suites"; both
composed pieces which went into musical books.  Humans have a strong urge
to "arrange" and categorize.  As proof, many of you have indicated that you
have a database in your computers listing all your acquired recordings
which is further broken down into specific sub-categories.  We all do
things of that nature; it's in the DNA.

I did a little comparison listening, using Verlet on Astree and Moroney on
Harmonia Mundi.  Both are more angular and incisive than Cummings.  In that
respect, Cummings is likely less idiomatic.  However, his recording is a
gem.  The playing is beautiful and highlights Couperin's lyricism.  Sound
is outstanding, and the disc provides over seventy minutes of delectable
and very sensuous music.  Do you see where this is going?

The "acid" test came from my wife.  I was listening in the living room
on my headphones.  She came into the room to talk to me.  Being polite,
I took the headphones off my head so I could hear whatever she was saying.
Conversation ensued but it didn't take long before I had a hankering to
go back to the music.  So, I changed the controls from headphone to
loudspeaker, assuming that my wife would depart once the music was
streaming out of the speakers.  Instead, she sat closer to me and simply
listened to a few tracks.  I asked her what she thought of the music.  She
asked me if her response would be posted to the list; I assured her it
would not be (at the time, that was a sincere answer).  Her opinion was,
"I really like this very much".  More than that, she asked me to give her
a solo harpsichord disc so that she could listen at her place of work.

The above was a very unusual event.  My wife sits down to listen with me
to music I'm playing about once a year.  Her usual regimen is to hit the
bedroom and close the door.  And to ask me to give her one of my cd's,
based on what she's hearing, is a once in a lifetime occurrence.  I handed
over the Sophie Yates/Chandos recording of Rameau Suites which I think is
a fine disc for the workplace, being quite mellow and smooth.  I want to
impress upon you that I found this disc within one minute although I have
no database nor rhyme or reason as to where any cd's are located except of
course for Bach recordings.  Actually, I was just logistically lucky.

A rather amusing aspect of our conversation was that we started talking
about instruments we are not fond of.  My wife related that the piano and
violin are the instruments she has the least affection for.  I told her
that she had just discarded the majority of classical compositions.  She
liked hearing that and laughed.  I started wondering what other alien
notions she possesses.  Actually it's pretty easy to absorb these alien
tendencies, since my wife is the only person I know well and also admire
greatly.

What all this tells me is that if both my wife and I enjoy the same cd,
there most be millions of folks out there who would love it as well.  The
Cummings disc just might also improve the karma between mates.  What more
can you ask for at Naxos prices? There's no need for jewelery, an overseas
vacation, or a trip to the local marriage counselor - all that's needed is
a Naxos single.

Don's conclusions:  All joking aside, what we have here is great music,
great performances, and great sound.  My advice is to buy the Cummings
recording and share it with a romantic interest.  It's one of the ways to
have a wonderful evening which stretches into the wee hours of the morning.
The only problem is that I woke up in a total stupor, feeling drained of
all energy.  However, my wife bounced out of the bed as if it was a
trampoline.  I was impressed - good looking, earthy, and athletic.

Don Satz
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