Davitt Moroney
Biography
The British harpsichordist DAVITT MORONEY is one of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking players on the musical scene today. He now lives in Paris, from where his concert career takes him all over Europe, as well as the USA, Australia and Japan. Like many other players of his generation, he has been profoundly influenced by teachers such as Kenneth Gilbert and Gustav Leonhardt, learning from them how original instruments, well restored, can reveal in unsuspected ways the expressive discourse of music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
His fascination with the music of J S Bach led him first to the organ, and then to the harpsichord. Bach remains the centre of his musical universe, both on the concert stage and in the recording studio. One of the striking features of his concerts is his habit of speaking to the audience about the works he plays - providing illuminating and immediate insights into the music to be heard.
He has recorded nearly 50 CDs, and apart from Bach has also devoted much attention to the French harpsichord school, notably Louis Couperin and François Couperin. He is also particularly known for his performances of the music of the English School, from Byrd to Purcell. His most recent recordings include the Complete Keyboard Works of William Byrd (7 CDs, Hyperion) and the Harpsichord Book of Marc Roger Normand Couperin (Hyperion). He has also recorded Bach's French Suites (Virgin), and Purcell keyboard pieces (Virgin).