Couperin/ Hroch - Harpsichord

Music and art of the 17th and 18th century offers a range of contrasts and colors. It is filled with impressive ostentation and ornaments that contrast with humbleness and simplicity. Attempts to engage human emotions and "attack" them as well as the intention to capture individual emotions and passions are evident in every composition. Every country brings it's own cultural heritage related to the language, traditions, and unique culture of it's people who have been building it for generations. On this album Martin Hroch presents works by French, Italian, and Czech composers. Martin Hroch, a prominent Czech harpsichordist, studied at Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno. He studied under the harpsichordist B.M. Willi and pianists A. Vlasakova and J. Jirasky. He continued his studies of harpsichord and early music at Hochschule fur Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna. As a soloist and chamber musician he performs with many orchestras and chamber ensembles in the Czech Republic and across Europe. He records for broadcasting and television companies, and is a member of the British Harpsichord Society. He currently serves as a teacher at JAMU in Brno.