Du Bon Du Cueur

After his SACD with works by Joan Cabanilles, which was awarded the "Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik", Léon Berben dedicates the new AEOLUS production to one of the most important representatives of Altiber organ music: Antonio de Cabezón. The Ostönnen Gothic organ used for the recording is considered to be the oldest in all of Germany. Dendrochronological investigations revealed that the wood from which some of the instrument parts were made must have been felled around 1415. Despite some alterations in the 17th and 18th centuries, the organ was largely preserved in it's original condition. The Dutch harpsichordist and organist, Léon Berben, studied harpsichord and organ in Den Haag (Koninklijk Conservatorium) and Amsterdam (Sweelinck Conservatorium) with Rienk Jiskoot, Bob van Asperen, Ton Koopman and Gustav Leonhardt, and finished his studies with solo-diploma for both instruments. Besides playing the harpsichord and organ, Léon Berben engages in debates on historical performance practice by writing articles and also signs as a co-author for MGG (Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart). He has now been living since several years in Cologne, Germany.