On that sleeve for his 1985 recording of the Goldberg Variations , Scott Ross is seen standing in the grounds of Château d'Assas in Languedoc. It was here that many of the harpsichordist's great recordings were made. Then, as today, the château dwelt in the twilight zone between grandeur and dereliction, and thirty years ago the recording sessions were regularly interrupted by the sound of rats scurrying across the floor. Scott Ross was born in Pittsburgh in 1951, and moved to France with his mother following the death of his father in 1964. He studied at the conservatoires in Nice and Paris, and first came to Château d'Assas in 1969 to give music lessons to the grandson of its owner Mme. Simone Demangel . When an early music academy was established at the Château d'Assas, Scott Ross gave masterclasses and became a frequent visitor. At first he stayed in a room in one of the towers, but from 1983 he rented a small house across the road from the château. The photos b...
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I am not sure where you stay when you are in Paris, but have you ever tried Les Pipos (2 Rue de l'Ecole Polytechnic)? A slight caveat in that we have not been for about 3 years, but it had not changed in the 10 or 12 years we had been visiting on a fairly regular basis.
Affordable hotel and restaurant recommendations make a change from suggested CDs. Does anyone have any ideas for Lille where I will be in a couple of weeks?
http://www.opera-lille.fr/en/saison-09-10/bdd/cat/music/sid/99185_mohamed-rouicha