François Couperin (1668-1733) was certainly the
greatest of the French claveinists and surely one of
the greatest of French composers. In his four books of
Pièces de clavecin, Couperin took the harpsichord
music of Chambonnières, Marchand, and especially his
uncle Louis Couperin to the pinnacle of the French
musical art with clear forms, graceful melodies,
elegant harmonies, and a tone that eschews virtuosity
in favor of expressivity. The six ordres or suites from
Couperin's second book are n...(+)
François Couperin (1668-1733) was certainly the
greatest of the French claveinists and surely one of
the greatest of French composers. In his four books of
Pièces de clavecin, Couperin took the harpsichord
music of Chambonnières, Marchand, and especially his
uncle Louis Couperin to the pinnacle of the French
musical art with clear forms, graceful melodies,
elegant harmonies, and a tone that eschews virtuosity
in favor of expressivity. The six ordres or suites from
Couperin's second book are no longer the series of
stylized dance movements in diverse keys familiar from
his first book, but rather collections of works more
often than not bearing some sort of descriptive title,
all of which are in the same key (with the major and
minor modes being considered in some sense equivalent).
In order, they are the 6e ordre in B flat major, the 7e
ordre in G major-minor, the 8e ordre in B minor, the 9e
ordre in A major-minor, the 10e ordre in D major-minor,
and the 11e ordre in C minor-major. Some of the
descriptive titles indicate that the works are meant to
be musical portraits -- "La Raphaele" and "La Princesse
de Sens" -- some are meant to be genre pieces -- "Les
bergeries rondeau" and "La boulonise" -- some are meant
to be frivolous -- "L'unique" and "Les bagatelles" --
and some are meant to be evocative -- "Les
langeuers-tendres" and "Les baricades misterieuses."
Although originally written for Harpsichord, I created
this arrangement for Concert (Pedal) Harp.
PARTITION