Couperin, F.: Music For Harpsichord, Vol. 1

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Cat No: 8550961

Release Date: 12 January 1999

Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 730099596121

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: COUPERIN, F.

Description
Francois Couperin (1668 -1733)Music for Harpsichord Vol. 1 Book I of Francois Couperin's Pieces de Clavecinwas a compilation of pieces written over a number of years and published in1713. His first book of Concerts Royaux were performed, as the composerreveals in his Preface, at the court of Louis XIV in 1714 and 1715 but were notpublished unti11722. In his Preface to the harpsichord pieces Couperin saysthat he would have liked to have been able to devote time to preparing them forpublication sooner because of public demand, but that this had been impossibleowing to pressure of other work. He goes some way towards explaining what hisduties were. He takes care to say that 'some of these occupations have been tooglorious for me to complain of them; for twenty years I have had the honour ofbeing in the King's service, and of teaching for most of this time Monseigneurthe Dauphin, Duke of Burgundy, and six Princes and Princesses of the royalhousehold'. He also mentions duties in Paris. Couperin was organist of the church of Saint Gervais in Parisand of the royal chapel at Versailies for three months of each year. He hadmany private pupils in Paris and he took part in concerts in the great hotels,some decorated by Watteau, which were the pride of the aristocracy and the richcivil servants. He worked for the future Regent, the Duke of Orleans and forthe exiled Stuart Court at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The titles of his harpsichordpieces reveal that he was closely involved with the eccentric world of the Dukeand Duchess of Maine, which clearly inspired many of the pieces in his first Ordre. Couperin said in the Preface to Book I; 'I have alwayshad a subject when composing all these pieces; different occurred to me'. Hewent on to say that many of the pieces; 'are portraits of a kind, which undermy fingers have, on occasion, been found to be tolerable likenesses'. In some casesit is difficult to be certain what the 'ideas' and who the 'portraits' were buta cumulative picture does emerge when the background to Couperin's 'subjects'is explored. For most French composers the titles they gave their pieces were amere convention. For Couperin they were the raison d'etre of the piece.Unlike his predecessor Lully and his contemporary Rameau, Couperin was notinterested in the classical world, the world of the Cyclops hurling histhunderbolts at the whole universe, he was acutely sensitive to human feelingsand human foibles, our own feelings and foibles in fact, perennial humanconditions, which is what lifts his miniatures onto a universal plane. Pride of place amongst Couperin's portraits is accorded,not to the King, but to Louis Auguste, Duke of Maine. The King's favourite andillegitimate son by Madame de Montespan is described by Mademoiselle de Launay;'Monsieur du Maine had an enlightened understanding, subtle and cultivated;savoir monde in perfection; a noble and pious character. Religion rather thannature made him virtuous and kept him so. He l
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