Review (PDF)

Complete Keyboard Works, Series One (Dover Music For Piano)

"His melodic imagination displays admirable freshness. He possesses a delicate harmonic sense. His themes show the inspirations of an impassioned musician: perfectly created, firm in line, vivid, and enduring in color. His art never wavers; it consistently exhibits a magnificent technique." — John Gillespie, Five Centuries of Keyboard MusicThis famous edition, prepared a century ago by Johannes Brahms and Friedrich Chrysander, presents all of the 27 keyboard suites, or Ordres, by the great French composer François Couperin (1668–1733). Also included are the Allemande and 8 Preludes from Couperin's famous harpsichord treatise, L'Art de Toucher le Clavecin.In these magnificent works (there are over 200 compositions in the two volumes) lies the supreme achievement of French keyboard music, a rich source of subtle, sometimes startling, always pleasurable music for keyboard artists and students at every level of expertise. The moods, rhythms, and melodies of these distinctive compositions range across a broad musical spectrum, from crisp gavottes to noble sarabandes, from flowing allemandes to lively gigues. Some of the pieces suggest carnival merriment, others tender reflection; most have colorful and mysterious names. Couperin's virtuoso command of harpsichord style, his magnificent technique, and ever-fresh melodic imagination pervade them all.Witty, graceful, and tuneful, the keyboard works of Couperin represent a wonderful legacy of late-baroque masterpieces. Beautifully reproduced in this inexpensive edition, they make abundantly clear the justice of Bach's intense admiration for Couperin's music and the aptness of the French master's surname — "le grand."

Series: Dover Music for Piano

Paperback: 256 pages

Publisher: Dover Publications (December 1, 1988)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0486257959

ISBN-13: 978-0486257952

Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 0.6 x 10.9 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #683,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #5 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Couperin #144 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Ballet & Dance #147 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Historical Period > Baroque

This is a wonderful collection of Francois Couperin's keyboard music, co-edited by Brahms in the 1880s and republished by Dover in the characteristically attractive format and low price that are that publisher's hallmark. It includes a piece I've loved and wanted to learn ever since I first heard it, perhaps 20 years ago, on a fine 1970's recording of baroque harpsichord music by Sylvia Marlowe on Sine Qua Non. Les Baricades Misterieuses (the preface notes that Couperin's titles were "often eccentric and quaint) is a beautiful, warm, mellow meditation on cycles of fifths and other piquant chord changes B flat. But the volume is a rich compendium with much else in the way of interesting, varied, lovely short pieces.

François Couperin is one of Frenchs best baroque composer. He is not widly known, but his music is one of the most expressive in that era. This edition contains all the orders from Couperins first too "books" plus the first order of the third "book". Of all the pieces, I think I can quote "Les baricades misterieuses" (the misterious barricades), of the sixth order, which is one of the most popular and enchanting pieces Couperin ever composed.In conclusion, Dover reached it's goal by offering musicians the best music at the lowest price possible in a fairly good edition.

The introduction is so full of blatant historical mistakes by the editor Fr Chrysander that one has to wonder about his treatment of the music itself.He claims that Francois Couperin was the first great composer for the pianoforte in history and that Scarlatti, Bach and Handel were students of Couperin.Couperin wrote for the harpsichord. It doesn't mean you cannot play his music on a piano but he DID NOT write this music for the piano. He wrote it for the harpsichord and he was preceded by a multitude of great composers for the harpsichord, such as Frescobaldi, Byrd, Gibbons, Bull, Kinloch, Buxtehude, Froberger and numerous, numerous others.Bach and Handel and Scarlatti were most certainly NOT students of Couperin.It would perhaps be a bit grubby and inappropriate to name the orifice from which the editor pulled his allegations, but it will be sufficient to say this:the editor offers insult to truth,he offers insult to intelligence,he offers insult to history and,he insults the integrity and,he insults the instrument for which this glorious music was written.In so doing, he insults Francois Couperin.

great job

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