French Harpsichord Music of the first half of the 18th Century:
François Couperin ("Le grand") and Jean-Philippe Rameau.

Domenico Scarlatti

Reading:

Kirby: 53-76
Hinson: Listing for Domenico Scarlatti.
Optional: Marshall: pp. 1-17 (Laurence Libin's fine article on keyboard instruments), 124-153 (Mark Kroll's first-rate article on French Harpsichord music), 154-190 (Scarlatti).

Listening (these pieces are all pretty short, so try to get through them!):

François Couperin ("Le grand"; Louis' nephew; 1668-1733):
        Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou les Maillotins (M24 C85 P523, p. 82)
        Les folies françoises, ou les dominos (pp. 8-15)
        Les barricades mystérieuses (M24 C85 P522, p. 10) (All selections are on CD17604)

Read the preface to this volume (it's in English - look for it) as well as the table of ornaments.

Jean Philippe Rameau (1683-1764):  It's worth reading the Preface, pp. XV-XVIII and Rameau's essay on playing the harpsichord, pp. 16-21 in M22 R35 1966. Examine the table of ornaments as well.
       
        Musette en rondeau (M22 R35 1966, pp. 32-33)
        La Poule (pp. 84-87)
        L'Enharmonique (pp. 92-94) (All selections on CD 14414)

Questions to think about as you listen and read:
** Compare the Rameau Prelude (in score!) to the Louis Couperin Prelude from a couple of weeks ago.  Rameau's is one of the last of this kind, while L. Couperin's is from the heyday
of such compositions.  How do they differ in sound, affect, and style?
** Can you imagine hearing or performing any of these pieces on the piano?  If so, which ones and why?
** Note that François Couperin and Rameau wrote dance pieces as well as "character" pieces.  Do you think the character pieces are related to the dance
pieces in some way?
** How are François Couperin's works arranged in the volumes of his works?  How should they be performed?

Domenico Scarlatti:
Sonatas: K. 1, 29, 175, 499-500.
The Kirkpatrick facsimile edition (M22. S28 K6) is in the reference section of the library. Each volume of this set has a duplicate preface with
information on the nature of the sources and the nature of the edition, as well as a catalog comparing the different numbering systems for Scarlatti's Sonatas.
Look these over.
I have also put on reserve a recording of the complete set of sonatas on harpsichord (CD 1959).  These are in Kirkpatrick (K.) order so you should be able
to figure out which volume has which Sonata.
In addition, three volumes of the Longo edition (M22. S28, v. 4, v. 9, v. 10) (for many years the only one available) are on reserve.  Please compare K. 499 and 500 in both
versions.  K 499 is Longo  193, K 500 is Longo 492.  Also, compare K 175 (Longo 429) in each edition.
What other editions of these works can you name? What are the characteristics of some of the different editions? (Hint: use Hinson as your resource!)

What are the "Essercizi"?