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
Music
This 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.
Note: Series Two contains Ordres 14-27 plus 8 Preludes and Allemande
from L'Art de Toucher le Clavecin.
