François Couperin - 'L'art de toucher le clavecin'
François Couperin (1668-1733) was an extraordinary French Baroque composer, organist, and harpsichordist. His renowned masterpiece, L'art de toucher le clavecin ("The Art of Harpsichord Playing") published in 1716, offers a treasure trove of insights on fingerings, touch, ornament, and other aspects of keyboard technique, along with eight stunning preludes, each one with different character. I've transcribed all eight preludes for classical guitar, preserving their original keys and registers. When it comes to trills, dotted rhythms, and other musical elements, I've strived to capture the essence of the French style, drawing inspiration from the legendary Dutch keyboardist and musicologist, Gustav Leonhardt (1928-2012). The guitar is tuned to A= 415 Hz.
Video recordings for all preludes are available here and on my Youtube page. Drafts for all eight preludes are ready, complete with fingerings for both hands, waiting to be published!
Primier prélude
This beautiful prelude is the opening gate for this piece. I used an alternative tuning (5th string is G and 6th string is C) to stay in the register and get that incredible 'blending notes' sound that makes this beautiful prelude truly unique!
Second prélude
A very touching and dramatic movement. I used an drop D tuning on 6th string
Troisèime prélude
The Third Prelude, a fast and virtuosic movement, features a remarkable array of beautiful and melodic elements, all contained within less than one minute of music. The 2 low strings are tuned to G and D
Quatrième prélude
The fourth prelude is my favorite of all eight. Its heavenly melody is accompanied by unique chords and a walking bass. The short musical ideas culminate in a sequence of parallel tenths (0:59). Following Gustav Leonhardt's interpretation, this passage turns out to be very fast, making it the most technically challenging section of 'L'art de toucher le clavecin.'
Cinquième prélude
The fifth prelude features a serene and peaceful through-composed movement, showcasing a variety of distinct musical ideas. The prelude concludes with an elaborately ornamented cadence.
Sixième prélude
The Sixth Prelude is a very technically demanding movement, particularly as I have maintained Couperin's register and key of B minor. Couperin utilized the highest ranges of the keyboard, producing notes that are not accessible on a standard classical guitar. To achieve the high C# and D notes, I employed artificial harmonics as part of a swift passage.
Septième prélude
If each prelude in couperin's composition has its own character, the seventh one has (at least) two. It's the only one that has an intro part followed by the prelude itself, with an instruction made by the composer: Mesurè, moins lent - meaning 'Measured, less slow'. My interpretation to couperin's preludes was inspired mainly by the recordings of the great dutch keyboardist, Gustav Leonhardt. Leonhardt decided to basically go double time, a choice I mirrored in my performance. The prelude encompasses three distinct musical ideas, complemented by two unique interludes, making it the longest prelude among the eight. The guitar is tuned to drop D.
Huitième prélude
The last prelude is quite different from all the others. A steady rhythmic pace using a toccata texture with an ongoing melody makes it sound very dramatic and maybe reflecting Couperin's forward-looking perspective towards the late Baroque era.
