Pièces de Clavecin

The French Baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau wrote three books of "Pièces de clavecin" for the harpsichord. The first, "Premier Livre de Pièces de Clavecin", was published in 1706; the second, "Pièces de Clavessin", in 1724; and the third, "Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin", in 1726 or 1727. They were followed in 1741 by "Pièces de Clavecin en Concerts", in which the harpsichord can either be accompanied by violin and viola da gamba or played alone. An isolated piece, "La Dauphine", survives from 1747.

Premier Livre de Pièces de Clavecin (1706)

Publication history

uite in A minor

# Prélude
# Allemande I
# Allemande II
# Courante
# Gigue
# Sarabandes I — Sarabande II
# Vénitienne
# Gavotte
# Menuetc. 22 mins

Pièces de Clavessin (1724)

uite in E minor

#Allemande
#Courante
#Gigue en Rondeau I
#Gigue en Rondeau II
#Le Rappel des Oiseaux
#Rigaudon I — Rigaudon II et Double
#Musette en rondeau. Tendrement
#Tambourin
#La Villageoise. Rondeauc. 22 mins

uite in D major

#Les Tendres Plaintes. Rondeau
#Les Niais de Sologne — Premier Double des Niais — Deuxième Double des Niais
#Les Soupirs. Tendrement
#La Joyeuse. Rondeau
#La Follette. Rondeau
#L'Entretien des Muses
#Les Tourbillons. Rondeau
#Les Cyclopes. Rondeau
#Le Lardon. Menuet
#La Boiteusec. 30 mins

Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin (1726–1727)

Publication history

The exact date of publication, at Rameau's own expense, of the "Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin" remains a matter of some controversy. In his 1958 edition of the works, the editor Erwin Jacobi gave 1728 as the original publication date. Kenneth Gilbert, in his 1979 edition, followed suit. Others later argued that these works did not appear until 1729 or 1730 [ Bruce Gustafson & David Fuller, "A Catalogue of French Harpsichord Music 1699–1780" (Oxford University Press, 1990)] . However, a recent reexamination of the publication date, based on the residence Rameau provided in the frontispiece ("Rue des deux boules aux Trois Rois"), suggests an earlier date, since Rameau's residence had changed by 1728. As a result of this and other evidence, the closest approximation for the original publication date stands between February 1726 and the summer of 1727. This dating is given further authentication by the comments of Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg, who provided their publication date as 1726 [F-W Marpurg "Nachricht von verschiedenen beruehmten franzoesischen Organisten und Clavieristen itziger Zeit" (s.l)] . There are almost 40 extant copies of the original 1726/27 edition still in existence.

Two later editions followed both around 1760. The first (printed perhaps slightly before 1760) was simply a reimpression of the original engravings, although several plates were reengravings, suggesting that the original plates had undergone sufficient impression to wear them down to a state of illegibility. A second appeared in London under the title "A Collection of Lessons for the harpsichord" from the printer John Walsh which was based on the earlier Parisian edition. [Siegbert Rampe, ed. "Rameau: Pièces de Clavecin, Nouvelle édition intégrale", v. 2 (Bärenreiter, 2004)]

uite in A minor

#Allemande
#Courante
#Sarabande
#Les Trois Mains
#Fanfarinette
#La Triomphante
#Gavotte avec les Doubles de la Gavottec. 33 mins

uite in G major/G minor

#Les Tricotets. Rondeau.
#L'indifférente
#Menuet I — Menuet II
#La Poule
#Les Triolets
#Les Sauvages
#L'Enharmonique. Gracieusement.
#L'Égyptiennec. 23 mins

Notes

ources

* Siegbert Rampe, ed. "Rameau: Pièces de Clavecin, Nouvelle édition intégrale" 2 vols. (Bärenreiter, 2004)
* Cuthbert Girdlestone "Jean-Philippe Rameau: His Life and Work" (Dover paperback edition, 1969)
*"The New Grove French Baroque Masters" ed. Graham Sadler (Grove/Macmillan, 1988)Lengths of pieces are taken from recordings by Trevor Pinnock.

ee also

Pièces de Clavecin en Concerts