Piano
SKU:
BR.EB-8029
Piano
Lessons by Francois
Couperin. Composed by
Francois Couperin. Edited
by Heinz Walter. Solo
instruments; Softcover.
Edition Breitkopf.
Baroque period. Score. 20
pages. Breitkopf and
Haertel #EB 8029.
Published by Breitkopf
and Haertel (BR.EB-8029).
ISBN 9790004174326. 9
x 12 inches.
This
series of easy piano
music for teaching
purposes presents pupils
in the lower and lower
middle grades with a
carefully chosen
selection of well-known
and lesser-known
compositions by important
masters. The volumes are
deliberately kept small
in extent, since it is
more stimulating for
children to change the
teaching material
frequently. There are
four existing harpsichord
books with a total of 226
compositions by Francois
Couperin le Grand (1668
-1733). His works are as
unknown to pianists as
they are famous among
harpsichord players. The
grace and imaginativeness
of his works lend
themselves especially
well to the sound of the
harpsichord, which is why
the piano interpretation
of works by Couperin,
Rameau, Scarlatti and
other composers of that
time has been
categorically rejected.
But, after all, the works
of Bach and Handel were
written for the
haipsichord and
clavichord, and no one
would dare question their
intetpretation on the
pianoforte. In order to
introduce these
lmpressionists of the
Baroque Era to piano
instruction, the editor
has added to this series
a folio of both
Couperin's and Rameau's
(EB 8033) music. The
selection of the pieces
is based on two criteria:
1. relatively modest
demands made on
technique, 2. various
musical forms of
expression. The
Butterflies and the
Windmills are both
especially typical of
masterful character
pieces. The demands made
on technique certainly
correspond to a level of
moderate difficulty. The
simplifications made are
restricted to the
artistically realized
twopart accompaniment
(eg. p. 4 f. and p. 8 f.)
with regard to finger
stretch and to the
profuse ornamentation of
the original. The
indications for phrasing
and articulation are
those of the editor. The
first two pieces have
been precisely elaborated
on in this respect to
serve as a model, whereas
the remaining pieces
contain only suggestions.
As in other folios of
this series; what is here
to be stressed, is the
importance of working out
independently the
phrasing and the
dynamics. Directions for
this are given by the
respective footnotes;
these directions,
however, are not
obligatory. lndications
pertaining to dynamics
and tempo have been
omitted completely; the
clearly recognizable
character of the
individual pieces should
be direction enough. The
tonal possibilities of
the piano should in any
case be used subtly. The
very precise fingerings
have been adapted to the
suggested phrasings and
to the corresponding
realization of trills
(according to the table).
Heinz Walter, Salzburg,
Spring 1980.
Two Character Pieces
