Search - Couperin, Christophe Rousset :: Concerts Royaux 3rd Book for Harpsichord

Couperin's Third Book of harpsichord pieces contains some of his most appealing minatures, including Les Folies francoises, ou les Dominos, and Le Tic-Toc-Choc. In keeping with his uniquely French aesthetic, Couperin moved away from harpsichord suites consisting of movements named after dance pieces to a more fantastic approach in which each item has some sort of private or programmatic nickname. Of course, many of these pieces are still recognizable as dances, but the dance concept is less important than the title. Many of the people named--friends, associates, and enemies--are no longer known, but the music itself provides its own description of their character. Rousset is alive to every facet of this endlessly fascinating, very human music. --David Hurwitz