Couperin, François – Concerts Royaux (1722) for one or two Treble Instruments, Bass Viol, Bassoon and Harpsichord Barenreiter Urtext

This edition contains Couperin’s four “Concerts royaux”, which were published in 1722 as part of Book III of his “Pièces de clavecin”. For the first time it makes these pieces, scored for chamber ensemble, separately available in an Urtext edition. It is based on the musical text of the solo harpsichord version found in the pioneering new edition of “Pièces de clavecin III” (BA 10846). The editor has painstakingly evaluated the many impressions of the original print, most of which he himself discovered in libraries throughout the world.

The preface (Fr/Eng) contains informative details on historical performance practice and on the conception of the “Concerts royaux”, which Couperin expressly intended to be performed either by solo harpsichord or with accompanying ensemble. The modern engraving preserves essential features of the original print, which largely avoids page-turns within the pieces. It thereby brings today’s players close to the special sound of this music in a fascinating way. Couperin’s table of embellishments and symbols as well as a glossary (Fr/Eng) and a detailed Critical Commentary (Eng) round off this long-overdue Urtext edition.