Wilfrid Mellers Francois Couperin and die French Classical
Tradition ROY PUBLISHERS - NEW YORK Frangois Couperin le Grand
Copyright 1951, by Wilfrid Mellers PRINTED AND MANUFACTURED IN
GREAT BRITAIN Contents PART I LIFE AND TIMES CHAPTER PAGE I The
Life 17 II Values and Standards in the Grand Siecle 28 III Taste
during the Grand Sicle 49 IV Music, the Court, and the Theatre 59
PART n THE WORK V The Organ Masses 83 VI The Two-violin Sonatas 97
VII The Secular Vocal Works 128 VIII The Church Music 146 IX The
Clavecin Works 188 X The Concerts Royaux and Suites for Viols 234
XI Chronology, Influence, and Conclusions 272 PART in THEORY AND
PRACTICE XII Couperins Theoretical Work, with Comments on Rhythm,
Ornamentation, and Phrasing 291 XIII Couperins Resources and his
use of them, with Comments on the Modern Performance of his Work 3
22 CONTENTS XIV Editions of Works by Couperin 337 Appendix A The
Authorship of the Organ Masses 341 Appendix B The Organists of St
Gervais 344 Appendix C Lord Fitzwilliam and the French Clavecin
Composers 345 Appendix D On the Tempo of the Eighteenth-century
Dance Movements 347 Appendix E Georg Muffat on Bowing, Phrasing and
Ornamentation 350 Appendix F Notes on the titles of Couperins
clavecin pieces 356 Appendix G Biographical Notes on the principal
per sons mentioned in the text 363 Catalogue Raisonn 374 Gramophone
Records of Works by Couperin 390 Bibliography 395 Index 401
Illustrations I Portrait of Francois Couperin le Grand by Andre
Bouys, engraved by Filbert 1735 Frontispiece II The Church of St
Gervais Topographia facing page Galliae Vol. I, 1655 2 4 HI Veue de
la Grande et Petite Escurie et des deux Cours La Description de
Versailles 48 IV Gardens ofthe Due dOrleans Topographia Galliae,
1655 74 V Dans le Gout Pastoral Cours de la Reine Mere Topographia
Galliae, 1655 145 VI Dans le Gout burlesque Watteau, Portrait of
Gilles Louvre 227 VII Watteau, Les Charmes de la Vie Wallace
Collection 271 VIII The Organ of St Gervais 330 DC The Organ of the
Chapelle Royale 330 The design on the tide page is Couperins
coat-of-arms To and to the illustrious memory of Francois Couperin
le Grand Preface So FAR AS I am aware, this is the first book on
Couperin le Grand in English indeed it is possibly the first
comprehensive study of his work in any language, for of die three
French books on him known to me, that of Bouvet is purely
biographical while those of Tessier and Tiersot do not claim to be
more than introductory monographs. As such, they are both
admirable. I have divided this study of Couperin into three
sections. The first gives the facts of his life and some account of
the nature, values, and standards of his community. Of the facts of
his life, little is known, and I have not indulged in speculation.
For most of the information contained in my introductory chapter I
am indebted to the bio graphical sections of the previous books on
Couperin referred to above, with the addition of some documentary
evidence more recently published by M. Paul Brunold. The chapters
on the values and standards of the grand siecle do not pretend to
offer a revolutionary approach. My general attitude to the period
is influenced by the miscellaneous writings of Mr Martin Turnell,
published in Horizon, Scrutiny, and elsewhere 1 especially those on
Racine, Moliere, Corneille, and La Princesse de Cleves, and by a
most interesting essay by Mr R. C. Knight alsopublished in
Scrutiny, which was in part a criticism of TurnelTs account of
Racine. I have also found many hints worth following up, and much
useful information, in Mr Arthur Tifleys two books, From Montaigne
to Moliere and The Decline of the Age of Louis XIV. Most of the
information in my chapter on the court theatre music is derived
from the writings of the recognized authority on the period, M.
Henri Prunieres. These books are listed in the bibliography...
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