Description
The fourth prelude from the treatise L'Art de toucher le clavecin, and the last of the four preludes from it included on this site. Within a well-balanced 53 seconds and 282 notes, it gathers the ornaments and figures introduced in the earlier preludes.
In F major and 2/2, it turns to a bright major key after the D minor of No.3, its ornamented lines moving at a settled two-beat pace. It has the character of a summing-up of the French Baroque style, testing how refined your touch has become.
It is rated beginner, and the range fits within about three and a half octaves, G1 to D5. The four are arranged so that playing them through deepens your understanding of the style as a whole. As a finishing step, repeat sections with the A-B loop while gradually raising the playback speed, and check that the ornaments settle into place without disturbing the flow of the beat. The hand colours also show where the left-hand bass supports the harmony.
A keyboard-playing method Couperin published in 1716, combining technical instruction with eight improvisatory preludes.
Browse all songs in L'Art de toucher le clavecin →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
François Couperin (1668-1733)
Francois Couperin was a leading French Baroque composer from the musical Couperin family, known as "Couperin le Grand." Serving as a court musician to Louis XIV, he composed a wealth of elegant, richly ornamented harpsichord music. His treatise L'Art de toucher le clavecin is also a valuable record of period performance practice. This site features four preludes drawn from that collection.
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