Programme

Louis Couperin (c.1626—29th August 1661) was one of the founding members of France’s greatest musical dynasty, the Couperins. Uncle to the celebrated composer François Couperin ‘le Grand’, it is only in recent decades that Louis’s music – some 200 pieces, principally for keyboard* - has received the attention it deserves.

Couperin was born in Chaumes-en-Brie and moved to Paris in his mid-20s, with the support of royal harpsichordist Jacques Champion de Chambonnières. He worked as organist of the Church of St Gervais from 1653 and as a musician at the court, playing harpsichord, organ and viol. His early death, aged only 35, and the fact that none of his music was published during his lifetime, meant that his reputation was eclipsed by other members of his family.

The two main sources of his music are the Bauyn manuscript (Bibliothèque nationale de France) and the Oldham organ manuscript (privately owned), which together include the great majority of his works. There have been several editions, and the numbering system used in these recitals is from the Heugel edition – manuscripts sometimes group the works by genre rather than key, leaving the performer or editor to assemble ‘suites’. Unusually, the Oldham organ manuscript even includes some precise dates and places of composition.

*Note: Glen Wilson (https://www.glenwilson.eu/) has convincingly argued in recent years that the 'Monsieur Couperin' attributions in the Bauyn manuscript do not refer to Louis, as the style of the music is somewhat different from the authenticated 'Louis' organ works of the Oldham manuscript. He prefers to attribute the clavecin works to Louis' brother Charles (1639–1679).

11.00-11.30  Jonathan Hellyer Jones (harpsichord)

Suite No.6 in C major

Prélude – Allemande ‘Le Moutier’ de M. de Chambonniéres - Double de M. Couperin - Courante – Sarabande - Rigaudon and Double

Passacaille in G minor

Suite No.4 in B minor

Prélude - Allemande - Courante – Sarabande

11.30- 12.00  Dan Tidhar (harpsichord)

Suite No.1 in A minor

Prélude à l’imitation de Mr Froberger – Allemande ‘l’Amiable’ – Courante

‘La Mignonne’ - Courante - Sarabande - La Pièmontaise

Suite No.13 in F major

Prélude - Allemande - Courante - Courante - Sarabande - Chaconne - Gigue –

Tombeau de M. Blancrocher

12.00-12.30  Ryan Mark (harpsichord)

Suite No.8 in D major

Prélude - Allemande - Courante - Sarabande - Gaillarde - Chaconne

Suite No.15 in G minor

Prélude - Allemande - Courante - Sarabande - Sarabande – Passacaille

1.30-2.00  John McKean (harpsichord)

Suite No.5 in C major

Prélude - Allemande - Courante - Sarabande - Passacaille - Menuet

Suite No.12 in F major

Prélude - Allemande grave - Courante - Sarabande - Branle de Basque - Gigue - Gaillarde - Chaconne

2.00-2.30  Anne Page (organ)

Prélude (1654)

Fantaisie (1651)

Fugue qu'il fault jouer d'un mouvement fort lent sur la tierce du Grandn Clavier avec le tremblant lent (14e Mars 1655)

Fugue sur le Cromhorne (1er Aoust 1656)

Pange Lingua [en basse] - Pange Lingua (1656) - Pange Lingua (1656)

Fantaisie (Decembre 1656)

Duo

Duretez Fantaisie (8e Nov 1650)

2.30-3.00  David R. M. Irving (spinet)

Suite No.10 in D minor

Prélude - Pièce de trois sortes de mouvements - Courante - Courante - Sarabande - Sarabande - Gigue - Volte – Chaconne ‘La Complaignante’

Suite No.11 in E minor

Prélude – Allemande de la Paix - Courante - Sarabande

3.30-4.00  Martin Ennis (harpsichord)

Suite No.3a in A minor

Prélude - Allemande - Sarabande

Suite No.9 in D minor

Prélude - Allemande - Courante - Courante - Sarabande – Sarabande en canon - Canaries - La Pastourelle - Gavotte - Chaconne

Passacaille in G minor

4.00-4.30  Francis Knights (clavichord)

Suite No.3b in A minor

Allemande - Courante - Sarabande - Menuet de Poitou and Double

Suite No.14 in G major

Prélude - Allemande and Double - Courante - Courante - Sarabande - Gaillarde - Chaconne

4.30-5.00  Silas Wollston (harpsichord)

Suite No.2 in A minor

Prélude - Allemande - Courante - Sarabande – Gavotte de M. Hardel –

Double fait par M. Couperin

Suite No.7 in C minor

Prélude - Allemande ‘La Précieuse’ - Courante - Sarabande - Gigue –

Chaconne ‘La Bergeronette’

Pavane in F# minor