CRC 3513

François Couperin: The Complete Pièces de Clavecin, Vol. 1Mark Kroll, harpsichordRecorded on a 1785 Jacques Germain harpsichord.

Quatriême Ordre (19:21)1 La Marche des Gris-vètus 2:33

Les Baccanales2 Enjoüemens Bachiques 2:063 Tendresses Bachiques 4:074 Fureurs Bachiques 2:415 La Pateline 4:156 La Réveil-matin 3:42

Sixiême Ordre (21:59)7 Les Moissonneurs 2:348 Les Langueurs-Tendres 3:419 Le Gazoüillement 1:5110 La Bersan 2:3611 Les Baricades Mistérieuses 1:5812 Les Bergeries 4:5913 La Commére 2:1314 Le Moucheron 2:08

Dixhuitiéme Ordre (19:56)15 Allemande La Verneüil 3:4316 La Verneuilléte 1:5117 Soeur Monique 3:4818 Le Turbulent 1:1919 L’atendrissante 3:0520 Le Tic·Toc-Choc ou les Maillotins 2:4321 Le Gaillard-Boiteux 3:28

Total Time: 61:32

Recorded March 28-29, 2015 at the National Music Museum, Vermillion, South Dakota. Produced and Engineered by PeterNothnagle. Grateful acknowledgement is given to John Koster, Professor emeritus at the University of South Dakota,Vermillion, who restored the 1785 Jacques Germain harpsichord so beautifully, and maintained and cared for it throughout therecording sessions; Dr. Cleveland Johnson, Director of The National Museum, and his staff for their help with all the detailsthat made this recording possible; Peter Nothnagle, for his superb skills as a recording engineer and producer; and violinistCarol Lieberman, who listened many times to the session tapes and was essential in choosing the versions that appear on thisalbum. Cover Painting: Jean-Antoine Watteau: Les Bergers.

�� 2016 Centaur Records, Inc. www.centaurrecords.com4

in a convent, of course, but the decidedly sen-sual final couplet leads us to another conclu-sion: prostitutes were euphemistically called“little sisters” during this time.

Le Turbulent: The title is self explanatory, as isits turbulent and impetuous music.

L’atendrissante: This piece expresses longing andsadness, but like Les Langueurs-Tendres,Couperin here might be writing in an ironic orsemi-serious style.

Le Tic·Toc-Choc ou les Maillotins: Another piecewith several meanings, the most obvious com-ing from the mechanical “tic-toc” sound createdby the predominant melodic figure, like a clockor baby’s rattle. However, it may also refer tothe music used to accompany the Maillot fami-ly, a famous troupe of rope dancers whomCouperin enjoyed watching at the great fairs inParis and Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Le Gaillard-Boiteux: Marked to be played “dansle Goût Burlesque,” this is an obvious referenceto the slapstick stage antics of the members ofthe Italian commedia dell’arte troupe,Arlecchino in particular, who is portraying alame (i.e., “boiteux”) dancer trying to dance anelegant galliard with a wooden leg. There might

also be an inside joke here: the name of one ofthe dancing masters at Versailles was JeanGaillard.

–Mark Kroll

1It is beyond the scope of these notes todescribe these references in detail. Two excel-lent sources for further reading on this subjectare Jane Clark and Derek Connon, The Mirrorof Human Life (London: Keyword Press, 2002,rev. 2011) and Wilfred Mellers, FrançoisCouperin and the French Classical Tradition, rev.Davitt Moroney (London: Faber, 1987).

Mark Kroll’s distinguished career as a per-former, scholar and educator spans a period ofmore than fifty years. He has appeared in con-cert worldwide as a harpsichordist and fortepi-anist, published numerous books, articles andeditions, and taught in the United States andabroad, including twenty-five years as Professorof Harpsichord and Chair of the Department ofHistorical Performance at Boston University.

François Couperin:

The Complete Pièces de Clavecin, Vol. 1

Mark Kroll, harpsichord