Christophe Rousset, François Couperin - Christophe Rousset ~ Couperin - Fourth Book of Harpsichord Pieces at Music Hills.com

Music CD 1

Book IV, 20th Order in G. La Princesse Marie. Gracieusement, sans lenteur
Book IV, 20th Order in G. La Boufonne. Gaillardement
Book IV, 20th Order in G. Les Chérubins ou l'aimable Lazure. Légerment
Book IV, 20th Order in G. La Croûilli ou la Couperinète. Délicatement, sans vitesse
Book IV, 20th Order in G. La Fine Madelon. Affestueusement / La Douce Jeanneton. Plus voluptueuseme
Book IV, 20th Order in G. La Sézile. Gracieusement
Book IV, 20th Order in G. Les Tambourins. Très légèrement
Book IV, 21st Order in E minor. La Reine des coeurs. Lentement et trés tendrement
Book IV, 21st Order in E minor. La bondissante. Gayement
Book IV, 21st Order in E minor. La Couperin. D'une ivacité modérée
Book IV, 21st Order in E minor. La Harpée. Pièces dans le goût de la Harpe
Book IV, 21st Order in E minor. La Petite Pince-sans-rire. Affectueusement, san lenteur
Book IV, 22nd Order in D. Le Trophée. Airs pour la Suite du Trophée
Book IV, 22nd Order in D. Le point du jour. D'une légèreté modérée
Book IV, 22nd Order in D. L'Anguille. Légèrement
Book IV, 22nd Order in D. Le Croc-en-jambe. Gayement
Book IV, 22nd Order in D. Menuets croisés
Book IV, 22nd Order in D. Les Tours de passe-passe
Book IV, 23rd Order in F. L'Audacieuse
Book IV, 23rd Order in F. Les Tricoteuses. Très légèrement
Book IV, 23rd Order in F. L'Arlequine. Grotesquement
Book IV, 23rd Order in F. Les Gondoles de Délos. Badinage tendre
Book IV, 23rd Order in F. Les Satires chèvres-pieds. Gravement, ferme et pointé
Book IV, 24th Order in A. Les Vieux Seigneurs. Sarabande grave, Noblement
Book IV, 24th Order in A. Les Jeunes Seigneurs. Légèrement

Music CD 2

Book IV, 24th Order in A. Les Dars homicides. Gayement et coulé
Book IV, 24th Order in A. Les Guirlandes. Amoureusement, sans langueur
Book IV, 24th Order in A. Les Brinborions. Gayement
Book IV, 24th Order in A. La Divine Babiche ou les amours badins. Voluptueusement, sans langueur
Book IV, 24th Order in A. La Belle Javotte. Tendrement
Book IV, 24th Order in A. L'Amphibie. Mouvement de passacaille, Noblement
Book IV, 25th Order in E flat major/C. La Visionaire. Gravement et marqué
Book IV, 25th Order in E flat major/C. La Mistérieuse. Modérément
Book IV, 25th Order in E flat major/C. La Montflambert. Tendrement, sans lenteur
Book IV, 25th Order in E flat major/C. La Muse victorieuse. Audacieusement
Book IV, 25th Order in E flat major/C. Les Ombres errantes. Languissamment
Book IV, 26th Order in F sharp minor. La Convalescente
Book IV, 26th Order in F sharp minor. Gavotte
Book IV, 26th Order in F sharp minor. L'Epineuse
Book IV, 26th Order in F sharp minor. La Pantomime. Gayement et marqué, et d'une grande précision
Book IV, 27th Order in B minor. L'Exquise, Allemande
Book IV, 27th Order in B minor. Les Pavots. Nonchalamment
Book IV, 27th Order in B minor. Les Chinois. Lentement - vite
Book IV, 27th Order in B minor. Saillie. Vivement

Music reviews of Christophe Rousset ~ Couperin - Fourth Book of Harpsichord Pieces

Music Review: 1 of best recorded performances ever (harpsichord/otherwise)
Rating: 5 Stars

[At turns red velvet, or cooling forest streams . . . high-blown festivity . . . and various shades of melancholy and/or anguish.] German and Italian music never took the naturalistic path that Couperin so thoroughly inhabited and mastered. Couperin in this, his last book/volume of pieces, displays so much melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic/metrical genius as to make me imagine even the likes of Bach shaking in his slippers upon experienceing it. A completely masterly, innovative display of mood and atmosphere, evoking subtly powerful emotional/spiritual spaces/states - this music becomes by turns passionate, tender and all shades in between. Francois set the stage for 200+ years of French composition, all the way up to and past the so-called Impressionists; he possibly surpasses them all.

The dynamic combination of Couperin and Roussets molds one's mind, elevates and cleanses one's heart - you'll revel at the new places you will find yourself being courageously, passionately, sometimes quietly led. There is as much subtlety, power and descriptive panache that might leave one elevated and completely spellbound.

If you can't find this set of CDs, by all means locate a library that owns it, and listen to them there. You'll be in wonder at the profoundly variegated shapes your soul is being poured into and through.

Christophe Rousset ~ Couperin - Fourth Book of Harpsichord Pieces