Francois Couperin, Kenneth Gilbert - Francois Couperin: Book 3 for Clavecin (Harpsichord) at Music Hills.com

Music CD 1

13th order in B minor: No. 1, Les lis naissans
13th order in B minor: No. 2, Les rozeaux
13th order in B minor: No. 3, L'engageante
13th order in B minor: No. 4, Les flies francoises, ou Les dominos*No. 1, La virginite sous le domi
13th order in B minor: No. 5, L'ame-en-peine
14th order in D major: Le Rossignol-en-Amour
14th order in D major: Double du Rossignol
14th order in D major: La Linote-?farouch?e
14th order in D major: Les Fauv?tes Plaintives
14th order in D major: Le Rossignol-Vainqueur
14th order in D major: La Julliet
14th order in D major: Le Carillon de Cyth?re
14th order in D major: Le Petit-Rien
15th order in A major: No. 1, Le regente ou la Minerve
15th order in A major: No. 2, Le dodo ou L'amour au berceau, Piece-croisee
15th order in A major: No. 3, L'evaporee
15th order in A major: No. 4, Musete de Choisi
15th order in A major: No. 5, Musete de Taverni
15th order in A major: No. 6, La douce et piquante
15th order in A major: No. 7, Les vegers fleuris
15th order in A major: No. 8, La Princesse de Chabeuil, ou La muse de Monaco
16th order in G major: No. 1, Les graces incomparables ou La Conti
16th order in G major: No. 2, L'himen-amour

Music CD 2

16th order in G major: No. 3, Les vestales
16th order in G major: No. 4, L'aimable Therese
16th order in G major: No. 5, Le drole de corps
16th order in G major: No. 6, La distraite
16th order in G major: No. 7, La Letiville
17th order in E major: No. 1, La superbe ou la Forqueray
17th order in E major: No. 2, Les petits moulins a vent
17th order in E major: No. 3, Les timbres
17th order in E major: No. 4, Courante
17th order in E major: No. 5, Les petites chremieres de Bagnolet
18th order in F major: No. 1, La Verneuil, allemande
18th order in F major: No. 2, La Verneuillete
18th order in F major: No. 3, Soeur Monique
18th order in F major: No. 4, Le turbulant
18th order in F major: No. 5, L'atendrissange
18th order in F major: No. 7, Le gaillard boiteux
19th order in D major: No. 1, Les Calotins et les Calotines, ou La piece a tretous
19th order in D major: No. 2, Les Calotines
19th order in D major: No. 3, L'ingenue
19th order in D major: No. 4, L'artiste
19th order in D major: No. 5, Les culbutes
19th order in D major: No. 6, La muse-Palantine
19th order in D major: No. 7, L'enjouee

Music reviews of Francois Couperin: Book 3 for Clavecin (Harpsichord)

Music Review: Rococo Ornamentation in Full Flower.
Rating: 5 Stars

Exploring a little further you will find that these pieces were published in four collections or books (1713, 1717, 1722 and 1730), where they are arranged in 27 "ordres", each "ordre" comprising pieces in the same key, major or minor.

Exploring further, you won't find the contrapuntal textures of Bach's or the binary form creations of Scarlatti. You'll find that most of the pieces are about two pages in length and contain excessive amounts of ornamentation. The various forms of trill, mordent, and appoggiatura are required, and Couperin himself, in his written preface, cautions the player against neglecting to interpret the ornaments exactly as indicated by him.

All of which will have brought you to the point in the exploration that I have reached, as I unpack and listen to the complete works issued in four sets of CDs. This Third Book contains seven "ordres" on two well-filled CDs. The performances, already thirty years old and recorded in Canada, sound wonderfully fresh and vivid. Don't try to listen to them all at once. My only gripes (Harmonica Mundi, please note!) are that no information is provided about the make or age of the harpsichord....