This Week in Classical Music: November 4, 2024. Couperin and performers. François Couperin, called “Le Grand” to distinguish him from the lesser but still talented members of his extended musical family, was born in Paris on November 10th of 1668 during the reign of Louis XIV. With Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau, Couperin was one of the three greatest French composers of the Baroque era and we have written about him on many occasions, for example here. The French culture of the period was in many ways indebted to Italy (and so was its food: Catherine de' Medici, the Italian wife of King Henry II and mother of kings Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III, taught the French how to cook). Lully, a founding father of French classical music, was Italian by birth and a major influence on all French composers who followed him; Couperin was also influenced by Arcangelo Corelli. This of course in no way dеtracts from Couperin’s great talent and individuality, it is just a historical fact that music in Italy was much more developed than in late-17th century France. Interestingly, this relationship didn’t last long: the French music school continued developing, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, whereas Italian music languished, except for opera. Couperin freely admitted the influence, pronouncing later in his life that he wanted to create a “union” between French and Italian music.
Couperin was famous as an organist and clavier player and wrote much for both instruments: he published four volumes of harpsichord music containing more than 200 pieces, many with very evocative titles but sometimes so vague that they remain poorly understood. He also published a book of organ music. We, on the other hand, will listen to one of his trio sonatas, which was not just influenced by but dedicated to Corelli. It’s called Le Parnasse ou L'Apothéose de Corelli and consists of seven movements. Each movement has a separate (and long) title, such as Corelli at the foot of Mount Parnassus asks the Muses to welcome him amongst them (movement 1) or Corelli, enchanted by his favorable reception at Mount Parnassus, expresses his joy. He proceeds with his followers (movement 2). It’s performed by the Musica Ad Rhenum (here).
Two pianists were born on November 5th, György Cziffra, whom we recently heard playing Liszt when we celebrated the composer’s birthday, in 1921, and Walter Gieseking, in 1895. A German, Gieseking excelled in playing the music of two French composers, Debussy and Ravel. And yet another musician was born on November 5th: the Hungarian-American violinist Joseph Szigeti, in 1892.
Also born this week: Ivan Moravec, a Czech pianist, on November 9th of 1930. Moravec studied with Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, traveled widely, even while Czechoslovakia was part of the Soviet bloc, and was known as a supreme interpreter of Chopin.
Couperin, 2024
This Week in Classical Music: November 4, 2024. Couperin and performers. François Couperin, called “Le Grand” to distinguish him from the lesser but still talented members of his
extended musical family, was born in Paris on November 10th of 1668 during the reign of Louis XIV. With Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau, Couperin was one of the three greatest French composers of the Baroque era and we have written about him on many occasions, for example here. The French culture of the period was in many ways indebted to Italy (and so was its food: Catherine de' Medici, the Italian wife of King Henry II and mother of kings Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III, taught the French how to cook). Lully, a founding father of French classical music, was Italian by birth and a major influence on all French composers who followed him; Couperin was also influenced by Arcangelo Corelli. This of course in no way dеtracts from Couperin’s great talent and individuality, it is just a historical fact that music in Italy was much more developed than in late-17th century France. Interestingly, this relationship didn’t last long: the French music school continued developing, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, whereas Italian music languished, except for opera. Couperin freely admitted the influence, pronouncing later in his life that he wanted to create a “union” between French and Italian music.
Couperin was famous as an organist and clavier player and wrote much for both instruments: he published four volumes of harpsichord music containing more than 200 pieces, many with very evocative titles but sometimes so vague that they remain poorly understood. He also published a book of organ music. We, on the other hand, will listen to one of his trio sonatas, which was not just influenced by but dedicated to Corelli. It’s called Le Parnasse ou L'Apothéose de Corelli and consists of seven movements. Each movement has a separate (and long) title, such as Corelli at the foot of Mount Parnassus asks the Muses to welcome him amongst them (movement 1) or Corelli, enchanted by his favorable reception at Mount Parnassus, expresses his joy. He proceeds with his followers (movement 2). It’s performed by the Musica Ad Rhenum (here).
Two pianists were born on November 5th, György Cziffra, whom we recently heard playing Liszt when we celebrated the composer’s birthday, in 1921, and Walter Gieseking, in 1895. A German, Gieseking excelled in playing the music of two French composers, Debussy and Ravel. And yet another musician was born on November 5th: the Hungarian-American violinist Joseph Szigeti, in 1892.
Also born this week: Ivan Moravec, a Czech pianist, on November 9th of 1930. Moravec studied with Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, traveled widely, even while Czechoslovakia was part of the Soviet bloc, and was known as a supreme interpreter of Chopin.