L'art de toucher le clavecin

The daily routine of an 18th-century French composer wasn’t all about prestigious commissions and royal concerts: François Couperin spent much of his time working as a harpsichord teacher. Like Bach, he composed some music for educational purposes, but unlike his German colleague, he actually published a little book specifically designed to inform other teachers of his methods, and appeal to more experienced players who wanted to know how to play his pieces. L’art de toucher le clavecin was first printed in 1716, and at a time when the notation of ornaments in French keyboard music was not systematic, users must have found his explanations invaluable. Couperin also explained the importance of using the right fingers, even suggesting the best ones for tricky passages in his own music. His wide-ranging discussion of the harpsichord—its techniques, styles and performing practices—shows that he considered it a highly expressive instrument. He included eight preludes for teaching purposes, which could also be used to introduce his keyboard suites, and were intended to be played freely as if they were improvised.