Top 11 Suites

[amw]

Louis. François wrote "ordres".

Suite 10 is the one with the Tombeau de M. Blancrocher if that helps, I'm not sure how to identify 16 except that I like it

[Mandryka]

Louis. François wrote "ordres".

Suite 10 is the one with the Tombeau de M. Blancrocher if that helps, I'm not sure how to identify 16 except that I like it

Ah that's better! As far as I can see from the way these things have been recorded on CDs the numbering of LC Suites is a bit confusing, what some recordings identify as suite X others identify as suite X + N

[amw]

I'm using the numbering from the Egarr set, don't really know if there's a more correct system....

Both of the suites I picked are also on this recording
https://www.youtube.com/v/wORVJ8NbH_8

[North Star]

I thought L. Couperin didn't really write specific suites, rather pieces that could be used to construct suites in various ways.

[Mandryka]

I thought L. Couperin didn't really write specific suites, rather pieces that could be used to construct suites in various ways.

The English Wikipedia is quite good on this. But what caught my attention there was that, apparently, Skip Sempe has written an essay disputing the attribution of some of the pieces in the Bauyn manuscript, I may buy his book.

In fact I was under the impression that François Couperin ordres weren't put together by the composer, am I wrong?

The English wiki is also good on the ins and outs of Louis Couperin numbering.

[North Star]

The English Wikipedia is quite good on this. But what caught my attention there was that, apparently, Skip Sempe has written an essay disputing the attribution of some of the pieces in the Bauyn manuscript, I may buy his book.

The English wiki is also good on the ins and outs of Louis Couperin numbering.

Here's what Egarr's liner notes say: The organisation of the various movements into 'suites' was always a choice left to the performer. I have made very personal choices for this recording. Virtuosi of the programmable CD or mp3 player should feel totally free to reshuffle for their own playlist pleasure.

In fact I was under the impression that François Couperin ordres weren't put together by the composer, am I wrong?

Probably:

Couperin's four volumes of harpsichord music, published in Paris in 1713, 1717, 1722, and 1730, contain over 230 individual pieces, and he also published a book of Concerts Royaux which can be played as solo harpsichord pieces or as small chamber works. The four collections for harpsichord alone are grouped into ordres, a synonym of suites, containing traditional dances as well as pieces with descriptive titles. They are notable for Couperin's detailed indication of ornaments, which in most harpsichord music of the period was left to the discretion of the player. The first and last pieces in an ordre were of the same tonality, but the middle pieces could be in other closely related tonalities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/François_Couperin#Works