François CouperinJean-Baptiste Lully

Three Pieces for Theorbo

edited byYasunori Imamura

TREE EDITION

François CouperinJean-Baptiste Lully

Three Pieces for Theorbo

edited byYasunori Imamura

© 2011TREE EDITIONAlbert Reyerman

Preface

Little can be said about François Couperin (1668-1733) andJean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) that has not already been said, asthey, along with Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764), are amongthe most important and well-known French baroque composers.Robert de Visée (ca.1655-1732) is the most celebrated composerof French theorbo music and, apart from Nicolas Hotman, AngeloMichele Bartolotti and Charles Hurel, few others wrote for thisinstrument.

Since Robert de Visée was responsible for the transcriptionof „Les Sylvains“ by F. Couperin and „Ouverture de la Grotte deVersailles“ by J. B. Lully, it is easy to imagine that he (or some ofhis students) transcribed and played much more of their music,although, sadly, few of these works have been preserved.

Inspired by Robert de Visée, I have selected and transcribedtwo pieces by Couperin and one by Lully, which seemed to beparticularly suitable for the theorbo.

„La Ménetou“ is from the „Septiême Ordre“ and „LesBaricades Mistérieuses“ is from the „Sixiême Ordre“ of the „Piècesde clavecin, second livre“ by F. Couperin. For my transcription of„La Ménetou“ for the theorbo I have maintained the original key.However, I transposed „Les Baricades Mistérieuses“ from B-flatMajor to G Major. Often the range of harpsichord music coversfour octaves or even more, but these pieces tend to stay in thelower register, thus their range is comparable to that of the theorbo,except for one or two notes. The complex voice leadings withsuspensions can be realised on the theorbo without omitting theinner voices, and so they suit this instrument perfectly.

„Logistille des Fées de Roland“ is from the opera „Roland“(1685) by Lully. Robert de Visée only transcribed the ritournelloof the „Logistille“, but I have transcribed the whole air and find itvery suitable for the theorbo.

In 1992, I recorded these pieces for the Capriccio label. Thereference no. is: Robert de Visée, Pièces de théorbe (Capriccio10464).

Yasunori IMAMURA

La Ménetou

François Couperin

2

Gracieusement, sans lenteur

RONDEAU

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4

Fin

1&5________ll

2____

ll

))(

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8

))

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))

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11

14

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))

D.C.

3ll_______

18

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)) ))

22

))

)) ))

26

))

))))

30

D.C.

4

))

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34

37

( (

)) ))

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41

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44

47

))

D.C.

Les Baricades MistérieusesFrançois Couperin

Rondeau

2

Vivement

5

91____ll

Fin

5ll_____

21er Couplet____

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14

18

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22

Rondeau

2e Couplet3___ll

26

30

43e Couplet_____

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34

38

42

46

50

Rondeau

des Fées de Roland (1685)

Logistille

Jean-Baptiste Lully

6

11

17

23

29

35

41

47

53

59

64

70

76

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TREE EDITION