CRC 3569

François Couperin: The Complete Pièces de Clavecin, Volume 3Mark Kroll, harpsichordRecorded on harpsichords by Pascal Taskin (1769) and William Dowd (1974)

Troisiême Ordre (33:47)1 La Ténébreuse, Allemande 3:432 Premiere Courante 1:283 Seconde Courante 1:594 La Lugubre, Sarabande 2:215 Gavotte 1:036 Menuet 1:007 Les Pélerines 3:39

La MarcheLa Caristade Le Remerciement

8 Les Laurentines 4:049 L’Espagnolète 1:3310 Les Regrets 3:5311 Les Matelotes Provençales 2:4112 La Favorite, Chaconne à deux tems 13 La Lutine 1:51

Onziême Ordre (23:00)14 La Castelane 2:4915 L’Étincelante ou La Bontems 1:5616 Les Grâces-Naturéles; Suite de la Bontems 2:5317 La Zénobie 4:5018 Les Fastes de la grande, et Anciénne Mxnxstrxndxsx 10:21

Premiere Acte: Les Notables, et Jurés-Mxnxstrxndxurs. Marche

Seconde Acte: Les Viéleux, et les GueuxTroisiéme Acte: Les Jongleurs, Sauteurs; et

Saltinbanques, Avec Les Ours, et les Singes

Quatriéme Acte: Les Invalides: ou gens Estropiés au Service de la grande—Mxnxstrxndxsx

Cinquiéme Acte: Desordre, et déroute de toute la troupe, Causés par les Yvrognes, les Singes, et les Ours

Treiziême Ordre (20:46)19 Les Lis naissans 3:0320 Les Rozeaux 3:2521 L’Engageante 3:3422 Les Folies françoises, ou les Dominos 7:02

La Virginité sous le Domino couleur d’invisibleLa Pudeur sous le Domino couleur de RozeL’Ardeur sous le Domino incarnatL’Espérance sous le Domino VertLa Fidélité sous le Domino BleuLa Persévérance sous le Domino Gris de linLa Langeur sous le Domino violetLa Coquéterie sous diférens Dominos La Vieux galans et les Trésorières surannées sous

des Dominos Pourpres et feüilles mortes La Coucous Bénévoles sous des Dominos jaunesLa Jalousie Taciturne sous le Domino gris de MaureLa Frénésie, ou Le Désespoir sous le Domino noir

23 L’Âme-en-peine 3:26

Total Time: 77:49

Treiziême Ordre recorded 2015 on a 1769 Pascal Taskin harpsichord in the private instrument collection of Marlowe A. Sigal,Newton Centre, Massachusetts. Engineered by Frank Cunningham. Edited by Toby Mountain, Northeastern Digital Recording.Troisiême and Onziême Ordres recorded 2016 on a 1974 William Dowd harpsichord (Taskin model) at Brooks Concert Hall,College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts. Engineered by E. R. Staunt. Edited and mastered by Peter Nothnagle. Cover Painting: Jean-Antoine Watteau: Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera (1717).�� 2017 Centaur Records, Inc. www.centaurrecords.com4

L’EngageanteThis title refers to a bow of yellow ribbons thatyoung ladies wore on their breast, or the elegantsleeves used to better display their beautiful armsfor the purpose of seduction.

Les Folies françoises, ou Les DominosThe “Folies” in this title refers to the famous osti-nato bass pattern “La Folia,” upon which numerouscomposers wrote variations, including Corelli,whom Couperin greatly admired. Here we areinvited to a masked ball, where guests wore cloaksof different colors (i.e., “Les Dominos”) to concealtheir identities. “Virginity” is invisible, but impliessomeone undressing or unwilling to be seen.“Modesty” is a blushing pink domino, “Ardor” isflesh colored, and “Hope” is green. “Fidelity” wearsa blue domino and “Perseverance” a flaxen grey(silver) one. “Languor” is purple, and “Coquetry”comes in many different colors. The old gallantcourtiers and retired courtesans limp around wear-ing crimson, while the benevolent cuckolds aredressed in yellow. “Jealousy” has a dark, “Moorish”color, and the final party seems to end in a frenzy.

L’Âme-en-peineThe soul in torment, this closing work is quiteappropriate for the key in which this ordre is writ-ten: B-minor, a tonality Couperin’s colleagueMarc-Antoine Charpentier described as “solitaryand melancholy.”

Recording InformationThe Treiziême Ordre was recorded by Frank

Cunningham in 2015 on a 1769 Pascal Taskinharpsichord in the private instrument collection ofMarlowe A. Sigal, Newton Centre, Massachusetts,and edited by Toby Mountain (NortheasternDigital). I am very grateful to Mr. Sigal for provid-ing his beautiful instrument for this recording.The Troisiême and Onziême Ordres were recordedby E. R. Staunt in 2016 on a 1974 William Dowdharpsichord (Taskin model) at Brooks ConcertHall, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester,Massachusetts and edited and mastered by PeterNothnagle.

1It is beyond the scope of these notes to describethese references in detail. Two excellent sources forfurther reading on this subject are Jane Clark andDerek Connon, The Mirror of Human Life(London: Keyword Press, 2002, rev. 2011) andWilfred Mellers, François Couperin and the FrenchClassical Tradition, rev. Davitt Moroney (London:Faber, 1987).

Mark Kroll’s distinguished career as a performer,scholar and educator spans a period of more thanfifty years. He has appeared in concert worldwideas a harpsichordist and fortepianist, publishednumerous books, article and editions, and taught inthe United States and abroad, including twenty-five years as Professor of Harpsichord and Chair ofthe Department of Historical Performance atBoston University.

His website is www.markkroll.com

François Couperin: The Complete Pièces de Clavecin, Volume 3Mark Kroll, harpsichord