Couperin's later harpsichord works, like La Mystérieuse and Les Ombres errantes, adopted a 'luthé' style, introducing a second, often subconscious, discourse in the low register.
Compositional Technique
In his Concerts for two viols from Les Goûts réunis, Couperin explicitly stated that they would be 'always better with two violas da gamba or two related instruments, without anything else,' despite figured bass.
Compositional Technique
The piece 'La Chemise blanche' (The White Shirt) is a brilliant, virtuosic, and acrobatic provocation by Couperin, referencing a card game where 'chemise blanche' means 'I have won' against rival Marin Marais.
Compositional Technique
Couperin's 'Pompe funèbre' (Funeral Pomp) for viola da gamba creates the illusion of a funeral procession, organ chords, drum rolls, or church bells with just a few notes.
Composition History
The First and Second Suites for viola da gamba and continuo were long believed lost, but a copy of the collection was found in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.
Historical Context
The French viola da gamba tradition, unlike the German or English, focused on polyphony and rich expressive potential, as demonstrated by Couperin's contemporaries Forqueray and Marin Marais.
Composer's Artistic Vision
François Couperin, though known for harpsichord music, increasingly used the viola da gamba to express 'the secrets of the heart' as he grew older.
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