François Couperin: Les Barricades Mystérieuses

"Les Barricades Mystérieuses" is one of the most famous keyboard pieces by the French composer "François Couperin". In total he composed four books of harpsichord pieces (Pièces de Clavecin) and many of these have descriptive, whimsical, or evocative titles rather than just numbers or musical forms. Some of his other titles include "The Bees", "The Fly", "The Reapers", "The Gossip", "The Prude", "The Little Windmills" and "The Gust of Wind". "Les Barricades Mystérieuses" (meaning "The Mysterious Barricades") is itself a mysterious title, and some researchers think it refers of women's eyelashes, a cultural reference from that time and place. (He composed it in 1717.) The piece is in the form of a rondo where the opening theme returns multiple times between sections where the theme diverges in different ways. The other unusual thing about the piece is that it features a lot of sustained notes, which allow the harmony to shift as the music progresses. When you look at the notation for the first time, these sustained notes can initially seem confusing. For this reason we have created a version with an alternative notation which essentially removes the ties which sustain these notes. You might find this easier to read during practice, but remember to sustain the notes yourself (using "finger pedalling") or revert back to the original notation once the piece has been mastered.

A video of the music is included below and the pdf score, midi and mp3 files are also available below or via links in the left-hand menu.