Rameau's Easy Suite Movements and Single Pieces is a popular pedagogical collection for piano, featuring simplified versions of his charming harpsichord works.
Rameau’s Easy Suite Movements and Single Pieces is a popular pedagogical collection for piano, featuring simplified versions of his charming harpsichord works.
This series of easy piano music for teaching purposes presents pupils in the lower and lower middle grades with a carefully chosen selection of well-known and lesser-known compositions by important masters. The volumes are deliberately kept small in extant, since it is more stimulating for children to change the teaching material frequently.
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) is the second great keyboard master of the Baroque Age next to Couperin. His works are as unknown to pianists, with few exceptions, as they are famous among harpsichord players. The virtuosity and imaginativeness of his works lend themselves especially well to the sound of harpsichord, which is why the piano interpretation of works by Couperin, Rameau, Scarlatti and other composers of that time has been categorically rejected. But, after all, the works of Bach and Händel were written for the harpsichord and clavichord, and no one would dare question their interpretation on the pianoforte.
In order to introduce these “Impressionists of the Baroque Era” to piano instructions, the editor has added to this series a folio of both Couperin’s and Rameau’s music. The selection of the pieces is based on two criteria: 1. relatively modest demands made on technique, 2. various musical forms of expression. Baroque dance forms and graceful character pieces (“LaJoyeuse”, “L’Indifferente”) are typical ofRameau’s work.
Simplifications to a small extent of the harpsichord setting and also of the omamentation in the original version were required, based on the teaching experience of the editor.
The indications for phrasing and articulation are those of the editor. The Minuet on page 6 has been precisely elaborated on in this respect to serve as a model, whereas the remaining pieces contain only suggestions. As in other folios of this series: what is here to be stressed, is the importance of working out independently the phrasing and the dynamics. Directions for this are given by the espective footnotes; these directions, however, are not obligatory. Indications pertaining to dynamics and tempo have been omitted completely; the clearly recognizable character of the individual pieces should be direction enough. The tonal possibilities of the piano should in any case by used subtly.
The very precise fingerings have been adapted to the suggested phrasings and to the corresponding realisation of trills (according to the table).
Heinz Walter, Salzburg, Spring 1980
