Rameau, Suite in A Minor
People who study music seriously have a tendency to become “music purists,” insisting that performances adhere to certain historical characteristics or avoid certain anachronisms. That’s a polite way of saying we become musical snobs, and, yes, I can often be counted among them.
There are some things best left alone and not recast in modern garb.
But I do not side with those who think music written for harpsichord is always better played on harpsichord. I like the harpsichord and have included many harpsichord performances in this series. But a modern piano can do many things a harpsichord cannot. It is far more expressive. And frankly, after hearing Scarlatti played by Horowitz or the Goldberg Variations played by Glenn Gould, I find it somewhat unsatisfying to hear those works on harpsichord.
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) wrote his keyboard works for harpsichord. Bartolomeo Cristofori invented his pianoforte during Rameau’s lifetime, but I doubt Rameau paid it any attention. The French loved the harpsichord and were the last to discard it as the principal keyboard instrument. And Rameau certainly knew nothing of the modern piano, which is quite advanced over Cristofori’s instrument or anything available in Rameau’s day.
If, however, you presented Rameau with a modern Steinway, I believe he would have embraced it enthusiastically and begun writing music that exploited its capabilities. And I think he would have been astonished at what a pianist like Sergey Tanin can do with his music.
Rameau wrote virtually all of his solo keyboard music before he began composing operas in 1733 at the age of 50. His reputation is primarily as an opera composer, but he published four sets of keyboard suites. The Suite in A minor appeared in his Nouvelles suites de pièce de clavecin published in 1728.
The suite consists of seven movements: 1. Allemande (0:00), 2. Courante (5:51), 3. Sarabande (8:52), 4. Les trois mains (11:02), 5. Fanfarinette (15:05), 6. La Triomphante (17:48), 7. Gavotte et six doubles (19:14)
