A rhetorical analysis of the first three preludes from François Couperin's L’Art de toucher le clavecin

Abstract

The present work focuses on the analysis of the first three preludes for harpsichord by François Couperin, taken from the treatise L’Art de toucher le clavecin, published in 1716. We can understand this corpus not only as a treatise on interpretative technique but also as an example of composition and a compendium of how to convey different affects with music and take the place of various speakers.

Using the rhetorical tools typical of that period, we aim to explore compositional aspects of the pieces to find the predominant affects that the composer may have sought to convey to the listener in each one. Furthermore, we venture to identify which speaker of the time could have coincided with the character and affective content of each piece.

This work is part of the research project "Historical Flutes and Their Repertoires: Aesthetic Problems of the Practice of Early Music in the Present," directed by Dr. Gabriel Pérsico. It constitutes my contribution to this research group during my period with the EVC-CIN scholarship 2022/2023.