The titles of François Couperin’s harpsichord pieces have puzzled generations of players and listeners. Many refer to theatrical spectacles; others are portraits, sympathetic or satirical, of characters in the composer’s circle—courtiers, aristocrats, musicians, actors and actresses.

This book opens a door into Couperin’s world. Jane Clark introduces us to some of the characters that inhabit the Pièces de Clavecin, whose lives, sometimes dramatic and even scandalous, are illustrated by quotations from contemporary letters, songs and satirical epigrams. Derek Connon explores the literary and theatrical world in which the composer moved, particularly the rival French and Italian Comédies, the latter with its links to the improvised Commedia dell’ Arte. The heart of the book is an analytic catalogue of the individual movements from all 27 Ordres, explaining what is known about the meaning of each title. Even to the composer’s contemporaries, not every reference was transparent: where mysteries remain, alternative possible explanations are presented here.

Following its first appearance in 2002, The Mirror of Human Life has become a standard reference source for anyone interested in Couperin’s music. A revised and illustrated edition was issued by Keyword in 2011; this third edition incorporates new facts that have emerged since, particularly about Couperin’s attitude to the court of Louis XIV as it had become under the influence of the pious Mme de Maintenon, and the composer’s links with the exiled Stuart court at Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

ISBN 978–0–9555590–6–8. Softback; 230 pages. Black-and-white illustrations

 
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