Rameau: Nouvelles Suites (Theraud)

Rameau's Suites in A and G stand as remarkable examples of Baroque keyboard music, showcasing his mastery in composition and innovation. Through intricate dances, expressive sarabandes, and imaginative pieces like "Les Trois Mains" and "La Poule," Rameau weaves a rich artwork of musical delights. Theraud's piano interpretation adds a modern touch to these historical gems, revealing the timeless beauty and depth embedded in Rameau's creations. The Suites not only reflect the spirit of their time but also continue to captivate listeners with their rich textures, harmonic surprises, and virtuosic challenges, reminding us of the enduring brilliance of this influential French composer.
SUITE IN A:
The Suite in A begins with dances traditionally found in harpsichord collections.
1. Allemande:
The Allemande, with intricate writing, revisits the theme from the 1706 book but with longer phrases and intricate runs of sixteenth notes, alternating between major and minor modes.
2. Courante:
The Courante, reminiscent of the 1706 book, features dynamic rising fourths in the right hand, giving it a lively rhythm.
3. Sarabande:
The Sarabande, despite inverted notes, draws inspiration from the first book's second Sarabande, adding a majestic character with lute-like arpeggios in the middle section and a superb harmonic march. Rameau orchestrates it in his opera Zoroastre.
4. Les Trois Mains (The Three Hands):
Rameau creates the illusion of a third hand through hand crossing and left-hand jumps in the upper keyboard over the right hand.
5. Fanfarinette:
Fanfarinette, despite its affectionate title, hints at a pronounced martial aspect, resembling the Gigue from the second collection.
6. La Triomphante:
La Triomphante is a rondeau with a theme based on perfect chords and scales, giving it an operatic quality. Rameau surprises with a harmonic effect in the second verse.
7. Gavotte:
The Gavotte, adorned as if played on a lute, leads to six variations of increasing intensity and virtuosity. Each variation introduces new challenges, showcasing Rameau's skill.
SUITE IN G:
1. Les Tricotets. Rondeau:
The Suite in G starts with Les Tricotets, a rondeau with a lute style, featuring rhythmic ambiguity with the overlay of 3/4 and 6/8 meters.
2. L'Indifférente:
L'Indifférente, written as a duet, has a distinctive appearance with even eighth notes in both hands, maintaining a uniform motion despite some modulations.
3. 1st and 2nd Menuet:
The two Menuets, major and minor, share the same rhythmic cell based on syncopations on the first beat. Rameau later uses these dances in his opera Castor et Pollux and Princesse de Navarre.
4. La Poule:
La Poule, a famous descriptive piece, humorously notates the clucking sound underlined by repeated arpeggios, creating a tragically comic effect.
5. Les Triolets:
Les Triolets, in contrast, is a tranquil piece reminiscent of L'Indifférente in its gentle and peaceful flow.
6. Les Sauvages:
Les Sauvages, a famous rondeau with melodic leaps in arpeggios, reflects Rameau's compositions for the Théâtre de la Foire. It later gained fame in the opera Les Indes galantes.
7. L'Enharmonique:
L'Enharmonique, subtitled "gracefully," is a sophisticated piece where Rameau demonstrates daring writing with a touch of melancholy, exploring the enharmonic genre theory.
8. L'Égyptienne:
L'Égyptienne, meaning a gypsy, concludes the collection, reminiscent of Les Sauvages, with its lively rhythm and versatile virtuosic elements, transporting the listener in a style close to Domenico Scarlatti.
0:00 - Title
Suite A:
00:06 - Allemande
06:06 - Courante
10:50 - Sarabande
13:58 - Les trois mains
18:10 - Fanfarinette
21:00 - La triomphante
22:35 - Gavotte
23:46 - 1st double
24:39- 2nd double
25:30 - 3rd double
26:25 - 4th double
27:15 - 5th double
28:05 - 6th double
Suite G:
29:01 - Les tricotets, rondeau
30:43 - L'indifférente
32:25 - Menuet I & Menuet II
35:22 - La poule
41:11 - Les triolets
44:41 - Les sauvages
46:26 - L'enharmonique
52:59 - L'égyptienne
Pianist: Alexandre Theraud

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