Harpsichord Solo: Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou les Maillotins

[fantaros13]

it reminds me zelda theme

[TimFreud]

0:35 Beginning of the piece.

[XxbambambxX]

00:08 Francois Couperin specifies that you must have 2 keyboards....

That may be true but look at sokolov's version.. this is absolutely amazing !!!

Thumb up that everyone can see it

[LukasP369]

i love how she said "choc" not "shoc"!!! Really great playing!

[matagalpa]

The best . I love it .

[7777Scion]

Please explain the long-legged type of harpsichord you are playing in your videos so that the constant "why is she standing up" comments can be stopped - thank you.

[scraggy2011]

@7777Scion AS they used to say before I left GB: "Hear hear!". ie What a ******** good idea!

[Kobzar3374]

OMG, but this is pure beauty and joy!

[gianm73yout]

Great taste, as usual in your recordings

[tpno2005]

@Sviolinist If you hated her playing so much, why is it on your Favorites list?

[Sviolinist]

Honestly... If I am listening to this piece... it automatically means that I know what I'm listening to. I'll wage that very very few people find Couperin on Youtube by accident. Nice mistakes, by the way.

[Mastertim2006]

Wunderbar!

[hpcine]

Joyous!

[Jo95013]

Thank you for sharing your amazing talent.

[StringsStrikes]

eso es trampaaaaaaa!!! xD

[sarah52107]

muito lindoo!!

[lvbop111]

Why is she standing while she plays?

[rlax106]

@lvbop111 the harpsichord is too high up

[harpsichordgal]

Lots of pizazz and great playing!

[Keytaster]

best rendition is by Sokolov, but this one is quite decent too

[OriginalBasaliskos]

@Keytaster How can you even compare the two when one is on piano and the other on the harpsichord?

[Keytaster]

@OriginalBasaliskos I don't. I just like the version by Sokolov better, just personal taste

[oxenholme]

Perfect.

[vBlogmiscarrage]

ZOMG SO PRO

[EngorgedxSpleen]

Beautiful piece, beautiful instrument, and beautiful harpsichordist. ;)

[thornmastro]

Very excellently performed. Far beyond the magnitude of any other's talent.

[rangerklypf]

harpsicords sound awesome

[ArcanaMundi81]

Merveilluex pièce!!!!

[TheSeiBiscuit]

(cont.) This interpretation seems accurate because Couperin calls Tic-Toc-Choc a Piéce croisée. To perform a Piéce croisée on a keyboard, the musician crosses her left hand over her right hand multiple times. The sleight of hand needed for the crossings in Couperins piece suggests a kind

of rope dancing

[TheSeiBiscuit]

Tic-Toc-Choc is the sixth of seven pieces in François Couperins 18th Ordre from Book 3. Couperins 18th Ordre from Book 3 also bears the name Piéces de Clavecin. This piece also bears an alternate title "Les Maillotins". Rapidly repeating sixteenth-note patterns imitate the sound of that clock. The word choc refers to a shock or impact. Jane Clark and Derek Cannon believe that Les Maillotins refers to a family of rope

dancers.

[OriginalBasaliskos]

Academic Decathlon too?

[vikingmerijn]

She mispronounced the name of the piece... CH is pronounced as SH in French.

[monsieur1jourdain]

@vikingmerijn Merci pour cette perle de sagesse...

[vikingmerijn]

@monsieur1jourdain Non merci, mon cher!

[Korea4Me]

That was pretty breathtaking!

[archkevinbrown]

I notice the keyboard is up high and she's standing when she plays, like a lot of rock/pop keyboard artists do. Guess it's not an issue if you don't have pedals to deal with.

[andreybeci]

master

[sotalitefella]

ACADEC YAHOO!

[rockoon00000]

I read that Couperin wrote this piece to simulate the delicate and intricate movements of the mechanism of a clock.

[irishmaestro]

@rockoon00000 I can't remember where (I think it was a journal article), but I read recently that the word 'Maillotins' refers to a Parisian circus troupe - and the piece is a description of their acrobatic feats. So, it seems that the piece has nothing whatever to do with clocks.

[drwaynejohnson]

I'm a pianist and for years I've enjoyed listening to this piece performed by excellent harpsichordists such as Elaine Comparone. However, I always assumed it was unplayable on the piano since the two hands would be right on top of one another, which is why Couperin specified two keyboards--that is, until I heard the Russian pianist Sokolov play it. There's a clip of it on You-Tube called Sokolov Couperin Le tic toc Choc. It's astounding!

[classicalaccordion]

BRAVA!

[Oflores707]

Yes Acadeca Ftw! Vanden is gunna sweep it this year!

[Waluoob]

haha...this is my faveorite song from Acadec this year :D

[BrittanyLBC]

Woot! I love demidec...just wish

they'd give an actual CD:(

Thank God for European history last year.

ILACDC

[darkangelkalas]

@BrittanyLBC: I believe your team has to purchase them in like a set of 10 from USAD. Our team has the CDs and it's kind of nice to see the little flap notes and such.

But if you don't have CDs, how are you guys listening to the music? Are you just going out on your own to find it where ever?

[fatstickman1027]

Academic Decathlon

[kimojemuzu808]

ACA DECA FTW!!

[LarxeneSP]

does anyone know any slow bassy, deep type harpischord pieces?

[eloisacascio]

molto bello però...qualcuno sa dirmi perchè mai suona in piedi??

[OriginalBasaliskos]

Although, I do think she could do better if the piece were played a bit more slowly. Just a tiny bit.

[giu13pet]

bellissimo

[dolofonos]

What on paper is delightful has by this tempo--to my ears--been made absurd and comical.

[enterkakashi]

Wow , beautiful : )

[FutureAbe]

beautiful piece

[baroqueboy]

Hmmm...is it possible that Tchaikowsky heard this piece and used it as inspiration for parts of the Nutcracker? Parts of it sound almost like a music box or celeste, and that left hand part at 1:07 REALLY reminds me of Tchaikowsky. I know that French Baroque music was popular in Russia at various points in history, so is this too much of a stretch? I'd like to hear musicological opinions please.

[martinezygonzalez]

It's possible, baroqueboy: Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker is of 1892, Couperin's "pièces de clavecin" were edited by Brahms and Chysander 4 years before, in 1888.

[piriapolis2008]

good piece but she play harpsichord like if she play piano, no finger baroque, sorry, the piece is very nice. Hermosa pieza pero toca el clave con digitacion de piano, ya la vi tocar scarlati y pianea arriba del clave pegandole a las teclas, toco el clave y no es lo que aprendi, saludos

[OriginalBasaliskos]

This piece was written when French art was moving away from baroque and towards rococo. This piece is intended to be played lightly and markedly, to illustrate the delicate and precise clock-like rhythms. It's not intended to be played in a "Baroque style"...

[toddao70mm]

I agree with you. Couperin was a renowned musician at Louis 14th's court.

At that time, the atmosphere at court was very superficial, driven by an atmosphere of festivity and fantasy (possibly to 'forget' wars in progress). So I won't be surprised if this piece was originaly played with a kind of delirious/humoristic style.

[BillyBluesjah]

Dazzling, and extremely delightful, something to make you smile.

[koliatima]

Un bonheur d'écouter cette pièce de clavecin de Couperin. Bravo et merci!

[baroqueboy]

WOW, this is GREAT, but it's really messing with my head!

[Noshirm]

Two things - LOVE the playing - and so happy that your posts are now attracting people who love and appreciate your great art! (:-D) It has made my evening. Bless you, and play on!!!

[andreichiu01]

i like it

[DeMars3]

What a delightful little piece!

[brakiz]

sublime technique!

[sauterio]

Beautiful!!!

[NathanaelSaintCyr]

I love that your voicing is delineated and clearly audible. That's some fabulous musicianship. Brava. :-)

[couperinette]

jolie pièce et joli clavecin

[mradaChris]

You are truly amazing!

[APatronOfTheArts]

mradaChris agreed!!!

[cav0129]

ahaha seems difficult.... would u reccommend this piece for a grade 6 piano recital?? (RCM)

[kusuna7]

you have to be grigory sokolov to pull this off on the piano, the vid is on youtube

[indigoblue555]

to kusuna7 - Yes I agree and it's a delicate and smart playing... but omop,

oppositely to Bach Scarlatti and Haendel, Couperin and largest part of the great french baroque composers do really need their sparkling music to be played on the harps.

[simipiano]

Great :D Wonderful Bravissimissima :)

[SFChristo]

This is one of George's favorites. I'm forwarding it to him.

[Paragoti]

Yep, very cheerful and as usual superbly played, well done!

[HypnoSurf22]

its a playful upbeat piece. i really enjoyed it.