Louis Couperin: The Complete Works

Jean Rondeau — harpsichord, organ and artistic direction

Erato 2173283719 — set of 10 CDs and one DVD (14^th November 2025)

Erato 2173275273 (Vol. I), 2173275250 (Vol. II), 2173280854 (Vol. III), 2173275195 (Vol. IV), 2173281439 (Vol. V), 2173277884 (Vol. VI), 2173281928 (Vol. VII), 2173285456 (Vol. VIII), 2173281440 (Vol. IX), 2173275228 (Vol. X) — individual CDs in electronic format (14^th November 2025)

Review by Graham Rickson

Louis Couperin (1626-1661) was the first musically and historically significant member of the Couperin family, long overshadowed by his nephew François. Harpsichordist Jean Rondeau, this handsome box set’s driving force, contributes a useful pocket biography in which he compares Louis to Mozart. Aside from the fact that both composers died aged 35, Rondeau considers Louis to have been “a genius who brought a new style to light”. Born in the Brie region of the Île-de-France to a musically active family, a chance encounter with Louis XIV’s splendidly-named court keyboard player Jacques Champion de Chambonnières led to him moving to Paris in 1651 and becoming a full-time musician, his roles including an important position as organist at the church of Saint-Gervais and as a viol player in the royal court. Though a prolific composer, none of Louis Couperin’s music was published in his lifetime, most of it rediscovered in the 20th century and none of it in the composer’s hand. Rondeau even suggests that some of the pieces in this collection are the work of Louis’s talented younger brother Charles, the father of François.

Harpsichord and organ music dominate these ten discs, with additional works from a swathe of other composers active in 17th century Paris. I’d not come across Ennemond Gaultier before hearing his imposing, melancholy “Tombeau de Mésangeau” on the first of the ten discs. Then listen to a magical viol transcription of the same work on the fourth disc, after encountering the tiny “Pange Lingus Gloriosi by one Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers, an austere delight. As an entry point, try the four harpsichord suites on the ninth CD, three of them beginning with a rhapsodic unmeasured prelude. Rondeau relishes the metrical freedom though acknowledging that “the absence of a rhythmic framework must be counterbalanced by a clear narrative”. They sound marvellous here, and I love the grace which Rondeau finds in the dance movements; the Suite in Fa’s “Allemande” and “Gigue” sound resplendent here. I’ve rarely heard a harpsichord sound so warm and rich, and it’s significant that the recordings, made using a variety of instruments in four different church settings, were mostly made using just a pair of well-placed microphones with no knob-twiddling.

The second disc is my favourite, Rondeau joined by the Ricercar Consort. Violist Pierre Pierlot’s transcription of another F major suite is a treat, and even the briefest pieces ooze personality. A tiny Simphonie par Mr. Couperin lasts little more than a minute, a work so enchanting that you’ll find yourself listening to it on repeat. Discs 4 and 10 include imposing organ pieces alongside sacred music and intriguing instrumental numbers. Sackbuts and cornetts feature, as does a bass dulzian, the predecessor of the modern bassoon.

Erato’s thick booklet is a joy to peruse, containing scores of session photos and detailed descriptions of the various harpsichords and organs which Rondeau uses. Place the individual CD sleeves on the floor in order and they form a portrait of Rondeau’s face – a daft but endearing design quirk. Do watch the bonus DVD and read his epilogue, Louis Couperin and Peace, an unashamedly personal and moving account of his discovery of Louis Couperin’s music and an explanation of how listening to and enjoying the music of the past can enhance our lives. If you’re reading this review, you presumably understand that already, so snap up this life-enhancing release while you can. In Rondeau’s words, “may these dances lead our souls away from impending decline.”

Originally published on TheArtsDesk.com.

Links

• Release information on the Warner Classics webpage.
• Disc set on the website of the British retailer Presto Music.
• Webpage of Jean Rondeau.
• History of Prague Spring Competition. In 2012, Jean Rondeau became a laureate. Since then, a notable connection of the harpsichordist to Czechia exists. He has permormed at the Prague Spring Festival, at Letní slavnosti staré hudby (Summer Festivities of Early Music) in Prague, at Concentus Moraviae (artist of residence), and was featured in a documentary Let the music flow at the TV festival Golden Prague. In 2026 he will return to the Prague Symphony Orchestra.