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196:, likens the piece to a train. This clearly cannot have been the precise image Couperin was trying to convey, but it is easy to hear in Les Barricades the image of a heavy but fast-moving object that picks up momentum. In that sense, the mysterious barricades are perhaps those which cause the "train" to slow down and sometimes stop... This hypothesis seems to fit in with the pedagogical aims of Couperin's music, since the composer presents himself as something of a specialist in building sound through legato,
711:
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1990: mentioned in Paul Auster's The Music of Chance. The protagonist Jim Nashe feels compelled to play this work because it reminds him of the wall he is building. Wondering about the meaning of the tile, Nashe states that "s far as he was concerned, the barricades stood for the wall he was building
303:"We should think about the example Couperin's harpsichord works set us: they are marvelous models of grace and innocence long past. Nothing could ever make us forget the subtly voluptuous perfume, so delicately perverse, that so innocently hovers over the
232:
referring simultaneously to feminine virginity and the suspensions harmonic of the music, lute figurations are imitated to produce an enigmatic stalemate", as Judith
Robison Kipnis explained the work's title and its interpretation by her husband
88:"The four parts create an ever-changing tapestry of melody and harmony, interacting and overlapping with different rhythmic schemes and melodies. The effect is shimmering, kaleidoscopic and seductive, a sonic
144:
There has been much speculation on the meaning of the phrase "mysterious barricades", but no direct evidence appears to be available. The harpsichordist Pascal Tufféry has suggested that, in keeping with the
742:
1922: The Worm
Ourobouros. ER. Eddison. Early in this fantasy novel the protagonist and his wife, hearing their daughter play this piece, comment to each other that only they know the true meaning of the
137:
stérieuses' . All four possible spelling combinations have since been used with "double r" and a "y" being the most common. The intended meaning of the phrase has remained an enigma (an example of how
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suggested that her vocal and visual arrangement of the piece, where the notes in the different voices rest on one another like barrels, may explain the imagery of barricades.
752:
523:
1999 "Les
Baricades Fantasques" is the second movement of a suite of three harpsichord pieces paying homage to Scarlatti, Couperin, and Bach, by American composer
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556:. This was revisited in 2011 with a new work titled "Petite fantasie sur Les Barricades Mystérieuses (déjà une révélation) d'après François Couperin".
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188:"The title Les Barricades Mystérieuses is probably meant to be evocative rather than a reference to a specific object, musical or otherwise.
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208:, set in a higher register and more bucolic in feeling, is also an exercise in using a repetitive motif (in this case a left hand
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The piece has been used as a source of inspiration across different artistic fields including music, visual arts and literature.
177:). Some of the less likely interpretations of the "mysterious barricades" proposed over the years – sometimes in relation to the
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A plausible attempt to link the title to features of the music itself has been provided by the harpsichordist Luke
Arnason:
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Igor Kipnis, French
Baroque Music for Harpsichord, EPIC LP cat.no. BC1289, 1964, Library of Congress r64001444 Permalink
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arrangement for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, and cello titled "Les
Barricades mystérieuses", the fourth of nine
104:
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637:
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2010 piece for oboe, horn, violin, viola, cello and harpsichord titled "The
Mysterious Barricades" by Korean composer
154:
1202:
366:, a piece for women's chorus, piccolo, bassoon, harpsichord and clapping titled "Les Barricades Mysteriéuses" by
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1040:(François Couperin and the French Classical Tradition, new version, London, Faber and Faber, 1987, pp. 400–2).
883:
850:
814:
509:
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Mid-1990s solo percussion and electronic piece titled "Mysterious
Barricades" on the album of the same name by
228:
While the title reflects the musical structure, there may be more at play. The suggestion of barricades is "a
169:
of the day in France). In this view, the "mysterious" epithet could allude to the significance of wine in the
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http://catalog2.loc.gov/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=207082&recCount=25&recPointer=3&bibId=9856129
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2001 "Girándula" for 4 corni di bassetto or 4 bass clarinets, based on "Les
Barricades mystérieuses", by
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a "technical joke...the continuous suspensions in the lute style being a barricade to the basic harmony".
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272:(The Mysterious One or the Celebrations of the Unknown One) staged by one of Couperin's patrons, the
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2007 "decomposition and performance" for piano titled "Les
Barricades" Canadian performance artist
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rendition titled "Variations on Couperin's Rondeau ("Les Barricades mystérieuses")" on the album
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in the meadow, but that was quite another thing from knowing what they meant." (chapter 8)
385:, one movement of which is titled "Les Barricades mystérieuses", by British jazz composer
29:
8:
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2003 piece for drums, voice and instruments titled "Through the Mysterious Barricade" by
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1973 harpsichord piece titled "Barricades (Rock piece after Couperin)" on the album
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of the 17th century - include women’s eyelashes, underwear and even chastity belts.
1124:
1085:
Debussy on Music: The Critical Writings of the Great French Composer Claude Debussy
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arrangement for clarinet, bass clarinet, viola, cello and double bass in the album
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326:
89:
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2009 electronic piece titled "Les Barricades Mystérieuses" by Portuguese composer
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The mirror of human life': Reflections on François Couperin's Pièces de Clavecin
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1990 a harpsichord concerto titled "Mysterious Barricades" commissioned by the
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356:
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224:, then, are exercises in building (and relaxing) sound and momentum elegantly."
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1994 piece for solo guitar titled "Mysterious Habitats" by Serbian guitarist
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piece titled "Mysterious Barricades" on the album of the same name by former
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55:
1128:. A comprehensive listing of references in other works including recordings.
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1989 work for flute and orchestra called "Les Barricades Mystérieuses" by
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33:
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389:. Re-recorded in the same year to be the title track of the German film
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playing...Moreover, it seems to form a set with the following piece,
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Couperin: Le musicien des rois (Couperin: The musician of kings)
216:) to build sound without seeming mechanical or repetitive. Both
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by Jane Clark and Derek Connon (Redcroft, King's Music, 2002),
472:
431:
1989 piece for three recorders called "Les Barricades" by
901:"Solving François Couperin's Les Barricades Mystérieuses"
573:
2009 music video "Les Barricades Mystérieuses" by French
255:
Other suggested intended meanings for the title include:
106:
Audio playback is not supported in your browser. You can
512:, "Las Barricadas Misteriosas" is the third movement of
311:
44:, from his second book of collected harpsichord pieces (
874:(1 ed.). Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. p.
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The Mysterious Barricades, arranged by Alma Deutscher
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1955: the short story "The Mysterious Barricades" by
674:
2011: featured prominently in Terrence Malick's film
969:"The Mysterious Barricades: The Piece and its Title"
80:rather than the usual triple time. In the view of
129:was originally published with the spelling 'Les Ba
1077:Cited in: Wheeldon (2009), p. 68; translation by
1361:
1082:
262:between past and present or present and future
204:. This latter piece, though more melodic than
192:, in a master class filmed and distributed by
1156:
837:François Couperin and the perfection of music
70:form, employing a variant of the traditional
1057:. Indiana University Press. pp. 67–68.
1046:
498:(commissioned by the Orquestra Villa Lobos).
494:for 12 cellos, composed by Italian composer
492:Le Barricate Misteriose (Hommage à Couperin)
362:1984 written for and incorporating texts by
96:mathematics, centuries before they existed."
776:, as the cure for an artificial pestilence.
355:, "Las Barricadas Misteriosas" composed by
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541:song "Mysterious Barricades" on the album
157:in winemaking (given that the French word
1136:International Music Score Library Project
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954:
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841:. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. pp.
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153:, the pounding rhythm may represent the
149:character of other pieces in Couperin's
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793:
662:2006: featured in Sofia Coppola's film
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1122:Simon J. Evnine, University of Miami,
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832:
295:, expressed particular admiration for
36:in 1717. It is the fifth piece in his
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1144:
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762:2002: featured in the thriller novel
312:Homages and references in other works
259:impeding communication between people
92:that seem to have presaged images of
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705:
620:
270:Le Mystère ou les Fêtes de l'Inconnu
998:from the original on 27 March 2022.
929:"Mysterious Titles, Hidden Meaning"
926:
805:(in French). Vol. 339. Paris:
683:2015: featured in the French movie
599:, bearing resemblance to the piece.
13:
975:from the original on 7 March 2021.
966:
591:2019 song "Bambina" off the album
14:
1396:
1370:Compositions by François Couperin
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1083:Lesure F; Smith RL, eds. (1977).
899:Service, Tom (January 14, 2010).
175:in the sacrament of the Eucharist
1347:
1335:
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709:
624:
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16:1717 piece by François Couperin
1266:Marguerite-Antoinette Couperin
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1002:
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510:San Antonio Symphony Orchestra
398:1987 piece for solo guitar by
141:can remain hidden over time).
1:
1010:http://lccn.loc.gov/r64001443
988:"Les Barricades Mystérieuses"
780:
693:
479:that make up the composition
165:was a designation adopted by
1385:Compositions in B-flat major
1375:Compositions for harpsichord
1203:L'art de toucher le clavecin
268:masks worn by performers of
103:
7:
1196:Les Barricades Mystérieuses
1125:Les Barricades Mystérieuses
1087:. A. A. Knopf. p. 275.
753:More than You Bargained For
299:. In 1903, Debussy wrote:
297:Les Barricades Mystérieuses
218:Les Barricades Mystérieuses
127:Les Barricades Mystérieuses
117:Les Barricades Mystérieuses
48:). It is emblematic of the
28:) is a piece of music that
21:Les Barricades Mystérieuses
10:
1401:
1276:Marguerite-Louise Couperin
1132:Pièces de Clavecin, Book 2
992:www.clavecin-en-france.org
939:(3): 32–36. Archived from
870:A guide to the harpsichord
440:Cleveland Chamber Symphony
319:
1305:
1291:Gervais-François Couperin
1256:
1238:
1213:
1187:
1178:
508:1997 commissioned by the
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54:characteristic of French
26:The Mysterious Barricades
121:
61:
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518:Robert Xavier Rodriguez
305:Barricades Mystérieuses
108:download the audio file
833:Tunley, David (2004).
514:Sinfonía à la Mariachi
481:Récréations françaises
309:
265:between life and death
252:
226:
151:Ordre 6ème de clavecin
98:
56:Baroque keyboard music
38:Ordre 6ème de clavecin
1286:Pierre-Louis Couperin
1281:Armand-Louis Couperin
1079:Richard Langham Smith
803:Découvertes Gallimard
301:
245:Jean-Honoré Fragonard
243:
186:
86:
1229:L'Apothéose de Lully
1181:List of compositions
1055:Debussy's Late Style
543:Letter to the Editor
293:his own piano études
171:Mysteries of Bacchus
161:means 'barrel', and
1053:Wheeldon M (2009).
933:Early Music America
593:Father of the Bride
532:Jacobo Durán-Loriga
483:by French composer
455:America: A prophecy
342:Bhajebochstiannanas
1247:Leçons de ténèbres
986:Tuffery P (2020).
866:Bond, Ann (1997).
750:in her collection
721:. You can help by
686:Nous trois ou rien
636:. You can help by
602:2021 The composer
377:1986 album titled
364:Christopher Hewitt
253:
155:stamping of grapes
46:Pièces de Clavecin
1380:1717 compositions
1323:
1322:
1172:François Couperin
1064:978-0-253-35239-2
967:Evnine, Simon J.
739:
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404:The Baroque Album
274:Duchesse du Maine
212:evocative of the
139:musical allusions
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30:François Couperin
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1134:: Scores at the
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797:(January 1998).
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666:Marie Antoinette
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575:electro-acoustic
568:António Ferreira
525:Robert T. Kelley
466:Dusan Bogdanovic
426:Luca Francesconi
387:Barbara Thompson
327:Moog synthesizer
167:viticulturalists
115:Opening bars of
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719:needs expansion
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597:Vampire Weekend
503:Scott Smallwood
379:Heavenly Bodies
351:1982 piece for
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249:The Love Letter
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230:double entendre
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76:in the bass in
66:The work is in
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32:composed for
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906:The Guardian
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770:Rita Monaldi
764:
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730:October 2012
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677:Tree of Life
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645:October 2012
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419:Andy Summers
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198:style luthé
179:salonnières
82:Tom Service
51:style brisé
34:harpsichord
1364:Categories
1206:(treatise)
1106:2021-11-30
912:10 October
885:1574670638
852:0754609286
816:2070533123
781:References
765:Imprimatur
748:Joan Aiken
694:Literature
561:Yawen Wang
417:guitarist
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335:Ruth White
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477:movements
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325:1971
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