10 studies after Jean-Philippe Rameau

Rameau on clarinet! A most surprising option, perhaps, but in many ways a very interesting one. Developed in 1690 by Johann Christoph Denner, the clarinet was quite a novelty at the time, not to say a prototype instrument for Baroque composers and it was Jean-Philippe Rameau who introduced it in the orchestra in the 1749 lyric tragedy Zoroastre.

When I set out to explore this (possibly little-known to clarinet-players) repertoire, Rameau’s character pieces not only struck me as interesting and suitable for transcription but seemed perfect for a first hands-on approach of period-specific style, ornamentation and articulation.

The main objective of the following 10 etudes is educational. Based on selected compositions from Jean-Philippe Rameau’s 1724 and 1726/7 collections of harpsichord pieces, they aim to provide a better understanding of Rameau’s style in particular and French baroque music in general, particularly through a focus on idiosyncratic ornamentation.

Metronome markings, articulations noted in dotted lines, or the ‘ossia’ option in La Villeroy are suggestions. Keep in mind that this music gives performers a certain freedom to make their own choices. Nuances and dynamics are also left to the performer’s taste since the pieces are adapted from harpsichord literature.