Coulés to a chord

Very common in French Baroque music, but also found in German music. Most notations belong to one of two cases:

Case SB: We find in a chord a diagonal “Slash Between” two notes a third apart. (Note: this is unrelated to the slash on the stem, meaning the direction of an arpeggio). On the interpretation of SB there are no doubts: it is not only quite obvious but also well documented in a few Baroque French ornament tables. We have an arpeggio, and the slash prescribes that between the two notes a passing note is to be inserted.

Case AA: We find an “Appoggiatura Attached” to a chord, frequently to a middle note. This is written as either a small note slurred to the chord, or else by the sign “c”, typical of woodwind music but also used by harpsichordists such as d’Anglebert and Rameau.

Here things are much more complicated than in SB. First because we hardly find any AA notation in French ornament tables. The only case I have in mind is d’Anglebert: for him the sign “c” attached to a chord has exactly the same meaning as the slash inserted within it. Second because the AA notation can be interpreted in two very different ways:

PN. PASSING NOTE. We have a different way of notating the SB, with the same interpretation as a passing note within the arpeggio.

AP. APPOGGIATURA. The small note is to be considered a common on-the-beat appoggiatura. It strikes with the chord (or else is part of the arpeggio if any), and the note to which it is attached is played delayed.

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

In most situations both PN and AP make musical sense. In some situations context make one of them obvious.
In doubtful cases, most present-day musicians prefer PN.

And here arises the problem I found this morning. There examples where in the same bar both SB and AA notations are used, such as in F.Couperin, IV Livre, 24e Ordre, Les Vieux Seigneurs, bar 2. The fact that notation SB is used on the 3rd beat suggests that notation AA in the 1st beat is something different, and by comparison with bars 6 and 14 we should accordingly, pace d’Anglebert, play AP. (See also bar 24, although here the appoggiatura is to the upper note,in parallel with the l.h., so the case is different.). Unfortunately, back to bar 2, the problem of playing AP in the 1st beat is that the small note is clearly tied to the b’, and the chord d’-e’-g#‘-a’-e" , followed by the delayed b’, is quite cacophonic and unlike dissonances commonly heard in Couperin’s music.

This inconsistency by Couperin is rare, but not unique, probably caused by different hands writing different ornament signs with the same meaning.
Donington in his “A Performer’s Guide to Baroque Music” (1973-1978), p. 192, observed a similar inconsistency at the beginning of J.S. Bach’s Keyboard Partita VI, Sarabande, and suggested performance PN in both chords.

As always, opinions/criticisms/suggestions are welcome!

Have a nice Sunday,

Claudio

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I attach facsimiles of the examples above in the composers’ original editions, by FCouperin

FCouperin-Les_Vieux_Seigneurs

and JSBach, where actually both notations occur in the same chord:

JSBach-PartitaIV-Sarabande

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Specifically for the FCouperin example, Blandine Verlet preferred the PN interpretation:
Blandine Verlet performance

Edit: Christophe Rousset also did PN, in 1:00:10 of

Rousset

While more recently Louise Acabo preferred the AP interpretation:
Louise Acabo interpretation

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Le 26/03/2023 14:06, Claudio Di Veroli via The Jackrail écrit :

Unfortunately, back to bar 2, the problem of playing AP in the 1st beat is that the small note is clearly tied to the b’, and the chord d’-e’-g#‘-a’-e" , followed by the delayed b’, is quite cacophonic and unlike dissonances commonly heard in Couperin’s music.

I think the only way to make musical sense of this is to read (and play)
this first beat with the grace note tied to the g# rather than the b -
i.e. as a very “classic” suspension.

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Indeed, Dennis, and I used to play it this way. Unfortunately, it is not what the score says! But of course, the score could be in error! So, at least in this particular example, we have not two but three ways of playing it! :slight_smile: