Couperin Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les Maillotins F-Dur

François Couperin (1668–1733) described his work Le Tic-toc-choc ou Les Maillotins as a “pièce croisée” [crossed piece]: a term which, according to his own definition, refers to a piece for double-manual harpsichord. The title, for which he offers no explanation, plunges us into the world of onomatopes, evoking the brittle sounds heard during this composition, with its allure of a perpetuum mobile. From the middle of the 19th century a renewed interest in Baroque art led to a re-emergence of Couperin’s harpsichord pieces, which were then performed on the piano. The present publication is part of this tradition, which has continued to the present day, of renowned performers playing Couperin on the piano.