F. COUPERIN. Harpsichord Works—Book 5: Ordres 13-19; Concerts Royaux Nos. 2 and 3—Pi8ces avec viole. Kenneth Gilbert (harpsichord) with Martha Brlckman (harpsichord), Gian Lylnan-Silbiger (viola da gamba). RCA SER5720-3 (four records, nas, 7-60). Booklet included.

In contrast to the previous issues in this chronological series, all of which came out singly, the Third Book of Couperin's Pièces de clavecin, complete, appears as a boxed set. The series has been widely acclaimed: collectors who have been following it and who may be happy enough to buy the next four records may wonder why it hasn't been boxed before. I would be sorry if a box had the effect of confining the music to the attention of specialist collectors, since Couperin's harpsichord suites, unlike Bach's, have for too long been regarded as a special preserve. The seven Ordres comprising the Third Book, published in 1722, are surely not inferior as a collection to the, six Partitas in the first part of the Clavieriebung (1731), the title Bach used for his four publications of keyboard music. Yet of course the organisation of the suites, and the pieces themselves—give or take the occasional allemande—are extraordinarily different, with Couperin never showing an interest in the larger forms, any more than Bach would have thought it appropriate to unify a partita of his with a vein of nature poetry. Georges Beck, in the RCA booklet, writes aptly of Couperin's art marking a transition between classical restraint and romantic lyricism.

I've commented before on the rich musical experience which is being offered by Kenneth Gilbert in his journey through the music. I can do no better than to reiterate that, since to annotate in any detail the latest stage would make for an impossibly long review. The playing, and all aspects of the production of the records, are as good as ever. The earlier discs were recorded in Canada; these are said to have been made in France. Once again Martha Brickman, on a second harpsichord, joins Gilbert in the occasional pièces en trio, where Couperin affords the possibility of two performers playing the same bass in the left hand but different counterpoints in the right.

The second side of the last record is devoted to a grouping of six pieces from the Third Concert Royal, with one from the Second, which between them embrace all the music in the Four Concerts Royaux (the ones published as an appendix to Book Three of the Pièces de clavecin) for which an optional contre-parlie pour in viole is extant. The gamba player here is quite good, though necessarily discreet. The music of these Concerts, written on two staves with figured bass, was described by Couperin as suitable "not only for the Harpsichord, but also for the Violin, the Flute, the Oboe, the Viol, and the Bassoon". Apart from the optional parts for viol, the exact instrumentation and distribution of the music was left to the players' discretion. The first four Concerts were performed at court in 1714-15 and are thus contempor ary with Book One of the Pièces di clavecin; coming after Book Three, one notices the return to an earlier style and something less than Couperin's full maturity. S.P.