An important 18th-century instruction book, Couperin’’s The Art of Playing the Harpsichord contains valuable information on technique, fingering, phrasing, ornamentation and keyboard performance style. Halford’’s scholarly introduction includes a biographical sketch of the composer, a thorough discussion of French Baroque ornamentation and a useful summary of Couperin’’s style. The eight preludes used by Couperin to illustrate his approach are musical gems rarely found in other collections.
