Jean-Philippe Rameau (selected works): Piano Collection

Rameau's keyboard writing sits at a sweet spot for intermediate pianists: technically accessible yet harmonically adventurous. This edition captures the character and elegance of the originals while Edwin McLean's editorial additions (fingerings, tempo suggestions, and dynamic markings appropriate to piano) remove the guesswork of transcribing harpsichord music for modern performance. The collection moves beyond the familiar Bach and Handel that dominate Baroque repertoire, opening student ears to a composer whose influence on harmonic thinking was profound.

These pieces embody the refined courtliness and rhythmic vitality of the French Baroque. Expect elegant melodic lines that dance above gently rocking accompaniments, sudden harmonic turns that feel surprising yet inevitable, and a pervasive sense of stylistic restraint that somehow conveys considerable emotional depth. The music moves with grace and purpose, never harsh or overwrought, inviting the performer into a world of chamber-like intimacy.

Intermediate pianists ready to explore beyond the standard Baroque canon and interested in how keyboard music translates from harpsichord to modern piano. This collection also suits students of music history who want to understand Rameau's harmonic language through direct engagement with his writing. Teachers seeking diverse Baroque repertoire for recital or study will find accessible yet substantial material here.

• Honor the ornamentation as structural, not decorative. Trills, turns, and mordents shape the melodic line itself; resist rushing through them as merely embellishment.
• Treat dynamics as suggestions rather than commands. The added piano and forte markings guide interpretation, but they should breathe naturally within the phrasing rather than creating stark contrasts foreign to the style.
• Balance the independence of voices even in simpler textures. Rameau's two-part writing often contains harmonic sophistication in what seems like spare accompaniment; voicing matters.
• Use tempo flexibility to bring out the dance character of individual pieces. Where a minuet or gavotte appears, let the rhythmic identity speak through subtle rubato.

Feature individual pieces as recital openers or finales alongside Classical-era sonata movements to showcase the lineage of keyboard writing from Baroque through Classical periods. These selections work well in thematic programs exploring French musical culture or the evolution of the keyboard from harpsichord to piano. They also serve as excellent study material in survey courses on Baroque music or harmonic analysis.

• Baroque ornamentation interpretation and execution (trills, turns, mordents, grace notes)
• Voice leading and independence in two-part and three-part textures
• Articulation and phrasing without relying on pedal
• Harmonic awareness of 18th-century French keyboard idiom
• Fingering choices for historically informed touch and clarity
• Tempo flexibility and rubato appropriate to dance forms (minuets, gavottes, rondeaux)