Rameau: The Graded Rameau (Comp. and ed. Marthe Motchane)
Rameau: The Graded Rameau (Comp. and ed. Marthe Motchane) Sheet Music Preview

Rameau: The Graded Rameau (Comp. and ed. Marthe Motchane)

By Jean-Philippe Rameau / comp. and ed. Marthe Morhange Motchane

Item: 00-PC-0004062
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Description
This collection is the third in a series covering the Baroque masters. The editor chose a variety of the most beautiful works of Rameau, and has graded the works according to their musical and technical difficulty. All the ornamentation is original, based on the first edition published by Rameau himself, and all realizations are written out for ease in reading and performance.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Rameau: The Graded Rameau (Comp. and ed. Marthe Motchane) comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Edition
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 96
SKU: 00-PC-0004062

More about this title

About the Composer: Jean-Philippe Rameau

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) was the leading French composer of the mid-Baroque era and a virtuoso keyboard player whose technical innovations transformed harpsichord writing. His instrumental works showcase elaborate ornamentation, refined melodic lines, and harmonic sophistication that influenced keyboard composition across Europe.

Rameau's harpsichord pieces range from intimate character works to ambitious suites that demand both musical sensitivity and technical facility. His approach to ornamentation became a model for Baroque keyboard performance, and his music remains essential repertoire for understanding French Baroque style and the evolution of keyboard technique.

Why we love this

Marthe Motchane's grading system makes Rameau's considerable catalog genuinely accessible without simplifying his voice. The written-out realizations of ornaments solve a real interpretive challenge for pianists while honoring Rameau's original intentions from his first editions.

What to expect

Rameau's music balances elaborate decoration with underlying structural clarity, moving between lyrical tenderness and rhythmic vitality. Each piece invites exploration of ornamental style within elegant harmonic progressions that feel both intellectually satisfying and genuinely musical.

Who it's for

Intermediate to advanced pianists seeking to understand Baroque keyboard writing through original French sources. Students preparing for competitive auditions, recitals, or formal study in baroque performance will find carefully vetted works at accessible difficulty levels.

How to get the most out of it

  • Study the ornamental figures in context before playing through full passages; Rameau's decorations serve melodic and harmonic function, not mere decoration.
  • Shape the longer keyboard figurations with subtle agogic flexibility to mirror the natural phrasing of vocal lines from Rameau's operatic writing.
  • Balance the ornamentation against the underlying harmonic structure so embellishments enhance rather than obscure the piece's architecture.
  • Explore registrational color on the modern piano by varying touch and dynamics across repeated sections, mirroring the terraced approach of Baroque performance practice.

How to use it

Curate a program exploring the evolution of keyboard writing by pairing works from this graded collection with pieces by contemporary composers like Bach or Scarlatti. Single movements or complete character pieces work equally well as recital items or as repertoire for student showcases spanning the Baroque era.

Skills your students will build

  • Interpreting Baroque ornamentation from historical sources
  • Understanding French harpsichord style and its keyboard idioms
  • Managing left-hand independence in figured accompanimental patterns
  • Reading and executing written-out ornaments with appropriate articulation and timing
  • Developing harmonic awareness through Rameau's voice-leading practices

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