Rameau: The Graded Rameau (Comp. and ed. Marthe Motchane): Piano Book
By Jean-Philippe Rameau / comp. and ed. Marthe Morhange Motchane
Item: 00-PK-0002814
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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): Piano Book comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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About the Composer: Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683, 1764) was the dominant figure of French Baroque music and a composer of exceptional refinement. Though he came to composition relatively late in life, his keyboard works and stage music secured his reputation as an innovator who pushed harmonic language forward while remaining rooted in the French aesthetic. His pieces demand sensitivity to ornamentation, clarity of line, and an understanding of the dance forms that gave them structure.
Rameau's keyboard output spans harpsichord suites, individual movements, and character pieces that showcase his gift for blending intellectual rigor with genuine tunefulness. For students, his music offers a masterclass in how to be both inventive and elegant, and in how ornaments serve musical meaning rather than decoration.
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