Recording
- Le Tic-Toc-Choc, ou Les MaillotinsMarcelle Meyer, piano · Late 1953 or January 1954, Salle Adyar, Paris2:15
Couperin wrote Le Tic-Toc-Choc, ou Les Maillotins for two hands playing in the same register of the harpsichord on separate manuals, with a refrain and three episodes. Marcelle Meyer plays it on the piano.
Listening notes
- Opening marking and refrain
A stream of semiquavers runs above a slower left-hand pattern. Couperin marks the piece Légèrement et marqué, lightly and with clear accents. The F major refrain returns between three episodes.
- Preface on two keyboards, 1722
In the preface to his 1722 book, Couperin assigned his pièces croisées to two harpsichord keyboards, so that both hands could occupy the same notes without colliding. For an instrument with only one keyboard, he allowed one part to be moved an octave away.
- Final refrain and supplément
The final refrain has a short supplément, an extra ending. The semiquavers continue into it, and then both hands hold an F major chord.