Recording
- With the first and second doublesMarcelle Meyer, piano · 29–30 October 1953, Salle Adyar, Paris5:24
Marcelle Meyer plays Rameau’s Les Niais de Sologne, a portrait of the “simpletons of Sologne”, on the piano, with the first and second doubles. The theme is in D major, the first variation moves in triplets and the second puts rapid figuration in the left hand.
Listening notes
- Opening tune over even quavers
The right hand plays a short, ornamented tune in D major over continuous quavers in the left. Rameau marks the passage Nottes Egales, meaning the notes are to be played evenly, without the long–short inequality French players often added.
- The clever simpletons
The Académie française’s dictionary of 1694 calls a “simpleton of Sologne” a man who pretends to be foolish while making mistakes that profit him. Rameau’s apparently easy tune is followed by two demanding variations.
- First double, triplets against quavers
The first double, a variation, gives the right hand triplets while the left hand continues in pairs of quavers. The hands divide the same beat differently, and the tune is carried within the right hand’s quicker notes.
- Second double, left-hand semiquavers
In the second double the right hand returns to the plain tune and the left hand plays continuous semiquavers. The melody stays recognisable above them, and the left-hand part is the harder of the two.
- Meyer recording, Salle Adyar, 1953
Marcelle Meyer recorded Rameau’s keyboard music in the Salle Adyar in Paris on 29 and 30 October 1953. Les Discophiles Français issued the collection as DF 98/99.