Les barricades mystérieuses
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''Les Barricades Mystérieuses'' (''The Mysterious Barricades'') is a piece of music that
François Couperin François Couperin (; 10 November 1668 – 11 September 1733) was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as ''Couperin le Grand'' ("Couperin the Great") to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented ...
composed for
harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...
in 1717. It is the fifth piece in his "''Ordre 6ème de clavecin''" in
B-flat major B-flat major is a major scale based on B, with pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative minor is G minor and its parallel minor is B-flat minor. The B-flat major scale is: : Many transposing instr ...
, from his second book of collected harpsichord pieces (''Pièces de Clavecin''). It is emblematic of the ''
style brisé ''Style brisé'' (French: "broken style") is a general term for irregular arpeggiated texture in instrumental music of the Baroque period. It is commonly used in discussion of music for lute, keyboard instruments, or the viol. The original French ...
'' characteristic of French Baroque keyboard music.


Music

The work is in rondeau form, employing a variant of the traditional ''
romanesca Romanesca is a melodic-harmonic formula popular from the mid–16th to early–17th centuries that was used as an aria formula for singing poetry and as a subject for instrumental variation. The pattern, which is found in an endless collection of ...
'' in the bass in
quadruple time Duple metre (or Am. duple meter, also known as duple time) is a musical metre characterized by a ''primary'' division of 2 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 2 and multiples (simple) or 6 and multiples (compound) in the upper figure of the tim ...
rather than the usual triple time. In the view of
Tom Service Tom Service (born 8 March 1976) is a British writer, music journalist and television and radio presenter, who has written regularly for ''The Guardian'' since 1999 and presented on BBC Radio 3 since 2001. He is a regular presenter of The Proms f ...
,


Title

''Les Barricades Mystérieuses'' was originally published with the spelling Les Baricades Mistérieuses single r" in the first word, and "i" rather than "y" in the second word All four possible spelling combinations have since been used with "double r" and a "y" being the most common. The intended meaning of the phrase has remained an enigma (an example of how musical allusions can remain hidden over time). There has been much speculation on the meaning of the phrase "mysterious barricades", but no direct evidence appears to be available. The harpsichordist Pascal Tufféry has suggested that, in keeping with the
bucolic A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depicts ...
character of other pieces in Couperin's ''Ordre 6ème de clavecin'', the pounding rhythm may represent the stamping of grapes in winemaking (given that the French word ''barrique'' means 'barrel', and ''barriquade'' was a designation adopted by
viticulturalist Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...
s of the day in France). In this view, the "mysterious" epithet could allude to the significance of wine in the Mysteries of Bacchus (as well as in the Eucharist). Some of the less likely interpretations of the "mysterious barricades" proposed over the years – sometimes in relation to the
salonnière A salon is a gathering of people held by an inspiring host. During the gathering they amuse one another and increase their knowledge through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "ei ...
s of the 17th century - include women’s eyelashes, underwear and even chastity belts. A plausible attempt to link the title to features of the music itself has been provided by the harpsichordist Luke Arnason: While the title reflects the musical structure, there may be more at play. The suggestion of barricades is "a
double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...
referring simultaneously to feminine virginity and the suspensions fharmonic rogressionsof the music,
hose A hose is a flexible hollow tube designed to carry fluids from one location to another. Hoses are also sometimes called ''pipes'' (the word ''pipe'' usually refers to a rigid tube, whereas a hose is usually a flexible one), or more generally '' ...
lute figurations [from the
style brisé ''Style brisé'' (French: "broken style") is a general term for irregular arpeggiated texture in instrumental music of the Baroque period. It is commonly used in discussion of music for lute, keyboard instruments, or the viol. The original French ...
] are imitated to produce an enigmatic stalemate", as Judith Robison Kipnis explained the work's title and its interpretation by her husband Igor Kipnis. Other suggested intended meanings for the title include: * impeding communication between people * between past and present or present and future * between life and death * masks worn by performers of Le Mystère ou les Fêtes de l'Inconnu (The Mysterious One or the Celebrations of the Unknown One) staged by one of Couperin's patrons, the
Duchesse du Maine This is a list of consorts of Maine, a former province of France. Joan the Lame and Joan I, Countess of Auvergne, became Queen of France following the ascension of their husbands to the throne. Countess of Maine First Creation Rorgonid d ...
in 1714 * a "technical joke...the continuous suspensions in the lute style being a barricade to the basic harmony".


Legacy

Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...
, who considered François Couperin to be the "most poetic of our
rench The Rench is a right-hand tributary of the Rhine in the Ortenau (Baden (Land), Central Baden, Germany). It rises on the southern edge of the Northern Black Forest at Kniebis near Bad Griesbach im Schwarzwald. The source farthest from the mouth is ...
harpsichordists" and an influence on his own piano études, expressed particular admiration for ''Les Barricades Mystérieuses''. In 1903, Debussy wrote:


Homages and references in other works

The piece has been used as a source of inspiration across different artistic fields including music, visual arts and literature.


Music

* 1971
Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...
rendition titled ''Variations on Couperin's Rondeau ("Les Barricades mystérieuses")'' on the album "Short Circuits" by Ruth White. * 1973 harpsichord piece titled ''Barricades (Rock piece after Couperin).'' on the album "Bhajebochstiannanas" n anagram of Johann Sebastian Bach">Johann_Sebastian_Bach.html" ;"title="n anagram of n anagram of Johann Sebastian Bachby Anthony Newman (musician)">Anthony Newman. * 1982 piece for Synclavier">Johann Sebastian Bach">n anagram of Johann Sebastian Bachby Anthony Newman (musician)">Anthony Newman. * 1982 piece for Synclavier, "Las Barricadas Misteriosas" composed by Sergio Barroso. * 1984 written for, and incorporating texts by Christopher Hewitt, a piece for women's chorus, piccolo, bassoon, harpsichord and clapping titled "Les Barricades Mysteriéuses" by Juilliard composer Andrew Thomas. * 1986 album titled ''Heavenly Bodies'' including the "Appia Suite", one movement of which is titled "Les Barricades mystérieuses", by British Jazz composer Barbara Thompson. Rerecorded in the same year to be the title track of the German film Zischke. * 1987 piece for solo guitar by
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
on his album "The Baroque Album" * 1988
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
piece titled "Mysterious Barricades" on the album of the same name by former
Police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
guitarist
Andy Summers Andrew James Summers (born 31 December 1942), is an English guitarist who was a member of the rock band The Police. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a band member in 2003. Summers has recorded solo albums, collaborated w ...
. * 1989 work for flute and orchestra called "Les Barricades Mystérieuses" by
Luca Francesconi Luca Francesconi (born 17 March 1956) is an Italian composer. He studied at the Milan Conservatory, then with Karlheinz Stockhausen and Luciano Berio. Early years Luca Francesconi was born in Milan. His father was a painter who edited ''Il C ...
. * 1989 piece for three recorders called "Les Barricades" by
Matthias Maute Matthias Maute (born 1963) is a virtuoso recorder player and composer. Maute was born in Ebingen, Germany and studied in Freiburg and Utrecht with Baldrick Deerenberg and Marion Verbruggen. In 1990 he won first prize in the soloist category of ...
. * 1990 a harpsichord concerto titled "Mysterious Barricades" commissioned by the
Cleveland Chamber Symphony The Cleveland Chamber Symphony is an American chamber orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is dedicated to the performance of contemporary classical music, and has presented over 200 performance premieres. History The Cleveland Chamber Sympho ...
composed by
Tyler White Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...
. * 1994
quintet A quintet is a group containing five members. It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single ...
arrangement for clarinet, bass clarinet, viola, cello and double bass in the album "America: A prophecy" by
Thomas Adès Thomas Joseph Edmund Adès (born 1 March 1971) is a British composer, pianist and conductor. Five compositions by Adès received votes in the 2017 Classic Voice poll of the greatest works of art music since 2000: '' The Tempest'' (2004), ''V ...
. * 1994 piece for solo guitar titled "Mysterious Habitats" by Serbian guitarist
Dusan Bogdanovic Dusan may refer to: * Dušan, a Slavic given name * Dusan, a son of Ra's al Ghul * Stefan Dušan (1308–1355), emperor of Serbia See also *Doosan Group Doosan Group () is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation. In 2009, the corp ...
. * 1995
sextet A sextet (or hexad) is a formation containing exactly six members. The former term is commonly associated with vocal ensembles (e.g. The King's Singers, Affabre Concinui) or musical instrument groups, but can be applied to any situation where six ...
arrangement for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, and cello titled "Les Barricades mystérieuses", the fourth of nine
movements Movement may refer to: Common uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Motion, commonly referred to as movement Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
that make up the composition ''Récréations françaises'' by French composer
Gérard Pesson Gérard Pesson (born 17 January 1958 in Torteron) is a French composer. Pesson studied musicology at the Sorbonne and is the composer of a number of award-winning works. Works * ''Affûts'' pour 4 percussions (2001) * ''Aggravations et final' ...
. * 1995 ''Le Barricate Misteriose (Hommage à Couperin)'' for 12 cellos, composed by Italian composer Gabriella Zen (commissioned by the Orquestra Villa Lobos). * Mid-1990s solo percussion and electronic piece titled ''Mysterious Barricades'' on the album of the same name by Scott Smallwood. * 1997 commissioned by the
San Antonio Symphony Orchestra The San Antonio Symphony was a full-time professional symphony orchestra based in San Antonio, Texas. Its season ran from late September to early June. Sebastian Lang-Lessing, its music director from 2010 to 2020, was the last to serve in that cap ...
, "Las Barricadas Misteriosas" is the third movement of ``Sinfonía à la Mariachi'' by
Robert Xavier Rodriguez Robert Xavier Rodríguez (born June 28, 1946) is an American classical composer, best known for his eight operas and his works for children. Life and career Rodríguez received his early musical education in his native San Antonio and in Aus ...
. * 1999 "Les Baricades Fantasques" is the second movement of a suite of three harpsichord pieces paying homage to Scarlatti, Couperin, and Bach, by American composer Robert T. Kelley. * 2001 "Girándula" for 4 corni di bassetto or 4 bass clarinets, based on "Les Barricades mystérieuses", by Jacobo Durán-Loriga. * 2002
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...
song "Mysterious Barricades" on the album ''Letter to the Editor'' by
Max Ochs Max Ochs (born Maxwell David Ochs in Queens, New York, Dec 31, 1940) is a fingerstyle acoustic guitarist and folklorist who recorded for Takoma Records among other labels. Biography His family moved to Annapolis, Maryland in 1945, where Ochs s ...
. * 2003 piece for drums, voice and instruments titled "Through the Mysterious Barricade" by
Philip Corner Philip Lionel Corner (born April 10, 1933; name sometimes given as Phil Corner) is an American composer, trombonist, alphornist, vocalist, pianist, music theorist, music educator, and visual artist. Biography After The High School of Music & Ar ...
. This was revisited in 2011 with a new work titled ""Petite fantasie sur Les Barricades Mystérieuses (déjà une révélation) d'après François Couperin." * 2007 "decomposition and performance" for piano titled "Les Barricades" Canadian performance artist Yawen Wang. * 2009 electronic piece titled "Les Barricades Mystérieuses" by Portuguese composer António Ferreira. * 2009 music video "Les Barricades Mystérieuses" by French electro-acoustic artist Mulinex. * 2010 piece for oboe, horn, violin, viola, cello and harpsichord titled "The Mysterious Barricades" by Korean composer Jung Sun Kang. * 2019 song “Bambina” off the album “Father of the Bride” by
Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chris Tomson, ...
bearing resemblance to the piece. * 2021 The composer
Alma Deutscher Alma Elizabeth Deutscher (born 19 February 2005) is a British composer, pianist and violinist. A child prodigy, Deutscher composed her first piano sonata at the age of five. At seven, she completed the short opera, ''The Sweeper of Dreams''. Ag ...
suggested that her vocal and visual arrangement of the piece, where the notes in the different voices rest on one another like barrels, may explain the imagery of barricades.


Visual arts



Film

*2006: featured in Sofia Coppola's '' Marie Antoinette (2006 film), ''Marie Antoinette.''. *2011: featured prominently in Terrence Malick's film ''
Tree of Life The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythological, religious, and philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The Assyrian Sacred Tree: A History ...
.'' *2015: featured in the French movie '' Nous trois ou rien.''


Literature


* 1922: The Worm Ourobouros. ER. Eddison. Early in this fantasy novel the protagonist and his wife, hearing their daughter play this piece, comment to each other that only they know the true meaning of the title. * 1955: the short story ''The Mysterious Barricades'' by
Joan Aiken Joan Delano Aiken (4 September 1924 – 4 January 2004) was an English writer specialising in supernatural fiction and children's alternative history novels. In 1999 she was awarded an MBE for her services to children's literature. For ''The ...
in her collection '' More than You Bargained For'' * 2002: featured in the thriller novel ''Imprimatur'' by
Rita Monaldi Monaldi & Sorti is the pen name of the Italian married couple writer duo Rita Monaldi and Francesco Sorti. Rita Monaldi (born 1966) is an Italian journalist and writer. She majored in classical philology and specialized in the history of religions ...
and
Francesco Sorti Monaldi & Sorti is the pen name of the Italian married couple writer duo Rita Monaldi and Francesco Sorti. Rita Monaldi (born 1966) is an Italian journalist and writer. She majored in classical philology and specialized in the history of religions ...
, as the cure for an artificial pestilence.


References


External links

* Simon J. Evnine, University of Miami,
Les Barricades Mystérieuses
'. A comprehensive listing of references in other works including recordings. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barricades Mysterieuses Compositions by François Couperin Compositions for harpsichord 1717 compositions Compositions in B-flat major