ordre

Suite; a French Baroque keyboard collection. Couperin's term for what German composers called a \"Suite\" and Italian composers called a \"Partita\" — a grouped set of dance movements and character pieces in a related set of keys. Unlike the strict Baroque suite (Allemande–Courante–Sarabande–Gigue), Couperin's ordres mix formal dances freely with portrait pieces, bird-paintings, pastoral evocations, and social satires. The first and last pieces share the same tonal centre; middle pieces may move to closely related keys.

When preparing an ordre, consider its overall narrative arc. The sequence of pieces is deliberate — slow to fast, grave to playful, stable to searching. Decide which pieces to perform as a set (ordres can be played complete or in excerpt) and how to shape the transitions. Within an ordre, not all pieces need tempo contrast; sometimes Couperin places two gentle pieces together for accumulative effect.