inégalité

Inequality; the principle underlying notes inégales. More broadly, the French Baroque aesthetic preference for subtle rhythmic inflection over metronomic regularity — not only in the literal application of notes inégales to conjunct quavers, but in the general approach to pulse, phrasing, and articulation. Couperin writes in L'Art de toucher: \"We write differently from how we play\" (\"Nous écrivons différemment de ce que nous exécutons\"), acknowledging that notation in French Baroque practice is an approximation of a living, inflected style.

Embrace inégalité as a philosophy, not only a technical rule. Couperin's written rhythms are a guide, not an exact prescription. Within the constraints of the notation, allow the music to breathe unevenly, as speech does. This does not mean playing freely — the structure and pulse are maintained — but the surface is alive with small, purposeful inequalities that reflect affect and syntax, not habit or inattention.