# Royer's Process: Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the French High Baroque



## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Royer's understudy, setting the quill down: "All done, sir!"

Royer: "Play it back to me".

Understudy: "Certainly sir!"

Royer: (mutters) "Needs more trills."

Understudy: "Pardon, sir".

Royer: "I feel it requires more ornamentation. More trills, please".

Understudy: "Certainly, sir" *plays*

Royer: "More trills."

Understudy: "_More_, sir? As you wish".

Royer, upon re-listening: "I want more."

Understudy: "Er, sir, are you sure?"

Royer: "MORE TRILLS".

Understudy: "I can try, sir, but there are already so many".

Royer: "DO AS I COMMAND. MORE TRILLS"

Understudy: "Yes sir!"

Royer: "More. More trills."

Understudy: "MORE? Are you feeling ok today sir?"

Royer: *"MORE. I WANT MORE TRILLS!"* *laughing hysterically*

Understudy: [SUB]"As you wish, sir". [/SUB]


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Well that music is linear, there's no mystery, there's no irony, it's one dimensional. And there's a repeat, I wonder why. Played very fast.


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## pianowillbebach (Mar 31, 2019)

At one point I remember being told to play every note staccato to learn music. I believe at some point I was also told to practice by trilling every note - it seemed excessive even to middle-school me!


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

:lol: @OP. That is just about exactly the conversation that plays out in my head any time I hear a harpsichord work by Couperin, Rameau, or (to add now a new name to the list) Royer. I imagine Louis XIV once heard one of his court clavecinistes play a trill once to ornament a particularly lyrical phrase, loved it, and demanded that everyone would henceforth use them as much as possible, in every piece, at least one or two per bar, or more. I can hardly imagine that such decoration was the conscious choice of any musician beyond royal influence. But then it was a different time.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

flamencosketches said:


> :lol: @OP. That is just about exactly the conversation that plays out in my head any time I hear a harpsichord work by Couperin, Rameau, or (to add now a new name to the list) Royer. I imagine Louis XIV once heard one of his court clavecinistes play a trill once to ornament a particularly lyrical phrase, loved it, and demanded that everyone would henceforth use them as much as possible, in every piece, at least one or two per bar, or more. I can hardly imagine that such decoration was the conscious choice of any musician beyond royal influence. But then it was a different time.


What do you think of the way Leonhardt uses trills in Royer here?

[


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Mandryka said:


> What do you think of the way Leonhardt uses trills in Royer here?
> 
> [


Liked that a lot. He wasn't quite as in your face with the trills as was M. Rondeau in that other piece (which I did still like). More subtle, lets the melody breathe more.


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