The coo-coo (or coucou in French) is the onomatopoeia of the sound of those cuckoo clocks which were very fashionable back in the 18th century, especially in Germany and Switzerland, although the first description of a mechanical cuckoo dates from 1650 in Athanasius Kircher's manual Musurgia Universalis. So it is not surprising that many composers such as Daquin, Pasquini, Händel, or even more modern ones such as Saint-Saens or J. Strauss have been tempted by this small but incisive rhythmic pattern to develop some of their masterpieces.
In Daquin's case, this is perhaps his best known work. I first heard of it back in 1996 thanks to a classical music collection. I immediately got hold of the score and started transcribing it, as it did not have a very wide register and a basic two-voice texture, making it very suitable for the guitar. It is thanks to Altamira and its series of home concerts that I have recovered this jewel.
The coo-coo (or coucou in French) is the onomatopoeia of the sound of those cuckoo clocks which were very fashionable back in the 18th century, especially in Germany and Switzerland, although the first description of a mechanical cuckoo dates from 1650 in Athanasius Kircher's manual Musurgia Universalis. So it is not surprising that many composers such as Daquin, Pasquini, Händel, or even more modern ones such as Saint-Saens or J. Strauss have been tempted by this small but incisive rhythmic pattern to develop some of their masterpieces.
In Daquin's case, this is perhaps his best known work. I first heard of it back in 1996 thanks to a classical music collection. I immediately got hold of the score and started transcribing it, as it did not have a very wide register and a basic two-voice texture, making it very suitable for the guitar. It is thanks to Altamira and its series of home concerts that I have recovered this jewel.