Ordre 21 in E minor
Baroque Suite Piano solo ~20 min
In brief

The Ordre in E minor unfolds a restrained gravity and inward motion where contrapuntal lines answer each other without theatrical outbursts but with an audible underlying tension; you will notice alternations of measured dance movements and more ornamented passages that require clear voice-leading. You will specifically face the skill Lecture clé de fa (3.1/5): here that means reading and securing independent lower-staff parts with the left hand while keeping the voices balanced, and Ornements baroque (3.1/5): you must execute agréments with rhythmic precision and finger flexibility suited to the style so that embellishments support the line rather than obscure it. As a French Baroque suite movement, this ordre belongs to Couperin's exploration of contrapuntal richness and the distinctive ornamentation practice of his keyboard repertoire. I do not give a reference interpretation because I am not fully certain of a single definitive recording for this specific ordre.

MusicCoach difficulty
80/100
Master repertoire
Likely range : 68–92/100
Confidence : 42% · to confirm
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
About grade 8

Estimated from our difficulty score, not taken from an exam syllabus. Checked against 333 works on the ABRSM syllabus: the exact grade is right 7 times out of 10, and within one grade 99 times out of 100.

Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.

Where this work sits
050100

Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.

The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.

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Relative difficulty
93%
Among François Couperin
95%
Era Baroque
99%
Genre
Estimated skills
Reading
Bass clef reading
1
Ornaments
Baroque ornaments
1
Style
Baroque style
1
Pedaling
Half-pedalling
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
1
Interpretation
Phrasing
1
What to play next?

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