The Mysterious Barricades is one of the most familiar and popular keyboard works of the French Baroque composer Francois Couperin (1668-1733). The single-movement work in rondeau form has a duration of approximately 3 minutes. The work makes an outstanding transcription for bass clarinet quartet. The original key is B-flat major, placing the bass clarinets in a comfortable C major. The original work's range - entirely in the lower portion of the keyboard - is maintained, placing the bass clarinets in an extremely comfortable range. Each part is quite simple, making this transcription accessible even for young students. One part does require a player able to handle playing almost entirely off-the-beat. An extended-range instrument to low-C is required only for the lowest of the four parts to maintain the range of the original work, but a few notes could easily be moved up one octave if an extended-range instrument is not available.
