Francois Couperin—(1668—1733)— called Le Grand (French, “the great”), Couperin was a French composer, organist, and harpsichordist. His works stand at the zenith of French baroque music.

François, was born in Paris on November 10, 1668. His father was organist at the Church of Saint Gervais in Paris. Francois assumed the position at the age of 17 after his father’s death. His four volumes of harpsichord music (1713-1730) are groupings of brief, compellinglyen titled pieces cast in dance rhythms which vary from graceful, to sardonic, to insightful. His treatise L'art de toucher le clavecin (The Art of Playing the Harpsichord,1716-17) is a key document of 18th-century performance practice.

Couperin also familiarized France with the trio sonata, instilling this Italian genre with the French handling of melody and ornamentation. Particularly significant are the collection of Les nations (1726) and the 12 concerts for harpsichord and instruments (1714, 1724). Leçons de ténèbres (Readings for Tenebrae Service, c. 1714-15) are outstanding examples of his church music. His organ masses are some of the most excellent examples of French baroque organ music. Couperin died on September 12, 1733, in Paris.

“Couperin.” Encarta Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Seattle: Microsoft, 2001.

“Couperin.” 2003. Yahoo! Encyclopedia. January 2004. http://education.yahoo.com/referenc.../entry?id=11580