François Couperin

François Couperin, known as le Grand, was born in Paris on 10 November 1668 and died there on 11 September 1733. He came from the widely ramified Couperin family of musicians, took over his father’s post as organist at Saint-Gervais in 1685 and in 1693 also became organist of the Chapelle royale of Louis XIV. Around 1690 he wrote, under an Italian pseudonym, the first trio sonata to be composed in France. His work comprises organ and harpsichord music, sacred vocal music such as the Leçons de ténèbres, trio sonatas and chamber concertos, but no stage or orchestral works. His 221 harpsichord pieces in 27 ordres appeared from 1713 to 1730 in four books of Pièces de clavecin; in 1716 he published the method “L’Art de toucher le clavecin”, and in 1722 and 1724 his chamber concertos appeared in print. At Cybele Records works by him can be heard on the albums Il Ritratto dell’amore (1999) and Auf Flügeln in die Tiefe (2010).