Couperin, François

Couperin, François , (surnamed le Grand), the most illustrious member of the distinguished family and one of the greatest of French composers, son of Charles Couperin; b. Paris, Nov. 10, 1668; d. there, Sept. 11, 1733. He studied with his father, and later was a pupil of Jacques-Denis Thomelin, organist of the King’s chapel. In 1685 he became organist of St.-Gervais, which post he held until his death. On Dec. 26, 1693, after a successful competition, he succeeded Thomelin as organist of the Chapelle Royale, receiving the title of “organiste du roi”. In 1701 he was appointed “claveciniste de la chambre du roi, et organiste de sa chapelle,” and in 1717 he received the title “Ordinaire de la musique de la chambre du roi”. He also was made a chevalier of the Order of Latran. He was music master to the Dauphin and other members of the royal family, and ranked high in the favor of King Louis XIV, for whom he composed the Concerts royaux, which, during 1714–15, were played in Sunday concerts in the royal apartments. He married Marie-Anne Ansault (April 26, 1689), by whom he had two daughters: Marie-Madeleine (b. Paris, March 9, 1690; d. Montbuisson, April 16, 1742), who became organist of the Abbey of Montbuisson, and Marguerite-Antoinette (b. Paris, Sept. 19, 1705; d. there, 1778), who was a talented harpsichordist; from 1731 to 1733, she substituted for her father as harpsichordist to the King, being the first woman to hold this position. There were also 2 sons, Nicolas-Louis (b. July 24, 1707), who died young, and François-Laurent (b. c. 1708). Famed as an organist, Couperin also acquired a high reputation for his remarkable ability as a performer on the harpsichord.

Works

Couperin’s compositions may be conveniently divided into 3 categories: those written for the church, those for the King, and those for the general public. More than half of his creative life was taken up with the religious compositions of the first 2 periods. These include Pieces d’orgue consistantes en deux Messes (1690; 42 pieces), formerly attributed to his uncle François, and, indeed, publ. under the latter’s name in Vol. five of Archives des maitres de I’orgue, ed. by Guilmant, but now established, through the researches of A. Tessier and P. Brunold, as the early work of Couperin le Grand; motets; Elevations’, Lemons de tenebres; etc. Couperin’s last and most prolific period was concerned exclusively with instrumental works, and in this field he achieved his greatest and most enduring distinction. In 1713, 1716, 1722, and 1730, he publ. the 4 vols. of his Pieces de clavecin, consisting of about 230 pieces or 27 “Ordres” or Suites, each suite being a series of dance forms, programmatic in title and content (La Majes tueuse, La Nanette, Les Petits Moulins a vent, Le Carillon de Cythere, Les Barricades mysterieuses, Les Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les Maillotins, et al.). In 1716 he publ. an expository work pertaining to the execution of his harpsichord pieces, L’Art de toucher le clavecin, which attained wide celebrity, and which influenced the keyboard style of Couperin’s great contemporary, J.S. Bach. Couperin also introduced the trio sonata to France, his first works in this form being an imitation of Corelli. Later, in 1726, he publ. 4 sonatas, Les Nations, described as “Sonades” or “Suites de symphonies en trio,” three of which are partial reworkings of earlier pieces. They are composed alternately in the strict form, sonata de chiesa, and the more flexible composite of dance forms, sonata de camera. The 3^rd of the series, L’Imperiale, perhaps represents his most mature and inspired style. Living at a time during which the rivalry between French and Italian music reached its climax, Couperin sought to adapt the new Italian forms to his own personal, and essentially French, style. In his Les Gouts reunis (1724), a series of concerted pieces with strings very similar in form and spirit to the Pieces de clavecin, one finds titles such as Sicilienne and Ritratto dell’ amove. In the following year he publ. an Apotheose de Lully, in which the rivals Lully and Corelli are made to unite for the furtherance of art. Couperin’s style of composition was based on the basso continue, the most important voices usually being the uppermost, carrying the melody, and the bass. Nevertheless, his music sometimes attains considerable complexity (on occasion requiring as many as three harpsichordists for its proper execution). His melodic invention, particularly in his use of the rondeau, was virtually inexhaustible, his themes swift and expressive. An outstanding feature was his inventive mode of ornamentation, in the “gallant style” of the period. In 1933 the Lyrebird Press in Paris publ. a “complete” ed. of Couperin’s works, in 12 vols., under the chief editorship of Maurice Cauchie, assisted by P. Brunold, A. Gastoue, A. Tessier, and A. Schaeffner. The contents are as follows: Vol. I, Didactic works: Regie pour I’accompagnement and L’Art de toucher le clavecin-, Vols. II-V, the 4 books of Pieces de clavecin; Vol. VI, Pieces d’orgue consistantes en deux Messes; Vols. VII-X, chamber music, including Concerts royaux, Les Gouts reunis ou Nouveaux Concerts a I’usage de toutes les sortes d’instruments de musique, Les Nations, Le Parnasse ou I’Apotheose de Corelli, Apotheose de Lully, Pieces de violes avec la basse chiffree, and Sonades inedites; Vols. XI and XII, secular vocal music and religious music I and II. More recent eds. are in the Le Pupitre series, vols. 8 (Legons de tenebres; 1968), 21–24 (Pieces de clavecin, books 1–4; 1969–72), 45 (9 motets; 1972), and 51 (Pieces de violes; 1974); also separate eds. of Pieces de clavecin, edited by M. Cauchie (1968–72) and by K. Gilbert (1969–72).

Bibliography

H. Quittard, Les C. (Paris, 1913); C. Bouvet, Une Dynastie de musiciens frangais: Les C…. (Paris, 1919); J. Llongueras, C. o la Gracia (1925); A. Tessier, C. (Paris, 1926); J. Tiersot, Les C. (Paris, 1926); P. Brunold, F. C. (Eng. tr., Monaco, 1949); M. Cauchie, Thematic Index of the Works of C. (Monaco, 1949); W. Mellers, F. C. and the French Classical Tradition (London, 1950; second ed., rev., 1986); P. Citron, C. (Paris, 1956); D. Tunley, C(London, 1982); P. Citron, C. (Paris, 1996); C. Giglio, F. C. (Palermo, 1998).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire