COUPERIN, FRANCOIS French composer, was the most famous member of a family of musicians which may be traced from the generation born in 1626 to the death of Mlle. Celeste Couperin, organist at St. Gervais, 185o.
Francois Couperin (dubbed "le grand") is the chief of the many French clavecinists whose ranks include a greater com poser, Rameau (q.v.). The clavecin works and chamber-music of Couperin have earned the reward of an art which, undertaking to satisfy natural desires, sets itself the narrowest possible limits and within these limits finishes its work to the utmost perfection. The natural desires which Couperin satisfies are those for melody and beautiful playing; the limits he sets himself are those of self repeating four-bar and eight-bar tunes; and the perfection of the music is translated to sight by the exquisite engraving of the first edition of his four books of Pieces de Clavecin of which the proof reading of the first book occupied him a whole year. Bach's admi ration for Couperin is shown in his frequent use of the cross rhythmed French Courante which occurs as often in his suites as the easier Italian kinds. His rondo-form is Couperin's (see RONDO) ; and some of Couperin's rondos exist in Bach's hand writing, sometimes to the confusion of editors.
Couperin's chamber-music is written for combinations of soft. instruments (e.g., gambas instead of violoncellos) with harpsi chord and it borrows freely from the Pieces de Clavecin or vice versa. The fantastic titles of his pieces represent a prevailing fashion among French court composers and could probably be in terpreted by infinite research as a mass of compliment and per siflage aimed at and around personages at court.
Couperin's treatise, L'art de toucher le clavecin, is disappoint ing. The Pieces de Clavecin, in spite of their frequent references "Voyez ma methode, p. 76" shed more light on the method than the method sheds on them. The career of Couperin was an un eventful affair of court appointments; he was 25 when he became organist du roi in 1693; and in he was Ordinaire de la musique de la chambre du roi till his death in Brahms co-operated enthusiastically with Chrysander in a care ful edition of all four books of the Pieces de Clavecin, with all the ornaments as Couperin (who left no detail to discretion or chance) wrote them. It is indispensable to musicians who wish to under stand the harpsichord music of Bach's age. (D. F. T.)