On November 10, 1668, Baroque composer and harpsichordist François Couperin was born. 

The most prominent representative (thus ‘Le Grand’) of a famous family of musicians whose dynasty began in the 1620s and expired when the last male Couperin died two centuries later – French rivals to the German Bachs. François spent most of his musical life in the service of the French court as a harpsichordist and organist, composing sacred music and chamber works for the royal pleasure of King Louis XIV.

The field in which he achieved his most lasting success was the extraordinary harpsichord works he composed towards the end of his life. Between 1713 and 1730 he published four volumes of his Pièces de clavecin. These amount to 230 pieces in 27 ordres (Couperin’s name for suites), each ordre a series of dances. They all have whimsical, witty or descriptive titles like ‘The Little Windmills’, ‘The Knitters’, etc, and many that defy translation because of their reference to topical subjects (‘Le tic-toc-choc’, for instance, which described the work of Mme Guillotine). The Romantics were keen on this kind of thing and, later, Debussy and Satie recalled it in their piano pieces. They are musical postcards of the court, sketches of Couperin’s life and personality.
François Couperin

One stamp has been issued to celebrate Couperin’s life. France released a single semi-postal in 1968 on the 300th anniversary of his birth. 

François Couperin (1668 -1733)
Part of the 4 stamp Famous People series
Designed by Clement Serveau with Jean Pheulpin doing the engraving duties. 

 

Couperin divided his time between Paris and Versailles. He soon acquired heavy commitments to teach the harpsichord and organ which made it difficult to find time for the publication of his vocal and instrumental chamber music. After the appearance in 1690 of his Pièces d’orgue (in manuscript copies with engraved title pages), he wrote no further works for organ. Instead he turned his attention to the import of the Italian sonatas and cantatas being performed in private concerts during the 1690s; his own trio and quartet sonades in the Corellian style – some of which were absorbed into his 1726 collection Les nations – were initially circulated in manuscripts under an anagram of his name. The discerning collector Sébastien de Brossard acquired copies and later described them in the catalog of his collection as ‘good and most excellent music which requires only a good performance’.
François Couperin (Le Grand): a biographical note 

The New Classical FM radio station will be showcasing Coupertin today (November 10, 2024). at 10 am EST.  If you are on time, you can listen to the show online –  LISTEN LIVE button to tune in. Schedule – The New Classical FM