COOPER Francois (Couperin Franя?ois)

(1668-1733)
Born November 10, 1668 in Paris, came from a family prominent French musicians, which flourished during the 17-18 centuries. Francois Couperin, who was later nicknamed 'le grand' - 'great', became in 1685 organist at the Church of St.. Gervasio in Paris (the post he held until his death), and after 8 years enlisted in the Royal Chapel. His reputation as an organist was not inferior to his glory harpsichordist, playing the harpsichord Couperin taught Dauphin and other members of the royal family. Couperin wrote many songs and religious works (both vocal, . and for the body), . but the glory they brought secular instrumental works, . especially pieces for harpsichord, and trio sonatas (a genre, . became popular in France thanks to Kuperenu),
. Among the works of chamber instrumental genres distinguished Royal concerts (Concerts royaux), written in 1714-1715 for Louis XIV (published in 1722) and the trio sonatas of the Nation (Les Nations), appeared in 1726. Famous instrumental concert a triumph, . dedicated to the immortal memory of the incomparable Monsieur de Lully (Concert instrumental sous le titre d'apothose compos a la mmoire immortelle de l'incomporable Monsieur de Lully, . 1725) is indicative of two aspects,
. Here Couperin embodies his idea of combining style A. Corelli, whose works he admired and who have dedicated a great trio sonata Parnassus, or The Apotheosis of Corelli (Le Parnasse ou l'apotheose de Corelli, 1724), with the style of JB Lully. In other words, Couperin sought, on the one hand, connect the melody inherent in the Italian style, with French style (these two styles in that era were competing with each other), and on the other, to give his compositions a narrative, programmatic. Both these tendencies are present in the best works of Couperin - Harpsichord suites, which the composer called Les Ordres ( 'rows', 'sequence') and published in four notebooks (1713, 1717, 1722 and 1730). In stylistic terms, these pieces, like the chamber music Couperin, demonstrate a combination of contrapuntal and homophonic (harmonic) letters, they are rich in ornamentation, an abundance of melisma. Couperin died in Paris on September 12, 1733.