JustSheetMusic
Portrait of François Couperin

Composer

François Couperin

1668–1733

902 works in the index

Born
1668
Died
1733
Birthplace
Paris
Citizenship / historical state
France
Period (estimated from birth year)
Baroque

Biography

Couperin wrote for the harpsichord with a precision about ornaments that no other composer of his period matched — and then wrote a book explaining exactly how he wanted them played, because he had noticed people ignoring him.

The keyboard music is organised into four books of ordres, loose suites of character pieces with descriptive titles. Individually many are accessible to an intermediate player; the difficulty is almost never the notes but the ornamentation, which is written out in a symbol system of his own and is not optional decoration.

This is the one composer where buying an edition that reproduces his ornament table is genuinely necessary. Editions that silently modernise or simplify the ornaments are giving you a different piece. He also wrote a substantial body of chamber music and the Leçons de Ténèbres, which are among the finest French vocal works of the period.

In this catalogue

Common listed instruments
Piano, harpsichord, Organ, Keyboard, Cello
Genres represented
Classical, Jazz
Works with composition dates
1 of 902

These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.

Catalogue

Works page 1 of 19

Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.

Works and available sheet music details
WorkYear composedCatalogue / opusKey in titleListed instrumentsGenreEditions
Couperin: Clavichord Pieces (Volume I) — —— Piano— 134
Prelude — —— Piano, Cello, Flute, Oboe, violin, ClarinetJazz, Classical 7
Couperin: The Graded Couperin (Ed. Marthe Motchane) — —— Piano— 29
Les folies fran — —— Piano, harpsichord— —
6. Le Petit Rien — —— Piano, Guitar, harpsichord, violinClassical 22
La bourbonnoise, gavotte — —— Piano, Organ, Guitar— 15
Les papillons — —— Piano, harpsichord, Mandolin— 10
Carnival — —— Piano, violinClassical 8
Gavotte — —— Piano, Organ, RecorderClassical 12
La Milordine, gigue — —— Piano, Organ— 9
Les non — —— Piano, Organ— 9
La Bersan — —— Piano, Guitar, harpsichord— 8
Les Moissonneurs (Couperin F.) — —— Piano, Guitar, harpsichord— 9
Gigue — —— Piano— 9
La Flore — —— Piano, Guitar— 9
Rondeau — —— Piano— 6
Le Carillon De Cythere — —— Piano, harpsichordClassical 6
Le Favorite — —— Piano, harpsichord— 8
The Harvesters — —— —— 7
Soeur Monique — —— Piano, harpsichord, Cello, Flute, violinClassical 8
La Manon — —— Piano, Organ— 7
La Babet — —— Piano, Organ, Cello, Bassoon, ClarinetClassical 8
La diligente — —— Piano, Organ— 8
La lutine — —— Piano, harpsichordClassical 8
La badine — —— Piano, Guitar— 9
Les rozeaux — —— Piano, harpsichord— 8
Les Tambourins — —— Piano, Guitar, harpsichord— 6
Second Prelude — —— Piano— 7
Suite In C Minor (Couperin F.) — —C minor Piano, harpsichord— 8
Le Bavolet Flottant(Couperin F.) — —— Piano, harpsichord— 7
Le Petit-Rien — —— Piano, violin— 4
Sarabande et Canon — —— Cello— 5
Riguadon — —— violin— 6
Le Bandoline — —— Piano, harpsichord— 7
In notte placida - Score — —— Piano— 5
Premiere courante — —— Piano, Organ— 3
Les regrets — —— Piano— 6
La bandoline — —— Piano, harpsichord, CelloClassical 6
La Villers — —— Piano— 7
Le moucheron — —— Piano, Guitar, harpsichord— 8
Les Tricoteuses — —— Piano, harpsichordClassical 7
Les Bergeries (Couperin F.) — —— Piano— 6
Les Petits Moulins A Vent — —— Piano, harpsichordClassical 6
"Allemande in D minor, from 'L'Art de Toucher le Clavecin'" — —D minor Piano— 6
Apotheose de Corelli — —— —— 6
Les Graces Natureles — —— Piano— 7
La Reveille-Matin — —— Piano— 7
La Bourbonnaise — —— PianoClassical 6

Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. The biography above is our own. Authority record: VIAF 54332134. Portrait: Jean Charles Flipart / After André Bouys, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.