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 15 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
The Kind Cuckoo — —— Piano— —
Le Rossignol En Amour — —— —— 0
Le Rossignol Vainqueur — —— —— 0
La Letiville — —— Piano, OrganClassical 1
Les Petites Chremieres De Bagnolet — —— Piano, OrganClassical 1
Allemande: La Verneuille — —— Piano, OrganClassical 1
La Verneuillete — —— Piano, OrganClassical 1
L'Atendrissante — —— Piano, OrganClassical 1
Rondeau: Le Tic-Toc-Choc, Ou Les Maillotins — —— Piano, OrganClassical 1
L'Artiste — —— Piano, OrganClassical 1
Les Culbutes Jxcxbxnxs — —— Piano, OrganClassical 1
L'Enjouee — —— Piano— 1
La Bouffonne — —— Piano— 1
La Sezile — —— Piano— 1
L'Anguille — —— Piano, harpsichordClassical 1
Le Croc-En-Jambe — —— Piano— 1
L'Audacieuse — —— Piano— 1
Les Satires — —— Piano— 1
Les Brinborions — —— Piano— 1
La Monflambert — —— Piano— 1
Allemande: L'Exquise — —— Piano— 1
Les Pavots — —— Piano— 1
"Premier Air pour la Suite du Troph?e, from 21st Ordre, 'Pieces de Clavecin', Book 4" — —— Piano— —
Les Clavcinistes Francais du XVIIIe Siecle [Livre 3] — —— Piano— —
La Pastourelle — —— Piano— —
"La Bourbonnoise: Gavotte, from 1st Ordre, 'Pieces de Clavecin', Book 1" — —— Piano— —
3. La Coquetterie — —— Piano, harpsichord— 1
5. Les Lys Naissnats — —— Piano, harpsichord— 1
7. Air Dans le Gout Polonais — —— Piano, harpsichord— 1
9. Les Satyres Chevre-Pieds — —— Piano, harpsichord— 1
16. Les Barricades Mysterieuses — —— —— —
18. Les Fastes de la Grande et Ancienne Menestrandise — —— Piano, harpsichord— 1
"Les Moissonneurs, from 6th Ordre, 'Pieces de Clavecin,' Book 2" — —— Piano— —
"Les Rozeaux (The Reeds), from 13th Ordre, 'Pieces de Clavecin', Book 3" — —— Piano— —
Melody — —— Recorder— —
Les Cherubins Ou I'aimable Lazure — —— Recorder— 1
The Tambourines — —— Trumpet— 2
Reapers, The — —— GuitarClassical —
Postlude — —— Organ— 2
"Les Petits Moulins a Vent (The Little Windmills), from 17th Ordre, 'Pieces de Clavecin', Book 3" — —— —— —
The Trifle — —— Piano— 1
Apotheose de Lully — —— —— —
Fanfare — —— violin— —
The Mysterious Barricades — —— —Classical 1
Concert — —— FluteClassical —
Allemande Additional credits François Couperin — —— Piano— —
Fifth Prelude Additional credits François Couperin — —— Piano— —
First Prelude Additional credits François Couperin — —— Piano— —

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.