[François Couperin] Introducing famous and popular pieces by the composer who loved the harpsichord
François Couperin, a French composer of the Baroque era.
He grew up in the illustrious musical Couperin family and became the most famous member of his lineage.
Among French musicians he was a unique talent; it is said that the famous German composer Brahms—despite his strong dislike of French music—showed considerable interest in Couperin’s works.
In this article, we introduce some of François Couperin’s masterpieces and popular pieces.
Among his works, the Pièces de clavecin—over 200 pieces—hold a central place.
From these, we’ve selected some of the most renowned pieces, so please enjoy the elegant, evocative music played on the harpsichord.
Playlist
| [François Couperin] Introducing famous and popular pieces by the composer who loved the harpsichord | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1 | From ‘Pièces de clavecin’ Book II, Suite No. 6, No. 5François Couperin |  play_arrow | The Enigmatic Harpsichord Pieces of Couperin |
| 2 | Club-sun techniqueFrançois Couperin |  play_arrow | A classic masterpiece that explains the techniques of harpsichord performance |
| 3 | Sonata “Sultana”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Couperin’s Quartet Sonata: A Masterpiece of Franco-Italian Fusion |
| 4 | Fusion of Hobbies – Concerto No. 7 in G minorFrançois Couperin |  play_arrow | Performance of a Baroque music concerto |
| 5 | Suite Collection ‘Peoples of Various Countries’ – Suite No. 3 ‘Peoples of the Holy Roman Empire’François Couperin |  play_arrow | Chamber suite collection from Couperin’s late years |
| 6 | From Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 13: No. 2 ‘The Reeds’François Couperin |  play_arrow | A composition that depicts nature with an elegant melody in B minor |
| 7 | From the Third Book of Harpsichord Pieces, Suite No. 14, No. 2: “The Nightingale in Love”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Nightingale pieces played on the harpsichord |
| 8 | Harpsichord Pieces, Book III, Suite No. 14: No. 7 “The Bells of Cythera”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Expressing love with the graceful melodies of the island of Cythera |
| 9 | From Pièces de clavecin, Book IV, Suite No. 25: No. 2François Couperin |  play_arrow | An elegant work that expresses a mysterious woman through music |
| 10 | Tenebrae MonodyFrançois Couperin |  play_arrow | A religious musical piece based on the Lamentations of Jeremiah |
| 11 | Mount Parnassus, or An Ode to CorelliFrançois Couperin |  play_arrow | Harpsichord music, depicting the ascent of Mount Parnassus |
| 12 | Royal Concert – Concerto No. 2 in D majorFrançois Couperin |  play_arrow | Couperin’s Le Concert Royal is a masterpiece of Baroque music. |
| 13 | Collection of Suites “Peoples of Various Countries” Suite No. 4 “The Piedmontese”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Couperin's chamber works: Les Nations (The Nations) |
| 14 | From Pièces de clavecin, Book II, Suite No. 8: Nos. 1–7François Couperin |  play_arrow | Couperin’s collection of elegant miniatures. A gem of Baroque music. |
| 15 | From Harpsichord Pieces, Book IV, Suite No. 24François Couperin |  play_arrow | Introduction to Couperin's harpsichord pieces, Suite No. 24. |
| 16 | Harpsichord Pieces, Book IV, Suite No. 25: No. 1François Couperin |  play_arrow | Performing the Fourth Book of Harpsichord Pieces |
| 17 | Harpsichord Pieces, Book IV, Suite 25: No. 5François Couperin |  play_arrow | A pianist performs pieces from the Fourth Book of Harpsichord Works |
| 18 | Trio Sonata ‘Stankirk’François Couperin |  play_arrow | Couperin’s graceful masterpiece in an eight-movement structure |
| 19 | Suite Collection ‘People of Various Nations’ Suite No. 1 ‘The French’François Couperin |  play_arrow | Performing French Suites on period Baroque instruments |
| 20 | Fusion of Hobbies – Concerto No. 14 in D minorFrançois Couperin |  play_arrow | Fusion Concerto of Hobbies No. 14 |
| 21 | From Harpsichord Pieces, Book II, Suite No. 11François Couperin |  play_arrow | Monika Foryś performs Suite No. 11 from Book II of the Pièces de clavecin. |
| 22 | From Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 17François Couperin |  play_arrow | Prego performs five pieces from the harpsichord collection |
| 23 | From the Third Book of Harpsichord Pieces, Suite No. 18François Couperin |  play_arrow | Suite No. 18 from Book 3 of the Pièces de clavecin, performed by Xingyin Tang. |
| 24 | From ‘Pièces de clavecin’ (Harpsichord Pieces), Book IV, Suite No. 26François Couperin |  play_arrow | Erin Hales performs Suite No. 26 from Book 4 of the Pièces de Clavecin. |
| 25 | Woman of the House of BourbonFrançois Couperin |  play_arrow | Baroque music developed throughout Europe |
| 26south_east | Harpsichord Pieces, Book I, Suite No. 1, No. 14: Gavotte “The Woman of the House of Bourbon”François Couperin | play_arrow | Introductory Gavotte by Couperin |
| 27 | Pièces de clavecin, Book II, Suite No. 6, No. 5: “The Mysterious Barricades”François Couperin |  play_arrow | A masterpiece of Couperin’s The Mysterious Barricades |
| 28 | Harpsichord Pieces, Book II, Suite No. 6, No. 8: “The Insect”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Couperin, a natural depiction of insects |
| 29 | Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 13, No. 2: “The Reeds”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Couperin’s reeds, a poetic depiction of wind-swaying breezes |
| 30 | Harpsichord Pieces, Book III, Suite No. 13, No. 1: “The Lily Blossoms”François Couperin |  play_arrow | The Lily Blooms of Couperin |
| 31 | Harpsichord Pieces, Book II, Suite No. 6, No. 1: “The Harvesters”François Couperin |  play_arrow | A masterpiece that expresses Couperin’s pastoral landscapes in sound |
| 32 | Harpsichord Pieces, Book I, Suite No. 1: No. 3François Couperin |  play_arrow | Performance of the Sarabande from a harpsichord collection |
| 33 | From ‘Pièces de clavecin’ Book II, Suite No. 6: No. 1François Couperin |  play_arrow | Performing the Harvest piece from the Harpsichord Pieces collection on oboe and piano |
| 34 | From the Second Book of Harpsichord Pieces, Suite No. 8, No. 8François Couperin |  play_arrow | Performance of the Passacaglia from the Second Book of Harpsichord Pieces |
| 35 | From the Second Book of Harpsichord Pieces, Suite No. 9, No. 1François Couperin |  play_arrow | Allemande performed on two harpsichords |
| 36 | From the Third Book of Harpsichord Pieces, Suite No. 14, No. 6François Couperin |  play_arrow | Harpsichord piece for accordion duo |
| 37 | From Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 15: No. 4 and No. 5François Couperin |  play_arrow | Concert of French classical music |
| 38 | Trio Sonata in G minor “Astrée”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Trio Sonata Astre Performance |
| 39 | The Court Concert – Concert No. 3 in A majorFrançois Couperin |  play_arrow | Performance of the Royal Palace Concert No. 3 in A major |
| 40 | Concert at the Royal Palace – Concert No. 4 in E minorFrançois Couperin |  play_arrow | Performance of the Royal Palace Concert No. 4 in E minor |
| 41 | Suite collection “People of Various Nations”, Second Suite “The Spaniards”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Spanish Suite performed by the Osaka Ensemble |
| 42 | Fusion of Hobbies – from Concert No. 8 in G majorFrançois Couperin |  play_arrow | Concerto No. 8 from a Fusion of Hobbies |
| 43 | Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 13, No. 3: “The Ribbon for the Bodice”François Couperin |  play_arrow | The Charm of Couperin’s “The Ribbon on the Breast Ornament” |
| 44 | Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 13, No. 4: “The French Temperament, or The Domino”François Couperin |  play_arrow | An elegant harpsichord piece depicting Couperin’s masquerade ball |
| 45 | Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 14, No. 1: “The Love Nightingale”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Couperin’s The Nightingale in Love is a masterpiece that cleverly depicts birdsong. |
| 46 | Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 17, No. 2: “The Little Windmill”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Couperin’s Windmill, a Poetic Piece |
| 47 | Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 18, No. 3 “La religieuse Monique”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Couperin’s Pieces de clavecin, with The Nun as a representative work |
| 48 | Harpsichord Pieces, Book III, Suite No. 18, No. 6: “Tick-Tock-Choc, or The Olive Press”François Couperin |  play_arrow | Couperin’s Baroque music, characterized by humor and sophistication |
| 49 | Harpsichord Pieces, Book IV, Suite No. 23, No. 2: “The Knitting Women”François Couperin |  play_arrow | The elegance of Couperin’s mature-period masterpieces |
| 50 | Mass for the ParishFrançois Couperin |  play_arrow | A 17th-century French composer. From a family of musicians… |
| 51 | From Pièces de clavecin, Book IV, Suite No. 27François Couperin | Pièces de clavecin Book IV, Suite No. 27 (Pi…) | |
| 52 | From Clavecin Pieces, Book III, Suite No. 13François Couperin |  play_arrow | Pièces de Clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 13 (Pi…) |
| 53 | From Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 14: No. 1 and No. 2François Couperin |  play_arrow | Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 14 (Pi… |
| 54 | Harpsichord Pieces, Book I, Suite I, No. 13: “The Bourbon Lady (Gavotte)”François Couperin | play_arrow | An enchanting Gavotte by Couperin |
| 55 | Harpsichord Pieces, Book III, Suite No. 14, No. 7: “The Bells of the Island of Cythera”François Couperin |  play_arrow | A piece by Couperin featuring impressive bell-like sounds |