François Couperin Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

Harpsichord Pieces, Book III, Suite No. 13, No. 1: “The Lily Blossoms”François Couperin15rank/position

François Couperin: The Lily Blossoms (Ichirō Kaneko)

François Couperin was a great composer who supported the French musical world that flourished in courts and churches during the Baroque era.

Among the many harpsichord pieces he left, the one especially beloved for its beautiful melody and evocative title is The Blooming Lily from Book III, Suite No.

13 of his Pieces de Clavecin.

Its graceful sonorities evoke the image of flowers opening one after another—truly a richly poetic tone painting.

The delicacy of the ornaments and the richness of the harmony together embody the refined musicality of the Baroque in all its fullness.

Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 13, No. 3: “The Ribbon for the Bodice”François Couperin16rank/position

Couperin / Pièces de clavecin, Book 3, Suite No. 13, No. 3 / Performed by: Ichirō Kaneko

François Couperin, a French composer who left numerous works for the harpsichord—a keyboard instrument of the Baroque era.

“The Ribbons of the Bodice,” included in the 13th Ordre of Book III of his emblematic collection Pièces de clavecin, is a masterpiece that showcases Couperin’s rich sensibility and imagination.

Why not take your time to savor this piece, which fully conveys the allure of Baroque music, while reflecting on the daily life and attire of the time, as well as the French milieu in which Couperin lived?

Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 13, No. 4: “The French Temperament, or The Domino”François Couperin17rank/position

Couperin / Pièces de Clavecin, Book III, 13th Ordre, No. 4 / Performed by: Ichiro Kaneko

François Couperin shines with his refined style and a wealth of evocative, emblematic titles.

Among the pieces in his Pièces de clavecin, Book III, the 13th Ordre, the fourth piece, “La Françoise, ou le Domino,” stands out in particular.

Depicting various scenes of a masquerade ball in music, it reveals Couperin’s brilliance of expression, as well as the wit and humor embedded in his writing.

This work, a superb example of the Baroque era’s elegant artistry, is a harpsichord masterpiece especially recommended for adults with musical experience.

From Clavecin Pieces, Book III, Suite No. 13François Couperin18rank/position

Julia Ageyeva Hess plays excerpts from F. Couperin’s 13th Ordre

From Pieces de clavecin, Third Book, Suite No.

13 (Pièces de clavecin, troisième livre, Ordre No.

13): 1.

The Blooming Lily, 2.

The Reeds, 3.

The Ribbon of the Bodice, 4.

The French Temperament, or The Domino, 5.

The Souls in Purgatory.

Performed by Ms.

Julia Ageyeva Hess at the Gildenhorn Recital Hall, University of Maryland.

From Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 13: No. 2 ‘The Reeds’François Couperin19rank/position

François Couperin: Pièces de clavecin, Book III, 13th Ordre – 2. The Reeds (Les roseaux), No. 13 – piano: Seiko Seki

Composed in B minor, this piece is characterized by its supple and graceful melody.

It expresses delicate motions—like reeds swaying in the wind—through music, skillfully depicting the beauty of nature.

Included in the third book of the Pièces de clavecin, published in 1722, it remains a valuable work that conveys the culture of the French court of the time.

The harpsichord’s rich timbre and ornamentation vividly evoke waterside scenes, and within its calm, introspective atmosphere lies a depth that suggests human flexibility and harmony with nature.

It’s recommended for those who wish to savor the elegance of Baroque music or enjoy depictions of nature through sound.

Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Suite No. 14, No. 1: “The Love Nightingale”François Couperin20rank/position

Couperin, François: Pièces de Clavecin, Book 3, Suite No. 14 – 1. The Nightingale in Love, No. 14; piano: Seiko Seki

François Couperin was a leading composer of the French Baroque and a master of the harpsichord.

Among the many masterpieces he left behind, one of the most popular is The Nightingale in Love from the Third Book of Harpsichord Pieces.

This work skillfully depicts the calls of birds in nature, featuring a beautiful melody that imitates the nightingale’s song.

Couperin’s characteristically delicate and emotionally rich music vividly portrays the sweetness and poignancy of love.

It is a piece that fully conveys the charm of Baroque music and one I would recommend to all lovers of classical music.

Harpsichord Pieces, Book III, Suite No. 14, No. 7: “The Bells of the Island of Cythera”François Couperin21rank/position

COUPERIN: Le Carillon de Cythère / Mayuko Ishibashi

Among the Couperin family of musicians who flourished in the Baroque era, François Couperin—hailed as “Couperin le Grand”—displayed his gifts across a wide range of genres, including keyboard music, chamber music, and vocal works.

One piece from his Third Book of Harpsichord Works, Les cloches de Cythera (“The Bells of Cythera”), reflects the refined tastes and intellectual life of the court, and with its distinctive sonorities and rhythms, it sparks the listener’s imagination.

Even the title alone evokes the sound of bells ringing across an island; why not listen to the piece yourself and see what it conjures up?