Armand-Louis Couperin

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Armand-Louis Couperin (born February 25, 1727 in Paris , † February 2, 1789 ) was a French composer and organist .

Live and act

He was the third well-known organist in his family. After the death of his father Nicolas in 1748 he continued as organist in Saint Gervais . In 1752 he married Elisabeth-Antoinette Blanchet (1729–1815), daughter of the well-known harpsichord maker François-Étienne Blanchet . He held a large number of organist posts; he often had his children represent him at the organ service. Three of his four children, Pierre-Louis, Gervais-François and Antoinette-Victoire later became musicians. His life was very limited. He is not known of any trips, no activities except as organist and harpsichord teacher, and no appearances in the Concert spirituel . He refused to write music for the theater and did not want his church music published. If he is mentioned by his contemporaries (such as Burney ), this almost always happens in connection with his organ improvisations via the Te Deum .

On the way from the Sainte-Chapelle to the Church of St. Gervais, Armand-Louis came under the hooves of a runaway horse that had thrown its rider. He was fatally injured in the head. On his death he left a library with 885 books, an extraordinary amount for a professional musician of his time.

At the end of his life Couperin owned two harpsichords, one with toggle levers for changing registers and crescendos, a small and a large spinet, two organs, a clavichord, a piano and a shelf.

Works (selection)

Around 1750 he composed the work Cantatille and a harpsichord collection, up to 1765 six harpsichord sonatas with violin accompaniment, up to 1770 three sonatas for violin and cello and one air with variations. The majority of the works are published under ALCouperin, Selected Works for Keyboard , ed. D. Fuller (Madison, Wisconsin, 1975)

  • "Les cacqueteuses"
  • «Les Quatre Nations»: L'Italienne; L'Angloise, rondeau; L'Allemande; La Françoise
  • "La Chasse"
  • Dialogue between the chalumeau and the basson
  • Pieces de Clavecin
  • "Quatuors à deux clavecins", 1773
  • Simphonie de Clavecins (Allegro moderato et marqué, Andante, Presto) 1770 or a little later
  • Sonates en pièces de clavecin avec accompagnement de violon ad libitum, Op. 2

Individual evidence

  1. ^ David Fuller : Armand-Louis Couperin . Booklet of the CD Symphonie & Quatuor pour deux clavecins , harmonia mundi, July 1980, HMA 1901051

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Couperin, Armand-Louis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French composer and organist
DATE OF BIRTH February 25, 1727
PLACE OF BIRTH Paris , France
DATE OF DEATH February 2, 1789
Place of death Paris , France