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Home »
French Composers »
Louis Couperin
Louis Couperin
From Skip Sempé's
liner notes to his recent recording on Alpha: "Believe it or not, we do not
really know for sure whether this Couperin is Louis or another member of the
Couperin family. Louis Couperin was a known viol player and organist: it was his
brother Charles who had an outstanding reputation as a harpsichordist. Charles
Couperin was the father of François Couperin 'Le Grand', which may lead us to
wonder if the finest eighteenth century French harpsichordist was actually
trained by his father, rather than his uncle? As a further complication of the
issue, the organ pieces of 'Louis Couperin' have recently been published, and it
has been suggested that the manuscript source of these organ works represents an
autograph of Louis Couperin. There is some disagreement on this matter. However,
the harpsichord works are so much more interesting on grounds of musical content
and finesse of style that I find it hard to imagine that these organ pieces are
the work of the same composer. I have suggested that even if Louis Couperin was
the scribe, does this lend real certainty as the composer of the music he was
transmitting in his own hand? Perhaps we will never know."
Links
Biography from the New Grove 2
Recordings
| Clairs Obscurs. Louis
Couperin. Pièces de orgue. Henri
DuMont, Motets. Ligia Lidi 0109268-14 (1 CD, May 2014).
Laurent Beyhurst,
historical
organ (1699) by Julien Tribout in Seurre. Le Concert
Tribuot. Catherine Greuillet, soprano; Françoise Masset,
soprano; Sylvie Althaparro, mezzo-soprano; Sylvie
Moquet, bass viol.
UK |
FR |
DE |
JP |
| Louis Couperin. Louis Couperin Edition Volume
3: Chaconne de Mr Couperin. Aeolus AE 10124 (1 CD, June 2013). Bob van Asperen,
original anonymous French harpsichord c.1700.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
| Louis Couperin. Complete
Harpsichord Works. Harmonia Mundi HMU 907511/14
(4 CDs, August 2011). Richard Egarr, harpsichord.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
| Louis Couperin. Suites pour Clavecin -
Pavane. Aparté 006 (2 CDs, May 2010). Christophe
Rousset, harpsichord. Louis Denis harpsichord (1658). Rousset
has selected Couperin's""very finest pieces" and for generally
followed the order of the Parville manuscript.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
 Louis
Couperin. Passacaille de Mr Couperin. Louis Couperin Edition
Volume 2. Aeolus AE-10114 (1 CD, November 2008).
Details /
Recording the Vaudry. Bob van Asperen, 1681 Vaudry harpsichord.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
 Louis
Couperin. Préludes de Mr Couperin. Louis Couperin Edition
Volume 1. Aeolus AE-10094 (1 CD, October 2006).
Details. Bob van Asperen, anonymous French harpsichord
c.1650 at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg (Beurmann).
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
 Louis
Couperin. Pièces pour Clavecin. Aeon AE0751 (1 CD, July
2007). Jovanka Marville, 1658 Denis harpsichord.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
 Louis
Couperin. 5 Suites pour Clavecin. Ligia Digital Lidi
010117006 (1 CD, November 2006). Huguette Grémy-Chauliac.
Donzelague harpsichord (Lyon 1716).
FR |
DE |
 Louis
Couperin. Pièces d'Orgue (1650-1659). Toccata Records
Ridderkerk TRR 99012 (1 CD, January 2006).
Details. Pieter Dirksen, Andries
Severijn Organ (Liège c.1640-1650) now at the Martinuskerk,
Cuijk, Netherlands.
FR |
UK |
DE |
JP |
 Louis
Couperin. Pièces de clavecin. Alpha 066 (1 CD, September
2004).
Details. Skip Sempé, French double harpsichord by Bruce
Kennedy.
NewOlde.com 2004 Best Baroque Keyboard Recording.
Brisk performances of the unmeasured preludes and slowest
movements. The f-sharp minor pavanne takes only 6'08, versus
9'03 by Spieth and 7'59 by Verlet.
US |
FR |
UK |
DE |
CA |
JP |
 M-A
Charpentier, Henry Dumont, Gaspard Le Roux & Louis Couperin.
Cantica Nativitatis 1676. Ligia Digital 020215204 (1 CD,
November 2004). Olivier Vernet, direction & organ. Catherine
Greuillet & Noémi Rime, sopranos; François Bazoloa, bass. A
collection of vocal and instrumental music for the liturgical
seasons of Advent and Christmas.
US |
FR |
DE |
CA |
 Le Regret de Louis Couperin. Pièces de violes de Louis
Couperin, Henry Dumont, Marin Marais, Sieur Demanchy, Sieur de
Sainte Colombe. Ligia Digital 301138 (1 CD, August 2004).
Anne-Marie Lasla, viol; Sylvie Moquet, viol; Jonathan Cable,
bass violin; Olivier Vernet, organ.
FR |
DE |
UK |
Louis Couperin. Pièces pour clavessin.
Pierre Verany 796112 (1 CD, 1996).
Details.
Laurent Stewart, harpsichord by Vincent Tibaut, Toulouse 1681,
tuned to A=400 mean-tone.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP
Reissued on PV 709091 (2009).
UK |
FR |
DE |
 Louis
Couperin. L'Oeuvre de Clavecin. Noëlle Spieth,
harpsichord. One disc in each volume was recorded on a 17th
Century French single by Emil Jobin, and the other was recorded
on a 17th Century French double by Jobin. This is my personal
favorite of the three complete sets.Volume 1. Adès 202
372 (2 CDs 1993).
UK |
DE |
FR |
JP
Volume 2. Adès 202 672 (2 CDs 1993).
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
| Louis Couperin. Les Pièces de clavessin.
Astrée E8506 (5 CDs 1987-92). Blandine Verlet. Performed on the
Colmar Ruckers.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP Reissued on E8819 (2001):
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
 Louis
Couperin. L'oeuvre d'orgue. Tempéraments TEM 316001/3 (3
CDs 1995). Davitt Moroney.
Jean-Boizard organ (1714), Abbaye de Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache.
Newly discovered in the 20th Century, but hoarded by an
eccentric English collector, the music finally was published by
L'Oiseau-Lyre, Monaco. The single disk by Jansen on FNAC 522291
(1994) was performed on the same organ. Perhaps someday the
pieces will be recorded with alternating plainchant.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JPReissued on Tempéraments 316101/103 (2003):
UK |
FR |
DE |
 Louis Couperin. The Complete Harpsichord
Works. Harmonia Mundi HM 1124/28 (5 LPs 1983), reissued as
HMA 1901124/7 (4 CDs 1989). Davitt Moroney, harpsichord.
Instruments: Albert Delin (1768), Couchet-Taskin (1671), Bellot
le Père (1729).
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JPReissued.
UK |
DE |
FR |
JP |
Related Composers
 Jacques
Champion de Chambonnières. Pièces de clavecin: Suites,
Pavannes & Preludes. dhm 05472 77210 2 (1 CD 1993). Skip
Sempé, Antique Flemish harpsichord. The best harpsichord
recording I've heard.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JPCheap Baroque Esprit reissue, which undoubtedly
lacks the original's liner notes by Sempé. dhm 05472 77453 2
(1997).
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
JP |
| Jacques Champion de Chambonnières. Les
Pièces de Clavessin. AS Musique ASM001 (2 CDs, February
2004).
Details. Olivier Baumont, antique 17th Century harpsichord;
Claire Antonini, theorbo & lute; Jean-Denis Monory, narrator.
UK |
FR |
DE |
JP |
| Nicolas Antoine Lebègue (c.1631-1702).
Pièces de Clavessin (1677 & 1687). Stradivarius STR33673 (1
CD, March 2004).
Details. Paola Erdas, harpsichord.
US |
FR |
UK |
DE |
CA |
JP |
Jean-Henri D'Anglebert
Johann Jacob Froberger
Music
| Louis Couperin. Oeuvres de Clavecin. 2d
modern edition, edited by Davitt Moroney.
Éditions de
l'Oiseau-Lyre, Monaco, OL 58 (1985, reprinted in 2004).
Moroney stripped out the ornaments from the first edition, since
they were not contemporary with LC. While historically correct,
this places a great burden on the amateur harpsichordist (used
to playing FC) to select appropriate ornamentation. The lengthy
introduction is, to date, the best biography of LC in English. |
| Louis Couperin. Pièces d'Orgue.
Transcribed and edited by Guy Oldham.
Éditions de l'Oiseau-Lyre, Monaco, OL 300 (2003). 144 pages.
The Oldham manuscript finally has been published. Unfortunately,
the closest organs to New York with French baroque registration
are in Montreal and Stanford, CA. This volume contains the music
text of the 70 pieces, "as well as the relevant plainchant
melodies with their texts to facilitate alternatim performance,
a facsimile page, editor's notes, and a Critical Commentary." It
will be followed later by a companion publication consisting of
extended prefatory material, including a description of the
source, information on the organs played by Louis Couperin, and
suggestions for performance. |
Books
| John Koster. Keyboard Instruments in the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Museum of Fine Arts, 1994. 408
pages. 16 color illustrations, 242 duotones, 79 line drawings.
See pages 39-46 for details and pictures of a 1667 French double
harpsichord, one a handful of survivors from the era of Louis
Couperin. Unlike more familiar 18th Century French instruments,
the frame and soundboard ribbing are very light, and a few
fragments of wire show that the strings were very thin. Scaling
was lengthened in a ravalement in which five notes were added.
Unfortunately, the increased string tension caused the case to
distort. Koster does not speculate as to the original pitch of
this instrument.
US |
UK |
DE |
newolde.com/couperin_louis.htm
|
|
Louis
Couperin. Passacaille de Mr Couperin. Louis Couperin Edition
Volume 2. Aeolus AE-10114 (1 CD, November 2008).
Details /
Recording the Vaudry. Bob van Asperen, 1681 Vaudry harpsichord.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP
Louis
Couperin. Préludes de Mr Couperin. Louis Couperin Edition
Volume 1. Aeolus AE-10094 (1 CD, October 2006).
Details. Bob van Asperen, anonymous French harpsichord
c.1650 at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg (Beurmann).
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP
Louis
Couperin. Pièces pour Clavecin. Aeon AE0751 (1 CD, July
2007). Jovanka Marville, 1658 Denis harpsichord.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP
Louis
Couperin. 5 Suites pour Clavecin. Ligia Digital Lidi
010117006 (1 CD, November 2006). Huguette Grémy-Chauliac.
Donzelague harpsichord (Lyon 1716).
FR |
DE
Louis
Couperin. Pièces d'Orgue (1650-1659). Toccata Records
Ridderkerk TRR 99012 (1 CD, January 2006).
Details. Pieter Dirksen, Andries
Severijn Organ (Liège c.1640-1650) now at the Martinuskerk,
Cuijk, Netherlands.
FR |
UK |
DE |
JP
Louis
Couperin. Pièces de clavecin. Alpha 066 (1 CD, September
2004).
Details. Skip Sempé, French double harpsichord by Bruce
Kennedy.
NewOlde.com 2004 Best Baroque Keyboard Recording.
Brisk performances of the unmeasured preludes and slowest
movements. The f-sharp minor pavanne takes only 6'08, versus
9'03 by Spieth and 7'59 by Verlet.
US |
FR |
UK |
DE |
CA |
JP
M-A
Charpentier, Henry Dumont, Gaspard Le Roux & Louis Couperin.
Cantica Nativitatis 1676. Ligia Digital 020215204 (1 CD,
November 2004). Olivier Vernet, direction & organ. Catherine
Greuillet & Noémi Rime, sopranos; François Bazoloa, bass. A
collection of vocal and instrumental music for the liturgical
seasons of Advent and Christmas.
US |
FR |
DE |
CA
Louis
Couperin. L'Oeuvre de Clavecin. Noëlle Spieth,
harpsichord. One disc in each volume was recorded on a 17th
Century French single by Emil Jobin, and the other was recorded
on a 17th Century French double by Jobin. This is my personal
favorite of the three complete sets.
Louis
Couperin. L'oeuvre d'orgue. Tempéraments TEM 316001/3 (3
CDs 1995). Davitt Moroney.
Jean-Boizard organ (1714), Abbaye de Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache.
Newly discovered in the 20th Century, but hoarded by an
eccentric English collector, the music finally was published by
L'Oiseau-Lyre, Monaco. The single disk by Jansen on FNAC 522291
(1994) was performed on the same organ. Perhaps someday the
pieces will be recorded with alternating plainchant.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP
Louis Couperin. The Complete Harpsichord
Works. Harmonia Mundi HM 1124/28 (5 LPs 1983), reissued as
HMA 1901124/7 (4 CDs 1989). Davitt Moroney, harpsichord.
Instruments: Albert Delin (1768), Couchet-Taskin (1671), Bellot
le Père (1729).
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP
Jacques
Champion de Chambonnières. Pièces de clavecin: Suites,
Pavannes & Preludes. dhm 05472 77210 2 (1 CD 1993). Skip
Sempé, Antique Flemish harpsichord. The best harpsichord
recording I've heard.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP