Couperin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Couperin family was a dynastic musical family of professional composers and performers. They were the most prolific family in French musical history, and were very active during the Baroque era. The Couperin family originated from Chaumes-en-Brie, a little town about 30 miles east of Paris in the modern (département of Seine-et-Marne).

Several members of this family were titular organists at the Church Saint-Gervais, near the Hôtel de Ville, Paris, a post the Couperin family held for 173 years. This church had an important instrument.

The most gifted and illustrious among them were Louis Couperin and François Couperin the Great, the former's nephew.

[edit] Simplified family tree

Organists at the church Saint-Gervais are in bold with (rank).

Organ of Saint-Gervais church

Mathurin Couperin, died 1640; farmer, instrumentalist
- Denis, died 1656; notary, instrumentalist
- Charles the older, died 1654; instrumentalist
  - Louis (1) (1626-1661) harpsichordist, organist and gambist
  - François (1631-1701) musician
    - Marguerite-Louise (1676-1728) singer
    - Nicolas (4) (1680-1748), organist
      - Armand-Louis (5) (1727-1789), organist
        
        Pierre-Louis (6) (1755-1789), organist
        
        Gervais-François (7) (1759-1826), organist
        
        Céleste-Thérèse (8) (1795-1860), organist
        
        Nicolas-Louis (1760-after 1817)
  - Charles (2) (1639-1679)
    - François the Great (3) (1668-1733)
      - Marie-Madeleine (1690-1742) nun, organist
      - François-Laurent (died after 1740)
      - Marguerite-Antoinette (1705-1778) harpsichordist of the King's chamber