COUPERIN, Louis
b Chaumes, near Paris, c1626
d Paris, 29 August 1661, aged c thirty-five

Little is known of his early life, but by 1651 he was a member of the establishment of a diplomat and statesman who lived at Meudon, a suburb of Paris. He then held the post of organist at St Gervais, where he lived with his two brothers in the organist's lodging. He was given the post of treble viol player at the Royal court.

Louis Couperin composed: about eighteen preludes for harpsichord; seventeen allemandes; thirty-two courantes; thirty-one sarabandes; five gigues; about fourteen chaconnes and passacailes; three galliards, and other works for harpsichord; two preludes for organ; thirty-three fugues; two duos; six division basses; twenty-seven plainsong verstes; two psaumes; other organ works, and fantasies and sinfonias for various ensemble combinations.