Named for the French family that produced a succession of musicians from the early seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth century. Louis Couperin (1626–1661) was born in Chaumes and was the first of the many Couperins to become organist at the church of St. Gervais in Paris. His style was characterized by an almost aggressive use of dissonance and of baroque ornamentation. His nephew, François Couperin (1668–1733), often known as “Le Grand”, is especially remembered for his keyboard pieces and for his somewhat ambiguous and obscure, theoretical work Lárt de toucher le clavecin. Françcois Couperin’s chamber and church music is also very important, well-known examples being his two organ masses and the four volumes for the harpsichord. He was held in great esteem by J. S. Bach {see planet  (1814)}. (M 26767) _ _.