Couperin, François le Grand (1668–1733)

French composer. He is the best-known member of a musical family that included his uncle Louis Couperin (c. 1626–1661), composer for harpsichord and organ. He was a favourite composer of Louis XIV, and composed numerous chamber concertos and harpsichord suites, and published a standard keyboard tutor L'Art de toucher le clavecin/The Art of Playing the Harpsichord (1716) in which he laid down guidelines for fingering, phrasing, and ornamentation.