Marguerite-Antoinette Couperin
Encyclopedia
Marguerite-Antoinette Couperin (19 September 1705 – ca. 1778) was a French
harpsichord
ist, the first woman to hold the position of ordinaire de la musique de la chambre du roi pour le clavecin (court musician to the King of France).
family were a dynastic French musical family of professional composers and performers first mentioned in 1366. Marguerite-Antoinette was born in Paris
, the daughter of François Couperin
(the Great). She became active at the French court from at least 1729 (she is mentioned in an article in the Mercure de France
).
On 16 February 1730 she succeeded her father in the office of Ordinary musician of the King's chamber for the harpsichord when her father retired. This was a feature of French courtly music in which musicians were able to bequeath or sell their positions in a system called survivance. The title Ordinaire is the most junior rank in the hierarchy of the court's musicians and reflected her age and relative inexperience.
She was the first woman to take up a position as court musician. She also taught harpsichord to Louis XV's
daughters.
On 25 November 1741, she sold her office to Bernard de Bury
(1720–1785) for 6000 Livre
, as she was unable to continue in it herself for reasons of health. She died in Paris.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
ist, the first woman to hold the position of ordinaire de la musique de la chambre du roi pour le clavecin (court musician to the King of France).
Life
The CouperinCouperin
The Couperin family were a musical dynasty of professional composers and performers. They were the most prolific family in French musical history, active during the Baroque era...
family were a dynastic French musical family of professional composers and performers first mentioned in 1366. Marguerite-Antoinette was born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, the daughter of François Couperin
François Couperin
François Couperin was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented Couperin family.-Life:Couperin was born in Paris...
(the Great). She became active at the French court from at least 1729 (she is mentioned in an article in the Mercure de France
Mercure de France
The Mercure de France was originally a French gazette and literary magazine first published in the 17th century, but after several incarnations has evolved as a publisher, and is now part of the Éditions Gallimard publishing group....
).
On 16 February 1730 she succeeded her father in the office of Ordinary musician of the King's chamber for the harpsichord when her father retired. This was a feature of French courtly music in which musicians were able to bequeath or sell their positions in a system called survivance. The title Ordinaire is the most junior rank in the hierarchy of the court's musicians and reflected her age and relative inexperience.
She was the first woman to take up a position as court musician. She also taught harpsichord to Louis XV's
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
daughters.
On 25 November 1741, she sold her office to Bernard de Bury
Bernard de Bury
Bernard de Bury or Buri was a French musician and court composer of the late Baroque era.-Biography:...
(1720–1785) for 6000 Livre
French livre
The livre was the currency of France until 1795. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of both units of account and coins.-Etymology:...
, as she was unable to continue in it herself for reasons of health. She died in Paris.
See also
- Marguerite-Louise CouperinMarguerite-Louise CouperinMarguerite-Louise Couperin was a French soprano singer and harpsichordist, who came from the musically talented Couperin family dynasty...
(1676–1728) an older cousin and a celebrated soprano singer and harpsichordist.