One of the greatest figures of the French classical school, François
Couperin (1668-1733), called le grand, was royal organist at the court
of Louis XIV and the leading French composer of his day. Trained early
as an organist, he possessed solid contrapuntal skills as well as a
softness and naturalness of style characteristic of French music. His
two masses for organ were his only compositions for this instrument.
Published when Couperin was only 21, his organ masses display not only a
thoroughly assured compositional technique, but a rich gift for melodic
lines both expressive and ebullient. The majestic Messe pour les
Paroisses was intended for use on principal feast days of the church.
Messe pour les Couvents is more intimate in style, possibly used in
pseudo-plainchant musical mass popular in French religious communities
in the late 17th century. Both works, reproduced here from earlier
authoritative editions, stand at the summit of French classic organ
composition.