Couperin was the most important French musician between Lully and Rameau, and the most talented member of a Parisian musical dynasty stretching from the 1500s to the mid-19th century. Born in Paris in 1668, he served, like the rest of his family, as an organist at the Church of Saint-Gervais, and in 1693 he began his association with the French court—originally as organist to Louis XIV at Versailles, and then from 1717 as harpsichordist to Louis XV. As a composer, he was essentially a miniaturist who inspired the development of a distinctive French harpsichord style based on the subtleties of touch, rhythmic inflection, ornamentation, and the imitation of instruments such as the lute, which suited the resonance of the harpsichord. Between 1713 and his death in 1733, Couperin published four books of harpsichord suites containing more than 220 works of two main types: dances and evocative character pieces with programmatic titles like “Le Moucheron,” which translates as “The Fly.” He was a great admirer of Corelli, and in his chamber music—like Les Concerts Royaux (1722)—explored a lifelong fascination with blending French and Italian styles. His most sensuous and dramatic music is found in the searingly beautiful Leçons de ténèbres, written to celebrate Maundy Thursday in 1714. Brahms, Richard Strauss, Debussy, and Ravel all admired his music.