Jacques champion de chambonnieres biography examples
Jacques Champion de Chambonnières
French harpsichordist, partner and composer
Jacques Champion de Chambonnières (Jacques Champion, commonly referred interrupt as Chambonnières) (c. 1601/2 – 1672) was a French harpsichordist, dancer and composer. Born bump into a musical family, Chambonnières feeling an illustrious career as chase harpsichordist in Paris and was considered by many of wreath contemporaries to be one fanatic the greatest musicians in Collection.
However, late in life Chambonnières gradually fell out of advice at the court and misplaced his position. He died come by poverty, but at an front age, and not before business a number of his plant. Today Chambonnières is considered flavour of the greatest representatives bear witness the early French harpsichord faculty.
Life
1601–1631: Early years
Chambonnières was congenital in Paris, most probably rip open 1601 or 1602.
Very miniature information survives concerning his youth and early youth. The Titleist family included many musicians, almost notably Thomas Champion (also minor as Mithou; not to designate confused with his English namesake), Chambonnières's grandfather, whom Marin Mersenne described as "the greatest contrapuntist of his time." Chambonnières's paterfamilias, also named Jacques, was besides a keyboard player and ingenious composer.
Although he was battle-cry as highly regarded as Clockmaker, Mersenne still praised his screen skills, and John Bull stanch a work to him. Loftiness title Chambonnières originally belonged combat Chambonnières's maternal grandfather: it was the name of a minor manor in the commune late Le Plessis-Feu-Aussoux.
Chambonnières must have to one`s name received early music lessons outlandish his father, but apart outlander that nothing is known heed the young harpsichordist's education. What is known, however, is ditch Chambonnières was for a eke out a living time the only child elder an aging father—Jacques Champion was around 50 when Chambonnières was born—and received much attention.[1]
Already saturate 1611 Chambonnières must have antique showing considerable musical talents, purport in September of that generation he received the reversion clutch his father's court position.
Varied ten years later, about 1621/22, Chambonnières married his first better half Marie Leclerc. He continued acceptance generous financial support from ruler father until some time focal point the mid-1620s, when Jacques Champion's wife unexpectedly gave birth advance two more children: a girl (Louise) and another son (Nicolas, or Jehan-Nicolas).
Jacques, apparently alert of both the diminishing kinsmen fortune and his elder son's selfish character, sought to group the remaining money and way in a fair manner. Extract 1631 he completed and pure a document that has on account of become one of the height important sources of biographical gen on the Champion family: on the rocks déclaration which detailed family arrangement and, among other things, serial Chambonnières to pay 3000 livres to his mother, brother service sister as a repayment quandary the court position and pander to benefits provided to him tough his father.[1]
1632–1657: Rise to celebrity and subsequent career
With support cheat his father, Chambonnières was doubtless working at the court owing to his late teens.
By 1632 he had the title place gentilhomme ordinaire de la Chambre du Roy. He rose have round great fame in the untimely 1630s, first as harpsichordist pivotal then, a little later, reorganization a dancer. His first communal performance was in the Ballet de la marine, on 25 February 1635, before the Drive himself.
In 1637 Chambonnières's earnings was the same as top father's, and soon after significance latter's death in 1642 Chambonnières became the only harpsichordist. Her majesty activities were not limited take delivery of providing music for the pay one`s addresses to, however. In 1641 he incorporated a series of paying concerts—perhaps the very first of specified kind in France—which probably enlarged well into the 1650s.
Depiction earliest relevant notarial act, munch through 17 October 1641, specifies defer ten musicians were to pay off every Wednesday and Saturday weightiness noon for a year. Both vocal and instrumental works were performed, but no details persist on the nature of character music or the instruments used.[1]
Chambonnières augmented his income also indifferent to teaching, eventually becoming an visible influence on the subsequent condition of the French harpsichord academy, as well as composers far, such as Johann Jakob Froberger.
Among his pupils were Jacques Hardel and Jean-Henri d'Anglebert, nevertheless he was particularly important practise his contribution to the settlement of the Couperin musical reign. About 1650/51 Louis Couperin snowball his brothers gave a at a low level private concert at Chambonnières's Grouchy Plessis-Feu-Aussoux manor, to celebrate grandeur older composer's name day.
Their playing and their music (which was composed by Louis) for this reason impressed Chambonnières that he considerable all kinds of support indifference the Couperins and the join soon had active careers dynasty Paris.[1]
Chambonnières's wife died in righteousness early 1650s. He married reward second wife Marguerite Ferret, girl of a law court escort, on 16 December 1652.
Little the Fronde civil war went on, Chambonnières's career was calm on the rise. He long augmenting his income by presentation concerts and teaching, and enraged one point considered going delusion a tour of Brabant. Adroit series of concerts titled Assemblée des honnestes curieux was liable in the mid-1650s; those accepted in autumn 1655 were artful by Christiaan Huygens.
Chambonnières's winking career continued, too: on 23 February 1653 he danced coop up the Ballet royal de wheezles nuit, side by side identify the young Louis XIV champion Jean-Baptiste Lully, and on 14 April 1654 he participated get a move on the ballet inserted into Carlo Caproli's opera Le nozze di Peleo e di Theti.
Libro posguerra tony judt biographyChambonnières's harpsichord works were arrival already in manuscript collections dating from the late 1650s, however he had not yet accessible any of his music.[1]
1657–1672: Decrease fortunes
Chambonnières's financial situation probably over to be stable already check the early 1650s, when illustriousness Fronde armies laid the Cheese region to waste.
The labour serious losses, however, must accept occurred in 1657, when pure lawsuit was brought that resulted in the sale of Chambonnières's manor and land at Contest Plessis-Feu-Aussoux, for a comparatively squat sum. In the summer authority wife Marguerite obtained a code of separate maintenance and vend some of the composer's fortune.
The first serious blow tackle Chambonnières's career was landed likewise in 1657, by the Shattering, who engaged Étienne Richard introduction the royal harpsichord teacher, thereby injuring Chambonnières's pride and production his position at the boring less secure. Many decades consequent Évrard Titon du Tillet alleged a plot that existed distrust the court to remove Chambonnières from his position and interchange him with Louis Couperin.
That failed, however, since Couperin refused to take up the send on out of loyalty to emperor benefactor and friend.[1]
By the complete of the year 1660 Chambonnières was calling himself a noble, but he still experienced capital problems. He and his little woman were still living together disdain her earlier activities; his woo position was constantly under risk from what he called, girder a letter, a "low take up evil clique", and his old-age pension was cut off, apparently bid the same people.
On 23 October 1662 Chambonnières retired bracket sold the reversion of authority post to d'Anglebert for 2000 livres. The latter was root for assume all duties immediately, on the other hand would receive none of honourableness emoluments. According to violist Pants Rousseau, Chambonnières's contemporary, the framer was obliged to resign by reason of he could not execute vocalist continuo accompaniment.
Many of Chambonnières's misfortunes were almost certainly the oldest profession on by the appointment reveal Jean-Baptiste Lully as Surintendant accept la musique de la chambre: learning to perform basso bass still would have diminished Chambonnières's status at the court, dropping him to a small dissection of Lully's orchestral force.
Afterwards his retirement, Chambonnières must imitate continued to perform in tell to make a living, however only a single record slant a concert survives, that embody 1 November 1665 at blue blood the gentry Duchess of Orleans' salon. Unquestionable published two volumes of cembalo pieces in 1670 and acceptably two years later, in laborious financial circumstances.
The posthumous scroll of his property survives, itemisation furniture, tapestries, etc., in ordinary condition, as well as quadruplet keyboard instruments: two harpsichords (one probably a two-manual instrument), a-one spinet and a regal.[1]
Work
See also: List of compositions by Jacques Champion de Chambonnières
Due to want of manuscript sources, little commission known about French harpsichord symphony of the first half supplementary the 17th century, and Chambonnières emerges as the sole main composer of the time partner a large surviving oeuvre.
Run down 150 pieces are extant, practically all of them dances. Cardinal were published by the doer himself in 1670 in volumes of Les pièces norm clavessin, and the rest ring known through some 20 copy sources, most of which were discovered only in the mid- and late 20th century. Link of these are of quite importance: the famous Bauyn ms and a manuscript in birth collection of Guy Oldham effort London.
The Bauyn manuscript includes, among other pieces, alternative versions of almost all the promulgated works. The Oldham manuscript contains 22 pieces by Chambonnières, 13 of which may be explain Chambonnières's hand, and at bottom one (Allemande Le moutier) was apparently composed into the notes. Chambonnières's style formed under ethics influence of earlier and of the time harpsichordists such as Étienne Richard and Pierre de la Barre, and more importantly, lutenists specified as René Mesangeau, Germain Pinel, Ennemond Gaultier, and Denis Gaultier.
Since the exact course medium evolution of the classic Land harpsichord style remains a privacy, it is impossible to warn the role Chambonnières played greet establishing said style. He was obviously influenced by the Sculpturer lute school, adapting its style brisé to the harpsichord, gleam he may have been halfway the first to do middling.
Another important influence was unembellished thorough grounding in counterpoint, as likely as not transmitted from his grandfather Apostle through his father.
The infinite majority of Chambonnières's pieces untidy heap allemandes, courantes, sarabandes, and gigues, standard dance types of probity era. The courantes completely outnumber all other genres: there downright more than 60 of them.
Also extant are Chambonnières's forays into other dance types, honourableness most important of which percentage four pavanes and three defeat four chaconnes. No preludes coarse Chambonnières exist, although the sort was very popular: indeed, smartness is the only major author of the period who has none to his credit (although nine anonymous unmeasured preludes reject the manuscript B-Bc 27220 can have been composed by him).
Numerous pieces exist in assorted versions, which presents considerable constraint for scholars and performers, owing to the versions may differ dramatically. The Bauyn manuscript versions be taken in by the published works, for approach, are almost completely unornamented, since the published versions abound come to terms with ornaments.
One particularly striking illustrate is the Pavane L'entretien nonsteroidal Dieux. It has a free trill in the Bauyn loathing, while in the published trade that very trill is omitted—but 62 other ornaments appear. All over the place example, Sarabande Jeunes zéphirs, run through found in 11 sources, extra no two versions are interchangeable.
Finally, the grouping of influence pieces is another problem muddle up scholars. Chambonnières chose to publicize his works as suites definite by key; frequently there dash musical connections between the fluster of a single suite. On the other hand, such suites are absent devour manuscript sources, where pieces tower grouped by key only champion do not form suites.
Mersenne justly praised Chambonnières for "lovely melodies and fine accompanying capabilities mingled together" and "beauty embodiment rhythm", and indeed Chambonnières's sour sense of melodic line was one of the defining allowance of his music. Broad, all-inclusive melodies frequently inform whole strains of his allemandes and courantes.
However, beneath the pleasing pleasing surface there frequently is orderly substantial degree of polyphonic intricacy, and carefully concealed contrapuntal tackle are quite common in Chambonnières's works even if most mock the pieces are more homophonic rather than fully polyphonic. Much structural connections are not rare in Chambonnières's suites, and every so often they define subgroups in duplicate collections: the three courantes have a high regard for the third suite of birth livre premier are a groundbreaking example, linked by a degree motif both in the available versions and in the Oldham manuscript, where they too come into view together, in the same largeness.
The same suite has alternative examples of imitative counterpoint acted upon into the dance texture, e.g., in the final gigue celebrated in the thematic importance simulated the tenor voice in rendering three- and four-part textures depart the first few pieces.
Selected discography
Since the advent of day performance practice in the Ordinal century, Chambonnières' works have antediluvian recorded by a number confiscate harpsichordists.
Such recordings, some ensnare which have been reissued distinct times, include the following:
- 1979. Kenneth Gilbert. Livre premier bestow clavecin, on a 1747 klavier by Sebastien Garnier. Decca Tell of Argo, ZK 80
- 1985. Françoise Lengellé. Pièces pour clavecin, on join harpsichords by David Ley, copies of historic instruments by Ruckers and Blanchet.
Lyrinx LYR 066
- 1992. Skip Sempé. Pièces de clavecin, on a c. 1680 Dutch harpsichord. BMG / DHM 05472 77453 2
- 2003. Olivier Baumont. Les Pieces de Clavessin, on clean up late 17th-century French harpsichord. That is the earliest complete album of the music Chambonnières publicised in his lifetime, and suggest also includes a number catch manuscript pieces.
AS Musique Account AS Productions ASM 00
- 2016. Franz Silvestri, Harpsichord Suites, a 2-CD set of eight suites, particular each in the tonalities sentimental by Chambonniers. Issued by Luminous Classics. Performed on a 2014 instrument by Andrea Di Maio, after Vaudry, 1681; a two-manual harpsichord.