Eighteenth Century French Composers, Vol. XIII

By Daniel Zimmermann

This e-book treats the lives and works of eighteenth century French composers born before the year 1700: Nicolas Lebègue, Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe, André Raison, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Pierre Tabart, Guillaume Poitevin, Jacques Boyvin, Pascal Collasse, Guillaume Minoret, Nicolas Goupillet, Jean Baptiste François Lallouette, Sébastien de Brossard, Michel Richard Delalande, André Campra, Henri Desmarets, Nicolas Siret, Joseph Valette de Montigny, Jean-Fery Rebel, François Rebel, Michel Pignolet de Montéclair, François Couperin, Louis Marchand, Louis de Caix d’Hervelois, Pierre Dumage, Jacques-Martin Hotteterre, Louis-Antoine Dornel, Jean-Baptiste Stuck, Jean-Philippe Rameau, François Bouvard, François d’Agincourt, Jean Baptiste Senaillé, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. Jacques Aubert le Vieux, Louis Aubert, Jacques-Christophe Naudot, François Colin de Blamont, Pierre-Gabriel Buffardin, Laurent Belissen, Louis-Claude Daquin, Pierre-Claude Foucquet, Guillaume-Antoine Calvière, Esprit Antoine Blanchard, Pierre Février, Jean-Marie Leclair l’aîné, Jean-Marie Leclair le cadet, François Francœur, Louis-Joseph Francœur, Jean-Baptiste Forqueray, Philippe Courbois, and Charles Dollé.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daniel Zimmermann
• Release date: Apr 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005598907

Daniel Zimmermann

Daniel Zimmermann was born in Merrill, Wisconsin, and grew up in Hustisford, Wisconsin. He was graduated as valedictorian from Northwestern College, Watertown, Wisconsin. His valedictory concerned the ancient philosopher Plotinus. Special honors were third place in an Eta Sigma Phi Greek composition contest and the Doctor Ott award. He was also graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. After serving as pastor for several years, he became a free lance writer. Because of the outstanding success of his Spanish poetry in Mexico, his biography was included in Who's Who in the Midwest. He is also a former member of American Mensa. He is married to Merian, nee Ecot. The couple is residing in the Philippines. Daniel Zimmermann is the author of short stories and poetry. He also writes non-fiction, especially on literature, history, Christianity, and botany.

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Eighteenth Century French Composers, Vol. XIII

By Daniel Zimmermann

Copyright by Daniel Zimmermann

Chapter One

Composers Born before 1675

Nicolas Lebègue (c.1631-1702)

Nicolas was born in Laon, but he moved to Paris when he became an adult. Paris was his home for the rest of his life.

He worked as organist in the Church of Saint-Merri from 1664 till the day of his death.

In 1678 Joseph Chabanceau de la Barre, the organist of the Chapelle Royale, passed away. The king decided to replace him with four different organists, each of which would function for three months each year. Nicolas was one of the four organists chosen. The other three were Jacques Thomelin, Jean-Baptiste Buterne, and Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers. At least at first, his trimester was October, November, and December.

He published three books of his organ compositions and two books of his harpsichord compositions. In addition, he wrote other keyboard works that did not get published during his lifetime.

Other surviving works are some motets and a hymn.

Among the many online recordings of Lebègue’s compositions is an organ work entitled Puer nobis nascitur. It is Christmas music.

Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers (c.1632-1714)

We have already met Nivers, one of the four organistes du roy in the Chapelle Royale.

Early in life he became organist of the Église Saint-Sulpice in Paris. In 1681 he became maître de musique to the queen. Six years later he was in charge of music in an institute for impoverished young ladies at Saint-Cyr-l’École about seven kilometers from Versailles.

For this convent school, he composed the following works: Cantique sur la conformité à la volonté de Dieu and Opéra de la vertu. From these titles, it is evident that Nivers was encouraging the young ladies to behave themselves.

For their edification, he also composed such works as Offices divins à l’usage des dames et demoiselles établies par sa majesté à Saint-Cyr.

Of course, he wrote sacred music for other purposes also. For example, he composed some chants for use at Saint-Sulpice.

He composed three books of organ music, the second of which contained a mass and some hymns. The hymns concern the birth of Christ, His death and resurrection, His ascension into heaven, and the day of Pentecost.

In the other two books of organ music, he employed all the old church modes: Dorian, Hypodorian, Phrygian, Hypophrygian, Lydian, Hypolydian, Myxolydian, and Hypomyxolydian.

He also wrote theoretical treatises on music.

Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe (c.1640-1700)

Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe was accustomed to play the bass viol in the salons of Paris, sometimes with his daughters or with his students.

His most outstanding student was Marin Marais, whom we shall meet below.

His extant works include many pieces in which a seven-string viol serves as a solo instrument and various Concerts à deux violes esgales. Several of the latter may be heard online.

André Raison (c.1640-1719)

As a boy, Raison studied at a school connected with the Nanterre cathedral. Nanterre was a locality near Paris at that time. Now, I believe, it has become a Parisian suburb.

As a young man, he served as organist at the royal abbey of Ste. Genevieve in Paris. Much later, he played at the church of the Grand couvent des Jacobins, also in Paris.

He also taught several students, including Louis-Nicolas Clérambault.

Online is his Messe du 3° Ton. There are also separate recordings of his Trio en Passecaille, which is actually a selection from this mass.

This is one of the five masses presented in his Premier livre d’orgue. In spite of its title, there is plenty of vocal music in this work. Nevertheless, the organ plays an important role in the masses, and Raison also offers instructions on organ playing in the preface of this book.

His Deuxième livre d’orgue was published at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession and celebrated