Jean-Nicolas Geoffroy (1633-1694)
- Suite en Fa majeur des
'Livre des pieces de clavessin de tous les tons naturels et transposéz'
Performers: Aurelien Delage (clavecin)
Further info: Livre des piéces de clavessin
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French composer, organist and writer. Almost nothing is known about his
life before 1690. The only reliable information about him is given on
the title-page of his harpsichord book and in a few archival documents
at Perpignan. He is generally believed to have been a pupil of the
composer and organist Nicolas Lebègue. He served as the titular organist
of the church of Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet in Paris, likely holding
this prestigious position until around 1690. At some point then he moved
from Paris to the southern city of Perpignan where he became the
organist at the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste in a post he held until
his death. The reason for his departure from a prominent Parisian post
for the provincial city of Perpignan is unknown, especially considering
the prestige of his previous position. His surviving music, though
limited in volume, is highly regarded for its systematic and
harmonically progressive nature. A single collection of his harpsichord
pieces survives in manuscript form, titled 'Livre des pièces de clavecin
de tous les tons naturels et transposéz'. This collection contains 255
pieces and is considered, alongside the works of François Couperin and
Jean-François Dandrieu, one of the most important contributions to
French Baroque harpsichord music. According to some scholars, it is the
largest collection of 17th-century French harpsichord music. The
collection is unique for European music of the late 17th century because
the pieces are systematically organized, exploring all major and minor
keys. His music is noted for its extreme chromaticism and striking
exploration of the expressive possibilities of harmonic variation.
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