Henri Du Mont (1610-1684)
- Benedic anima mea des 'Motets pour la chapelle du Roy, mis en musique'
Performers: Capella Du Mont Chamber Choir; Savaria Baroque Orchestra; Laszlo Gesztesi-Toth (conductor)
Painting: Jean Lemaire (1598-1659) - Ruinas
Further info: Henri Du Mont - Benedic anima mea
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French composer and organist. On 14 June 1621, Henry Du Mont and his
brother Lambert entered the choir school of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk in
Maastricht and continued through the Jesuit college. Henry became
organist of the church there in 1629. In Paris, on 4 April 1643, he
signed a contract to be organist at the church of St. Paul. He took
French nationality in 1647. In 1652, he published his first volume of
motets and became the harpsichordist to the Duke of Anjou, brother of
King Louis XIV. In July 1660, he was appointed organist to the queen,
then as sous-maître of the Chapelle Royale in July 1664, for one quarter
of the year under the court system, then for half the year in 1668.
Thereafter, he continued to acquire appointments and benefices, all the
while continuing at St. Paul and making frequent trips to Maastricht. He
retired in Paris in 1683. The dominant figure in sacred music in
mid-17th-century Paris, he published 114 petits motets between 1652 and
1681 and also composed 26 grands motets, as well as 37 French psalm
settings. His most remarkable and often performed sacred music is the
collection of five original plainchant masses, an early effort at
restoring what was considered a corrupt tradition. His secular music
includes 21 songs, 5 symphonies, and a few dance movements for ensemble.
As a professional organist, he must have composed or improvised a
significant body of organ music, but very little survives.
