Michel Blavet (1700-1768) - Concerto (en la mineur) à 4 parties
Performers: Alexis Kοssеnkο (flute); Les Ambаssаdeurs
Further info: Michel Blavet (1700-1768) - Sonates
---
French flautist, teacher and composer. The son of Jean-Baptiste Blavet, a
turner, and Oudette Lyard, he was self-taught as a musician, mastering
both bassoon and flute. In 1718, he married Anne-Marguerite Ligier with
whom he had two daughters and two sons, both of whom became priests and
one of whom, Jean-Louis Blavet, was the author of five books and a
number of translations. In 1723, he settled in Paris under the
protection of Duke Charles-Eugene Levis. In 1726 he made his debut at
the Concert Spirituel, remaining as its most celebrated artist for some
25 years. On 1 October 1728 Louis XV granted to Blavet, ‘musicien
ordinaire de notre très cher cousin le prince de Carignan’, a privilège
général for six years to publish ‘plusieurs sonates pour la flûte
traversière’, and op.1 was issued immediately, dedicated to Carignan. By
1731 Blavet had transferred his allegiance to the Count of Clermont,
with whom he maintained ties for the rest of his life. He was
acknowledged throughout Europe as the foremost flute virtuoso of his
time and he was praised by composers such as Telemann, Marpurg or
Quantz. It is likely that many of Leclair’s nine flute sonatas and his
flute concerto were written for Blavet, for the two often performed
together. As a teacher, his most brilliant flute pupils were the
composer and publisher Pierre-Evard Taillart and the teacher and
composer Félix Rault, who succeeded Blavet at court, the Opéra and the
Concert Spirituel.
