FRANCOEUR, François (1698-1787) - Simphonie (Suite) in D (1773)

François Francoeur (1698-1787) - Simphonie (Suite) in D (1773)

Performers: La symphonie du Mаrаis; Hugo Rеynе (conductor)

Painting: Anonyme - Le Roman des chevaliers de la gloire, grand carrousel donné du 5 au 7 avril 1612

Further info: François Francoeur (1698-1787) - Simphonie (Suite) in F (1773)

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François Francoeur [le cadet]

(Paris, 21 September 1698 - Paris, 5 August 1787)

French composer and violinist, son of Joseph Francoeur (c.1662-1741). A violin pupil of his father, he began his long association with the Paris Opéra at the age of 12 as a dessus de violon in the Grand Choeur; shortly afterwards he became a member of the Musique de la Chambre du Roi. After touring Europe as a musician, he returned to Paris as a member of the Concert Spirituel. In 1730 he was appointed to the 24 violons du roy and 'maître de musique' to the Opera in 1739. In 1744, he and François Rebel, his lifelong colleague and friend, were appointed 'inspecteurs musicaux' of the Paris Opéra becoming responsible of its management in 1757. Rebel and Francœur faced numerous challenges in their joint roles, including a large deficit, personnel problems, lack of discipline and the controversy surrounding the Querelle des Bouffons, culminating in the destruction by fire of the Opéra on 6 April 1763. King Louis XV appointed him as his Music Master in 1760, ennobling Rebel in the same year and Francœur himself in May 1764. Disaster struck when the Paris Opéra was consumed in flames on 6 April 1763, and the two directors were forced to resign in 1767 in its aftermath. However, Louis XV asked Rebel to return to the Opéra as Administrateur général in 1772, a position he held until shortly before his death three years later. 

FRANCOEUR, François (1698-1787) - Simphonie (Suite) in F (1773)

François Francoeur (1698-1787) - Simphonie (Suite) in F (1773)

Performers: La symphonie du Marais

Painting: Martin van Meytens (1695-1770) - Family Group

Further info: François Francoeur (1698-1787) - Le Trophee Suite

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François Francoeur [le cadet]

(Paris, 21 September 1698 - Paris, 5 August 1787)

French composer and violinist, son of Joseph Francoeur (c.1662-1741). A violin pupil of his father, he began his long association with the Paris Opéra at the age of 12 as a dessus de violon in the Grand Choeur; shortly afterwards he became a member of the Musique de la Chambre du Roi. The privilege he acquired on 22 August 1720 preceded the publication of his first set of violin sonatas in the same year. Also in that year, he took part in Lalande's ballet Les folies de Cardenio. In 1723 Francoeur and François Rebel left France in the retinue of General Bonneval, travelling to Vienna and Prague. Marpurg commented on the importance of his exposure to the operatic music of those two centres to the composer’s later development: ‘The arias of his composition clearly indicate that their composer had ventured beyond the borders of France’ (Historisch-kritische Beyträge, i/3, p.237). In 1726 the professional collaboration between Francoeur and Rebel, to last about 45 years, began in earnest with the production of Pyrame et Thisbé, the first of many such joint creations. So close was their association that it is virtually impossible to differentiate the two men's contributions; it is no wonder that the public regarded them as one dual personality. They remained inseparable until Rebel's death in 1775, an event that greatly saddened Francoeur's last years. In 1727 Francoeur acquired the succession to the position of compositeur de la chambre du roi from Jean-François de la Porte, and in 1729 was admitted to the royal military orders of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Lazare of Jerusalem, honours rarely granted to a musician. 

In 1730 he replaced Senaillé in the 24 Violons du Roi, joining his father and brother. Among these successes two incidents occurred that were later to cause him problems: his ill-fated marriage to Elisabeth Adrienne le Roy (daughter of the playwright Adrienne Lecouvreur), which ended in an ugly legal struggle in 1746, and the Francoeur-Pélissier-du Lys scandal (discussed with zest by La Laurencie), which raised public resentment against Francoeur and may have accounted for the failure of Scanderberg in 1735. In February 1739 Francoeur was promoted to maître de musique at the Opéra, and on 15 August 1743 he became inspecteur général (musical director) with Rebel. On 27 February 1744 he was granted the succession to the seat of Collin de Blamont as surintendant de la musique de la chambre. A new stage in Francoeur's career began in the mid-1750s. In 1753 he retired from the Opéra on a pension and in 1756 freed himself from the duties of the Chambre du Roi. This left him free to tackle a far larger project with Rebel, the direction of the Opéra. On 13 March 1757 they were engaged with a 30-year contract, beginning 1 April 1757. From the beginning they were plagued with difficulties: a large deficit, personnel problems, lack of discipline, the controversy surrounding the Querelle des Bouffons, culminating in the destruction by fire of the Opéra on 6 April 1763. Public opinion rose against them and they were forced to resign as from 1 April 1767. But in May 1764, at the height of these problems, Louis XV raised Francoeur to the nobility in recognition of his loyal service. After leaving the Opéra in 1753 Francoeur retained his position as surintendant de la musique de la chambre until his retirement in 1776. Antoine Dauvergne, his successor, had described Francoeur in his Etat des personnes qui composent le comité de l'Opéra (1770) as ‘Homme honnête, plein d'intelligence, de zèle et d'activité’.

FRANCOEUR, François (1698-1787) - Le Trophee Suite

Obra de Louis Joseph Watteau (1731-1798), pintor francès (1)

- Recordatori de François Francoeur -

En el dia de la celebració del seu 317è aniversari de naixement

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Parlem de Pintura...

Louis Joseph Watteau (Valenciennes, 10 d'abril de 1731 - Lille, 17 d'agost de 1798) va ser un pintor francès. Conegut com el nom de Watteau de Lille, va ser un pintor francès actiu principalment a la ciutat de Lille. El seu pare Noël Joseph Watteau va ser el germà de Jean-Antoine Watteau, pintor de festes galants, i Louis Joseph fou, al seu torn, el pare del pintor François Watteau. Es va formar a París amb Jacques Dumont, i a l'Académie Royale, on el 1751 va ser guardonat amb el primer premi de pintura. El 1755 es va instal·lar a Lille on es va convertir en professor assistent a l'escola de dibuix, però en va ser acomiadat degut a la introducció de l'estudi del nu, com a París. Poc després va tornar a Valenciennes on hi va viure uns 15 anys. Pels vols de 1770 es va convertir en professor assistent de Louis-Jean Guéret, director de l'escola de dibuix a Lille, a qui va succeir en el càrrec el 1778. El 1795 va ser triat per elaborar un inventari de les obres d'art confiscades durant la Revolució Francesa de les fundacions religioses i de les cases dels emigrants, per tal d'establir el Museu de Belles Arts de Lille. Va morir en aquesta ciutat l'agost de 1798.

Font: En català: No disponible - En castellano: No disponible - In english: Louis Joseph Watteau (1731-1798) - Altres: Louis Joseph Watteau (1731-1798)

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Parlem de Música...

François Francoeur (Paris, 21 de setembre de 1698 - Paris, 5 d'agost de 1787) va ser un violinista i compositor francès. Fill de Joseph Francoeur (c.1662-1741), es va formar amb ell al violí abans d'entrar, amb només 12 anys, a l'Òpera de París com a dessus de violon del Grand Choeur. Poc després va entrar com a membre de la Musique de la Chambre du Roi. El 1720 va publicar la seva primera col·lecció de sonates per a violí. El 1726 va iniciar la col·laboració musical amb François Rebel amb qui publicaria de forma conjunt durant més de 45 anys, sent la seva primera col·laboració l'òpera Pyrame et Thisbé. Tant estreta fou la seva relació musical que la confusió de l'autoria d'obres d'un o altre és habitual. El 1727 va ser nomenat compositeur de la chambre du roi i el 1729 va ser admès a les ordres militars reials de Nostra Senyora del Mont Carmel i Sant Llàtzer de Jerusalem, honors poques vegades concedits a un músic. El 1730 va substituir a Senaillé a 24 Violons du Roi. El 1739 va ser nomenat maître de musique a l'Òpera i el 1743 en général inspecteur juntament amb Rebel. A partir del 1753 es va retirar de l'òpera i va abandonar el seu càrrec de músic de cambra del rei. Es va decidir a centrar-se en la composició d'òperes amb el seu col·lega Rebel. El març de 1757 va ser contractat durant més de 30 anys si bé va veure rescindit el contracte per el 1767 per disputes populars diverses. No obstant, i anys abans, el 1764 Lluís XV el va condecorar pel seu servei lleial. El 1776 es va jubilar i va ser substituït per Antoine Dauvergne. Va morir a París l'agost de 1787.

OBRA:

Vocal secular:

all published in Paris in year of composition
Pyrame et Thisbé (tragédie en musique, prol, 5, J.-L.-I. de La Serre, after Ovid), Paris, Opéra, 17 Oct 1726, collab. F. Rebel, F-Pn, Po*
Tarsis et Zélie (tragédie en musique, prol, 5, La Serre), Paris, Opéra, 15 Oct 1728, collab. F. Rebel, Pn*, Po (printed score with perf. annotations by Francoeur)
Scanderberg (tragédie en musique, prol, 5, A.H. de Lamotte and La Serre), Paris, Opéra, 27 Oct 1735, collab. F. Rebel, Pc (pts for Act 1 excerpt), Pn (1 autograph; 1 copy with annotations by Francoeur), Po (incl. autograph passages by Francoeur)
Le ballet de la Paix (ballet-héroïque, prol, 3, P.-C. Roy), Paris, Opéra, 29 May 1738, collab. F. Rebel, Pn*, Po (ov., prol; 2 sets of pts), pubd with 2 addl entrées (c1739)
Le retour du Roi à Paris, dialogue chanté devant Sa Majesté (divertissement, 1, Roy), Paris, Hôtel de Ville, 15 Nov 1744, collab. F. Rebel, Pc; rev. Versailles, 8 Sept 1745
Les Augustales (divertissement, 1, Roy), Paris, Opéra, 15 Nov 1744, collab. F. Rebel
Zélindor, roi des Sylphes (divertissement, 1, F.-A. P. de Moncrif), Versailles, 17 March 1745; with Le trophée (prol, Moncrif), Paris, Opéra, 10 Aug 1745, collab. F. Rebel, Pn (autograph with later revs.), Po
La Félicité (ballet-héroïque, prol, 3, Roy), Versailles, 17 March 1746, collab. F. Rebel, lib Po
Ismène (pastorale-héroïque, 1, Moncrif), Versailles, Petits Cabinets, 20 Dec 1747, Paris, 28 Aug 1750, collab. F. Rebel, Pc (pts), Pn (autograph with later revs.; printed score with perf. annotations), Po (1 score with autograph passages and revs. by Francoeur; 1 with pts)
Le Prince de Noisy (ballet-héroïque, 3, C.-A. LeClerc de la Bruère), Versailles, Petits Cabinets, 13 March 1749, Paris, 16 Sept 1760, collab. F. Rebel, Pn*, Po (incl. autograph passages by Francoeur)
Les génies tutélaires (divertissement, 1, Moncrif), Paris, Opéra, 21 Sept 1751, collab. F. Rebel, Po (pts)
Le temple de Mémoire (prol, M. Nonant), music lost
De profundis (motet), March 1752, ? music lost
Prol and intermèdes for Les fées (comédie, 3, F. Dancourt), Fontainebleau, 23 Oct 1753
2 intermèdes for Le magnifique (comédie, prol, 2, Lamotte), Fontainebleau, 15 Nov 1753
Rev. versions of Lully's Thésée, 1754; Proserpine, 1758, Pn (excerpts), Po; Amadis de Gaule, 1759, Po (printed score of 1684 with autograph perf. annotations by Rebel); Armide, 1761, Pn*, Po (pts); Persée, 1770, collab. B. de Bury and A. Dauvergne
Iphis et Iante (ballet-héroïque, 1, Roy), Fontainebleau, 26 Oct 1769 [music from Act 2 of Le ballet de la Paix]
Final duo to scene 7 of Dauvergne, La Tour enchantée (ballet-figuré, after N.-R. Joliveau), Versailles, 20 June 1770, music lost; scene 3 taken from Rameau
Les mélanges lyriques (ballet-héroïque), Paris, Opéra, 1773 [music arr. from Ismène and Zélindor]
Addns to Marais' Alcyone, and Rameau's Dardanus, Hippolyte et Aricie, Zaïs, Zoroastre, Pc, Po
Pièces arrangées par M. Francoeur, transcrs., Po

Instrumental:

[10] Sonates, vn, bc, livre 1er (Paris, 1720)
[12] Sonates, vn, bc, 2e livre (Paris, after 1720), no.12 also with vc/viol
Symphonies du Festin Royal de Mgr le Comte d'Artois, fanfares (Paris, 1773)
Recueil de différents airs de symphonies de M. Francoeur, F-Pc
Recueil de symphonies composées soit pour les opéras de ces auteurs [Francoeur and Rebel], soit pour les opéras d’autres auteurs, Pc
Airs propres, dulcimer, Pc
Pièces de trompettes copiées par Philidor, Pc

Font: En català: François Francoeur (1698-1787) - En castellano: François Francoeur (1698-1787) - In english: François Francoeur (1698-1787) - Altres: François Francoeur (1698-1787)

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Parlem en veu pròpia o en veu d'altri...

Rebel and Francoeur's divertissement Zélindor, roi des Sylphes does not seem to have been performed since the end of the 18th century and the performances by Opera Lafayette, on which this recording is based, were the work's modern première. Francoeur and Rebel met in their teens when they were both members of the Paris Opera orchestra. Their friendship and professional association lasted a lifetime and culminated in their joint directorship of the Opera from 1757. Along the way, they wrote a series of opera divertissements, all produced jointly. According to the 18th century musicologist Jean-Benjamin de Laborde, Rebel wrote the dramatic bits and Francoeur the lyrical ones. But when taxed, the composers said that their pieces were by both of them. And they do seem to have hit upon a consistency of approach. Listening to Zélindor or the suite from La Trophée on this disc, the music sounds uniform throughout. Judging by the photographs in the CD booklet, Opera Lafayette's performances were charmingly staged and it is a shame that a DVD could not have been produced as this is music that cries out for staging and for dance. The plot of Zélindor is slight. Zélindor (Jean-Paul Fouchecourt) is King of the Sylphs and is in love with a mortal, Zirphe (Heidi Grant Murphy). He needs to test her before finally agreeing to marry her. Along the way there are the usual dance episodes, attractive without showing any of the drama and invention of Rameau. The whole manages to stretch to some 50 minutes.

The work was first performed before King Louis XV in 1745 and went on to be popular at the Paris Opera. In 1753 Madame de Pompadour performed the role of Zélindor (suitably transposed up) in her private theatre at Versailles. It seems to have been a work popular for private performances. Voltaire's mistress, Madame du Chatelet, sang the role of Zirphe at performances put on by the Duchesse de Maine. Voltaire himself admired the libretto by Moncrif. The work is indeed charming and attractively melodic, but lacks the depths and the dramatic vividness that is found in the best of Lully and Rameau. Jean-Paul Fouchecourt is stylishly excellent in the title role. Heidi Grant Murphy charms as his lover Zirphe, though there were moments when her voice seemed to want to apply more vibrato than is needed. They are well supported by William Sharp and Ah Young Hong. The Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus are not Les Arts Florissants, but under Ryan Brown's direction they manage to find charm and crisp pungency in the music. Zélindor is accompanied by an attractive suite from La Trophée, another divertissement premièred the same year as Zélindor. The CD booklet contains the libretto in French and English, an informative essay and a selection of photographs from the Opera Lafayette production. This is a performance that successfully evokes the charm - and the shallowness - of Louis XV's Versailles.

Robert Hugill (source/font: aquí)

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Misconceptions surrounding the sources of the Francoeur-Rebel operas have given rise to persistent misattributions. Scores copied by professional scribes have been erroneously identified in the Paris Conservatoire catalogue (now in F-Pn) as autographs of François Francoeur, while François's own revisions are attributed to his nephew (4) Louis-Joseph Francoeur. Louis-Joseph, whose handwriting is easily distinguished from François's, did not revise his uncle's scores, though he did stamp his signature in them. Between 1777 and 1783 (i.e. after Rebel's death) François revised seven of their works, although there were no plans for further performances. With the help of professional scribes who wrote in the text, and other verbal material, he made changes in some existing manuscripts and produced several new manuscript ‘final editions’. All manuscripts involved in this process bear an autograph statement that ‘the score found here conforms to the intentions of the authors’, but do not represent versions of the operas that were actually performed. In the lyrical field Francoeur and Rebel remained devoted to the tradition of Lullian opera, even in their arrangements for revivals. Francoeur's style is more modern in his chamber music, however, which bears comparison with contemporary Italian sonatas.

GROVE MUSIC ONLINE (source/font: aquí)

Gaudiu i compartiu! 

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Informació addicional... 

INTÈRPRETS: The Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus; Ryan Brown (conductor)
NAXOS: FRANCOEUR, F.: Zelindor, Roi des Sylphes

IMSLP: François Francoeur (1698-1787)

CPDL: No disponible

SPOTIFY: FRANCOEUR, F.: Zelindor, Roi des Sylphes [Opera] / Le Trophee Suite

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