LEDUC, Simon (1742-1777) - Symphonie en Re a huit parties

Simon Leduc (1742-1777) - Symphonie en Re a huit parties

Performers: Orchestre de Chambre Louis de Fromеnt; Louis de Fromеnt (1921-1994, conductor)

Drawing: Anoniem - Gezicht op het Palais Royal te Parijs

Further info: Simon Leduc (1742-1777) - Symphonie No.1 en ré majeur

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Simon Leduc [Le Duc]

(Paris, 15 January 1742 - Paris, 1777)

French violinist and composer, also called l’aîné. Brother of the violinist Pierre Leduc (1755-1826), he received lessons in Paris from Pierre Gaviniès. In 1759 he was a second violin at the Concerts spirituels and made his début as soloist in 1763. From then, he was one of the first violins in the Concert Spirituel orchestra, and he continued to appear as an orchestral player and soloist until his death. In 1773 LeDuc, Pierre Gaviniés, and François-Joseph Gossec became directors of the Concerts; LeDuc held the position until his death. He was a close friend with Joseph Boulogne, le Chevalier de Saint-Georges and taught his brother Pierre LeDuc. His music style is characterized by a sense of drama in the abrupt contrasts between sections of each movement. The writing is skilful and idiomatic, particularly for the violin; the harmonies are inventive, expressive, and often unusually chromatic. His output consists of three violin concertos, three sinfonia concertantes, three symphonies, eight trios, 12 duos, seven sonatas, five divertimentos, and a solo violin sonata. 

LEDUC, Simon (1742-1777) - Symphonie No.1 en ré majeur

Simon Leduc (1742-1777) - Symphonie No.1 en ré majeur (published 1779)

Performers: Orchestra de Chambre de Versailles; Bernard Wahl (conductor) 

Painting: Jean-François Janinet (1752-1814) - Projet d'un monument a ériger pour le roi (1790)

Further info: Simon Leduc (1742-1777)

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Simon Leduc [Le Duc] (Paris, 15 January 1742 - Paris, 1777)

French violinist, composer and publisher. Brother of the violinist Pierre Leduc (1755-1826), he received lessons from Pierre Gaviniès (1728-1800). He was a second violinist in the Concert Spirituel orchestra in 1759 and made his début as soloist in 1763. In 1763 he was one of the first violins in the Concert Spirituel orchestra, and he continued to appear as an orchestral player and soloist until his death. He earned consistently favourable reviews in the Parisian press and received an understated compliment in Leopold Mozart's travel diary of 1763-4: ‘He plays well’. Despite his success, however, Leduc decided to devote the greater part of his efforts to pursuits other than virtuoso performance. He took great care in teaching his brother Pierre, whom he apparently considered a greater violinist than himself. He composed exceptionally fine orchestral and chamber music, publishing some of it under a privilege granted on 17 March 1768, retroactive from 16 December 1767. (Simon never published any works but his own, the general privilege of 1 September 1767 notwithstanding; it was Pierre who undertook to develop a fully-fledged publishing business.). In 1773 Leduc assumed the directorship of the Concert Spirituel with Gaviniès and Gossec, and soon earned the applause of the press for a noticeable improvement in the quality of these concerts. He was clearly a well-loved director; shortly after his death, the orchestra, trying to prepare one of his symphonies for a forthcoming performance, was collectively so overcome with grief that the rehearsal had to be suspended. His friends paid tribute to his memory in a religious service on 22 March 1777, at which Gossec's Messe des morts was performed. Leduc's compositions, exclusively instrumental, compare favourably with those of any other young composer of his time. The writing is skilful and idiomatic, particularly for the violin; the harmonies are inventive, expressive, and often unusually chromatic. Painstakingly notated nuances, frequent dynamic contrasts and expressive harmonic progressions contribute to a style which has been called a ‘French Storm and Stress’.

LE DUC, Simon (1742-1777) - Symphonies Nos.1 & 2

Temple antic en una muntanya vora de Cefalu, obra de Jean Pierre Houel, pintor francès coetani de Simon Le Duc

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Simon Le Duc (1742-1777) compositor i violinista francès nascut a París. Realment poc coneixem d'aquest artista francès que amb 17 anys va entrar a formar part de la orquestra del Concert Espiritual com a violinista. Conegut en els ambients musicals del seu temps, va ser admirat, relativament cal dir-ho, per a un Leopold Mozart molt proper en l'estil i les formes musicals de Le Duc. Repassant el global de compositors dels quals n'he parlat al bloc, m'adono que l'escola francesa ha estat ignorada de forma totalment injustificada, greuge que pretenc resoldre els propers dies presentant autors del país veí que van il·luminar, una mica més, el procés revolucionari tant determinant a nivell polític, filosòfic i social de l'Europa del XVIII. Le Duc és un d'aquells autors desconeguts fins i tot dins del seu país. Responsable d'una sèrie de 3 simfonies, són testimoni d'un estil molt "Mannhenià", és a dir, molt proper a l'escola de música més famosa del segle XVIII. Entenem el per què en el seu dia L. Mozart en va parlar d'aquest violinista, ja que realment la música d'ambdós guarda paral·lelismes prou evidents. Així mateix, la poca obra que podem gaudir d'ell té molt a veure amb la curta vida, amb 35 anys va morir, deixant vacant el càrrec de director de l'orquestra que el va veure créixer com a violinista. Doncs bé, encara amb la commoció musical de Bach i les seves genialitats, avui recuperaré unes obres sense pretensions més enllà del gaudir d'un bon dilluns, amb música pròpiament clàssica en el seu caràcter i prou elegant per a començar una setmana que ens anticipa, cada dia amb més vehemència, la proximitat de la primavera. Dues simfonies, la número 1 en Re major i la número 2 en Re major. Rendim honor i glòria a aquest autor francès desconegut però molt estimat pels seus contemporanis els quals el dia de la seva mort el ploraven desconsolats tot interpretant pòstumament les seves simfonies. Que la seva música ens il·lumini el dia i que la seva llum ens il·lustri amb la força del raonament per a no caure en el desànim!

Brillantment interpretades per La Stagione Frankfurt sota la batuta de Michael Schneider.

Gaudiu i compartiu!

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Font: (on trobareu informació addicional així com dels discs on podeu trobar aquesta obra):

BIOGRAFIA: Simon Le Duc (Paris, 15 January 1742 - 22 January 1777)

LAQUINTADEMAHLER: Duc: Symphonic Works (Complete)

IMSLP: Simon Le Duc (1742-1777)

CPDL: No disponible

SPOTIFY: Simon Le Duc – Duc: Symphonic Works (Complete)



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