Pierre van Maldere (1729-1768)
- Sinfonia (ex B) a più strumenti, Op.4 (1764)
Performers: Orchestra Libera Classica
Further info: Pierre van Maldere (1729-1768)
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Flemish violinist and composer. He may have received his earliest
teaching from J.-J. Fiocco, director of music at the royal chapel, and
from H.-J. de Croes, first violin. In 1746 he is listed among the chapel
musicians, on the back desk of the second violins; in 1749 he was
promoted to first violin when De Croes succeeded Fiocco as director of
music. In this period the chapel musicians were required to perform
whenever Prince Charles of Lorraine, Governor-General of the
Netherlands, had music at dinner or held a concert. The prince singled
out van Maldere and furthered his career. While maintaining his salary,
he authorized his ‘first violin’ to present himself at Dublin; van
Maldere stayed there from 1751 to 1753 and conducted the ‘Philarmonick
Concerts’ over two seasons. On 15 August 1754 he played in the Paris
Concert Spirituel, where the precision of his bowing was remarked upon.
By this time, van Maldere had impressed Prince Charles of Lorraine by
his talent and charm; the prince appointed him director of his concerts,
and never again parted company with him. As the prince's sister-in-law,
the Empress Maria Theresia, recognized van Maldere's talents and
diplomacy, he became known among the aristocracy. In July 1756 his first
opéra comique, Le déguisement pastoral, was performed in Vienna, at
Schönbrunn. Shortly afterwards the Seven Years War broke out and this
kept the prince and van Maldere in Austria and Bohemia until 1758. On 5
November 1758 Les amours champêtres, another opéra comique, was
performed at Schönbrunn. The next day Charles of Lorraine returned to
the Netherlands, and he demonstrated his personal attachment to van
Maldere by appointing him ‘valet de chambre’. Van Maldere resigned his
position as ‘premier violon’ in favour of his elder brother Guillaume,
while his younger brother Jean-Baptiste took a post as a second violin.
Pierre continued his itinerant career in the prince's entourage,
accompanying him on all his travels, in Austria and to Paris, Mariemont
and Tervuren. He also continued to compose numerous symphonies. As peace
approached, however, he began to think of settling, and in 1762 he
obtained a seven-year contract as director of the Brussels Grand
Théâtre; there he conducted, and was in charge of choosing the
repertory: tragedies and comedies of the French theatre, as well as
opéras comiques which he had composed (La bagarre), arranged (Les soeurs
rivales) or written in collaboration (Le soldat par amour). Overwhelmed
by work and by financial worries, he eventually resigned in 1767. The
benevolent Charles of Lorraine tried to save him by entrusting to him
the education of a young and talented violinist, but van Maldere died
the following year.
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