Jean joseph mouret biography of rory
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He moved to Paris around 1707 and became Surintendant de la musiqueat the court of Sceaux in 1708 or 1709. Jean-Joseph Mouret is the 1,217th most popular composer (down from 1,161st in 2024), the 4,601st most popular biography from France (down from 4,433rd in 2019) and the 159th most popular French Composer.
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Among COMPOSERS
Among composers, Jean-Joseph Mouret ranks 1,217 out of 1,451.
[8][5] The family's resources facilitated this local exposure, allowing Mouret to develop without immediate financial pressures, though specifics on teachers or curriculum are undocumented in early biographies. He quickly transitioned to the patronage of Anne, Duchess of Maine, granddaughter of Louis XIV, whose court at the Château de Sceaux served as a vibrant alternative to Versailles during the final years of the Sun King's reign.[11] This influential sponsorship, which began shortly after his move to the capital, elevated Mouret's status from a provincial musician to a key figure in elite musical circles, providing him with resources and visibility essential for his professional development.[12] The Duchess, known for her passion for the arts and her insomnia-inspired entertainments, recognized Mouret's talent and genial personality, appointing him Surintendant de la musique at Sceaux by 1708 or 1709, where he oversaw musical programming and performances for her household.[11][12]Under this patronage, Mouret produced several early works tailored to the Sceaux court's lavish divertissements, including cantatas and instrumental pieces that blended French grandeur with lighter Italian influences.[11] His contributions peaked during the Grandes nuits de Sceaux, a series of sixteen bi-weekly festivals from April 1714 to May 1715, organized by the Duchess's circle to combat her sleeplessness and featuring themed evenings of poetry, theater, and music.[11] As Surintendant, Mouret directed these events and composed intermèdes and divertissements, such as six French cantatas including Le Triomphe de Bacchus, which incorporated pastoral and mythological themes with violin solos and continuo accompaniment to enhance the festive atmosphere.[11] Notably, his intermèdes for the 1714–1715 season, including those in Les Amours de Ragonde premiered at Sceaux in December 1714, introduced comedic elements like humorous dialogues and rustic characters, marking a departure from the solemn, heroic conventions of Lully's tragédie lyrique and paving the way for more accessible opéra-comique forms.[12][13]By 1714, Mouret's Sceaux successes had solidified his growing reputation within Parisian musical society, bridging the insular world of courtpatronage with emerging public venues.[11] His appointment as chef d'orchestre at the Paris Opéra that year, alongside his ongoing role at Sceaux, positioned him as a prominent composer capable of appealing to both aristocratic audiences and the broader theatrical public, evidenced by the premiere of Les Fêtes, ou Le Triomphe de Thalie at the Opéra in August 1714.[12] This dual footing underscored his breakthrough, as his innovative style—infusing operas with wit and melody—gained acclaim for revitalizing French dramatic music amid shifting Regency tastes.[11]
Key Directorships and Performances
In 1714, Jean-Joseph Mouret was appointed director of the orchestra at the Paris Opéra, a position he held until 1718, during which he oversaw musical productions and contributed to innovations in staging, such as those seen in his opera-ballet Les Fêtes, ou Le Triomphe de Thalie, premiered on August 14, 1714.[8][14] This work, with its libretto by Joseph de La Font, featured four entrées blending music, dance, and drama to celebrate the arts, depicting the defeat of the Muse of Tragedy by the Muse of Comedy, which initially caused a scandal leading to the subtitle's removal but succeeded through its melodic richness and choreographic elements.[14][15]From 1717 to 1737, Mouret served as composer-director at the Nouveau Théâtre Italien, where he composed and led music for at least 140 performances, producing divertissements that accompanied Italian-influenced comedies and ballets, including airs, symphonies, and Italian-style arias compiled in a six-volume collection.[8][14] These efforts promoted a fusion of French and Italian theatrical styles, enhancing the troupe's repertoire under the leadership of Luigi Riccoboni.[14]Mouret directed the Concert Spirituel from 1728 to 1734, curating programs that mixed sacred motets, cantatas, and cantatilles with secular instrumental pieces for public audiences at the Salle des Suisses in the Tuileries.[8] In this role, he premiered many of his own vocal works, balancing religious themes with accessible entertainment to broaden the series' appeal amid financial challenges.[8]Notable among Mouret's performance involvements were revisions to his works for repeated stagings, such as the 1718 update to Les Fêtes, ou Le Triomphe de Thalie, which added a new entrée titled "Le Triomphe de Thalie" to expand its theatrical scope and sustain popularity at the Opéra.[14] These adaptations, along with his broader directorial innovations, advanced the opera-ballet genre by emphasizing integrated music, dance, and narrative in French institutions.[14]Personal Life
Marriage and Family
Jean-Joseph Mouret married Madeleine Prompt de Saint-Marc on 23 October 1711 in Versailles.[16] His wife was the daughter of Jacques Prompt de Saint-Mars, surintendant des finances of the château, thereby connecting Mouret to prominent court and artistic circles.[17] This union occurred during a period of professional stability that supported his personal commitments.[16]The couple had a son, Louis François (died 1713), and one daughter, Louise Françoise, born on 21 October 1722 in Paris.[4]Mouret and his family resided in Paris at the Place du Palais Royal, near the Café La Régence, a hub of intellectual and artistic activity.[4] This urban setting likely offered practical support during the height of his career, facilitating his integration into Parisian cultural life.While Mouret's domestic circumstances exerted limited direct influence on his musical output, they provide insight into the work-life equilibrium faced by 18th-century French composers navigating court patronage and city-based opportunities.[4]Decline and Final Years
By the early 1730s, Mouret's professional standing began to erode amid shifting musical preferences in France, where Italian influences and lighter genres increasingly overshadowed the FrenchBaroque style he championed.These works reflect Mouret's versatility in composing accessible yet elegant music for intimate settings.Mouret's vocal output centers on sacred motets and pieces composed for the Concert Spirituel, emphasizing grand yet intimate expressions of faith in the Baroque style. The first suite, renowned for its Masterpiece Theatretheme, is entitled "Fanfare for trumpets, timpani, violins, and oboes" and dedicated to the son of the Duchess of Maine, the Prince of Dombes.
Louise Roussel. Similarly, Pirithoüs (1723), another tragédie in five acts with libretto by Roy, premiered on January 26, 1723, at the Opéra, featuring mythological intrigue among gods and heroes, where Mouret's orchestration enhanced dramatic tension via dynamic choruses and dance interludes.Mouret's later works further advanced the ballet héroïque subgenre, combining heroic spectacle with sensual and allegorical elements.
These efforts, alongside catalogs from labels like Naxos and Chandos listed on Presto Music, indicate sustained academic engagement, particularly in the 2000s, aimed at reviving lesser-known instrumental and sacred pieces.[32]Despite these developments, significant gaps persist in the modern coverage of Mouret's oeuvre, with lesser-known operas and dramatic works receiving far less attention than those of his more canonized peers.
This dramatic conceit resulted in a succès de scandale, obliging La Font to immediately prepare a revised opening entitled "La critique des fêtes de Thalie" (presented on 9 October).
Jean-Joseph Mouret
COMPOSER
1682 - 1738
Jean-Joseph Mouret
Jean-Joseph Mouret (11 April 1682 in Avignon, Papal States – 10 December 1738 in Charenton-le-Pont) was a French composer whose dramatic works made him one of the leading exponents of Baroque music in his country.
Notable releases include chamber and orchestral interpretations of his suites, such as the 2009 recording of the Première Suite by André Bernard and Jean-Louis Gil, which emphasizes the composer's idiomatic dance rhythms.[31] Vocal works like motets have also seen editions and recordings, with modern scores available through platforms like IMSLP, including a 2018 arrangement of the Fanfares et Simphonies by Michel Rondeau that facilitates contemporary performances.
After him is James Gibbs. As a youth, Mouret proved himself a talented singer while also earning success for his compositions.
Around the age of twenty-five, Mouret settled in Paris. He contributed to the emergence of the distinctively French genres of lyric tragedyand opera-balletbut his jealousy of the rising star of Jean-Philippe Rameauled to the bitterness and madness in which he ended his days:
- Les fêtes de Thalieopera-ballet for the Paris Opéra, (1714)
- Le mariage de Ragonde et de Colinfor Sceaux, (1714) (1742 version: Les amours de Ragonde)
- Ariane(1717)
- PirithoüsParis Opéra, (1723)
- Les amours des dieuxParis Opéra, (1727)
- Le triomphe des sens(1732)
- Les grâces héroïques(1733)
- Le temple de GnideParis Opéra (1741).
Mouret also wrote airs, divertissements, cantatilles, motets, and instrumental works (sonatas, fanfares).
At Sceaux he produced operas and was in charge of the sixteen bi-weekly Grandes nuitsin the season of 1714–1715, for which he produced interimèdesand allegorical cantatas in the court masquetradition, and other music, in the company of the most favoured musicians, for the most select audience in France.
His opéra-balletLes fêtes, ou Le triomphe de Thalie["Festivities, or The Triumph of Thalia"] with a libretto by Joseph de La Fontwas presented at the Opéraon 19 August 1714.
These motets employ polyphonic techniques and symphonic interludes, tailored for soloists at public sacred concerts, showcasing Mouret's skill in blending vocal lines with orchestral support.
Legacy
Historical Significance
Jean-Joseph Mouret played a pivotal role in the evolution of French Baroque opera by facilitating the shift from the solemn tragédie lyrique established by Jean-Baptiste Lully toward more accessible and humorous forms, thereby broadening the genre's appeal beyond aristocratic audiences.Following closely, Les grâces héroïques (1735), a ballet in three acts with libretto by Roy, premiered on May 5, 1735, at the Opéra, celebrating grace and heroism via intertwined dances and duets that emphasized fluid transitions between recitative and ballet. His divertissements, issued in multiple collections around 1730 through self-publishing efforts, offer instrumental divertimentos suitable for social or theatrical interludes, often featuring varied movements for small ensembles.
The location of his grave is unknown.
Works
Mouret composed mainly for the stage. [1] Details of his formal training remain sparse, but he is believed to have apprenticed or studied at the choir school of Notre-Dame des Doms, the cathedral in Avignon, where he likely acquired foundational skills in violin playing and basic composition amid the region's ecclesiastical musical traditions; he left the Maîtrise d’Avignon in 1701 at age 19.
Contemporary reception underscored his prominence; Les fêtes de Thalie enjoyed widespread popularity throughout the 18th century, with revivals and adaptations highlighting its enduring appeal as a lively counterpoint to more austere works.[27][28]
Modern Reception
Mouret's Fanfare-Rondeau from the Première Suite de Symphonies (1729) has achieved enduring popularity in the 20th and 21st centuries, most notably as the signature theme for PBS's Masterpiece Theatre (later Masterpiece) since its premiere in 1971.[29] The piece, originally composed for brass, strings, and timpani, was selected for its elegant and ceremonial character, introducing British dramas to American audiences and becoming synonymous with the program over decades.[29] Beyond television, the Fanfare-Rondeau serves as a common processional for weddings, valued for its joyful fanfare and Baroque grandeur in both orchestral and chamber arrangements.[30]Full performances of Mouret's operas remain rare in modern times, with revivals confined to specialized Baroque ensembles and festivals.The Motets à une et deux voix avec symphonie, published posthumously in 1742, include ten settings of Latin texts from psalms, canticles, and scripture, such as "Regina caeli laetare" and "Venite exultemus Domino," scored for one or two solo voices with accompanying flutes, violins, and continuo.
Works like Les amours de Ragonde (originally Le mariage de Ragonde et de Colin, 1714; revised 1742) exemplified this hybrid by incorporating rustic comedy, spoken dialogue, and popular airs, serving as a key precursor to the opéra comique and directly impacting Jean-Philippe Rameau's later comic operas, such as Platée (1745).