Michel richard delalande biography of michael

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There are some essential music. The Ballet de la jeunesse, premiered on January 28, 1686, in the Salle de Comédie at the Grand Trianon in Versailles, exemplifies this genre as a divertissement blending comedy, dance, and instrumental music. By 1714, following the reconfiguration of duties amid the departures of his colleagues, Delalande had attained sole superintendency of the Chapel Royal's sacred music, granting him complete authority to compose, select, and direct all works performed there.[16]In 1689, Delalande was appointed master of the Musique de la Chambre du Roi, where he oversaw instrumental ensembles for secular court functions such as suppers and divertissements.

Just nominated for a district in 1683 in the chapel, he obtained the superintendency in the House in 1689.

michel richard delalande biography of michael

These techniques allowed voices to enter sequentially with motifs that overlapped and developed, fostering a sense of forward momentum and emotional depth without overwhelming the textual clarity central to French sacred music.[16]In orchestration, Delalande innovated by utilizing double-choir configurations paired with instrumental ensembles featuring strings, oboes, and thoroughbass continuo, which produced resonant, spatially vivid textures suited to the acoustics of the Royal Chapel.

Both followed their mother's path as sopranos in the royal chapel, performing under Louis XIV's patronage and participating in court musical events before their untimely deaths from smallpox in 1711.[20][1] Anne Rébel died in 1722, after which Delalande remarried the following year to Marie-Louise de Cury, another chapel singer who later oversaw the posthumous publication of his works.

That of being known Delalande. He was twenty-five years and is already the author of petits motets and certainly a dozen motets. Modern editions and recordings, such as those by the Boston Early Music Festival, have revived these works, underscoring their role in bridging Delalande's vocal style toward more theatrical expressions.[35][36]

Orchestral Works for Royal Events

Delalande's orchestral output for royal events primarily consisted of instrumental suites and divertissements tailored to the grandeur of the French court under Louis XIV.

His most renowned contribution in this realm is the collection known as Symphonies pour les soupers du roy, a series of orchestral pieces composed to accompany the king's evening meals at Versailles. These works, fewer in number compared to his sacred compositions, were created outside his primary duties at the Chapelle Royale and reflect the lighter, more intimate side of Baroquevocal music at Versailles.

He writes at least nineteen entertainment (clearly less important than its Lalande motets, they often come to us so fragmentary), often for a particular purpose. These efforts, alongside CMBV-supported editions, continue to address performance challenges like reconstructing lost parts from incomplete manuscripts.

Michel-Richard Lalande

French composer, organist, conductor and teacher
Date of Birth: 15.12.1657
Country: France

Content:
  1. Michel Richard Delalande: A Master of French Baroque Music
  2. Early Life and Musical Education
  3. Courtly Appointments and Royal Patronage
  4. Prolific Output
  5. Stylistic Evolution
  6. Operas and Ballets
  7. Death and Legacy

Michel Richard Delalande: A Master of French Baroque Music

Michel Richard Delalande, a renowned French composer, organist, conductor, and educator, emerged as a luminary during the reign of Louis XIV.

Contemporary to Jean-Baptiste Lully and François Couperin, he stood as the most celebrated exponent of the Versailles Academy.

Early Life and Musical Education

Born in Paris in 1657, Delalande's musical journey commenced at an early age. It will be the first representation of Spiritual concert repertoire until the end of the eighteenth century.

He exhibited remarkable versatility, composing sacred and secular works with equal proficiency.

Stylistic Evolution

Delalande's early compositions adhered strictly to the French Baroque style. Unlike the grand scale of his motets, these cantatas were designed for chamber settings, such as the Appartements concerts in the palace, emphasizing elegance and brevity over elaborate polyphony.[33]Two notable examples from 1683 illustrate this genre in Delalande's early career.

In 1683, he was appointed Superintendent of the Royal Chapel, and from 1704 onwards, he effectively led its operations.

Prolific Output

Delalande's musical legacy is vast, comprising over 80 motets, more than 20 ballets and divertissements, Christmas symphonies, and orchestral suites. His Te Deum (S.32, composed in the 1680s and revised in the 1720s) stands as a celebratory hymn of praise, frequently performed at royal victories or Te Deum masses, with later revisions enhancing clarity and orchestral balance for evolving performance practices.[31][32]These motets were tailored specifically for the liturgies of Versailles, where they served not only devotional purposes but also to project the monarchy's magnificence, with Delalande often revising earlier compositions in the 1720s to improve feasibility for the chapel's singers and instrumentalists amid changing musical tastes.[32][15] The works' adaptability allowed them to remain in the repertoire beyond Louis XIV's reign, underscoring their role in sustaining the French grand motet tradition.[25]

Secular Cantatas and Suites

Delalande's secular cantatas represent a modest yet significant portion of his oeuvre, composed primarily during the 1680s as occasional pieces for the French court's private entertainments.

He was organist at St. Jean de Greve in 1682, and Saint-Gervais where he is temporarily acting between Charles and Francois Couperin of 1671 to 1686. His family offered support during this period of illness.Delalande died on June 18, 1726, in Versailles at the age of 68.[23]

Musical Style

Counterpoint and Orchestration Techniques

Delalande demonstrated a profound mastery of counterpoint in his sacred motets, employing fugal entries and imitative textures that built upon longstanding French polyphonic traditions to create layered, interdependent vocal lines.

However, his later works reveal an increasing influence of Italian musical ornamentation and a greater emphasis on polyphonic counterpoint. Not heeding his De Profundis is to forego intense musical emotion. His most famous works in this genre include "Armide" (1686) and "Alcione" (1706).

Death and Legacy

Michel Richard Delalande passed away in Paris in 1726.