Release Date: 01 January 2000
Label: Naxos / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 730099464727
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: BOISMORTIER
Description
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (1689 - 1755)Don Quixote at the Duchess'Joseph Bodin de Boismortier was born at Thionville on 23rd December 1689 anddied at Roissy-en-Brie on 28th October 1755. He holds an exceptional position inthe history of music in more than one respect. Born into the modest family of aretired soldier, who had settled in Thionville as the owner of a sweet-shop, hemoved to Metz in 1700 and left Lorraine in 1713 to establish himself in the cityof Perpignan as a clerk for the Royal Board of Tobaccos, a position remoteenough from the world of music. There is no trace, indeed, of any musicalactivity of his during the ten years he spent in the city. It seems, however,that he did receive some musical instruction during this period from JosephValette de Montigny and in 1720 Boismortier married a niece of his, a member ofa family of rich jewellers, subsequently, acting on the advice of highly placedfriends, he proceeded to liquidate his business and settled with his wife anddaughter at the court of the Duchess of Maine, at Sceaux and later in Paris,where he was first granted the privilege of printing his own compositions on29th February 1724, allowing him now to publish his duets for transverse fluteand the French cantatas that he had written in Perpignan.In his Essai sur la musique ancienne et moderne of 1780, thedistinguished scholar Jean- Benjamin de La Borde painted a charming andrealistic picture of the composer:Boismortier appeared at a time when only simple and easy music was infashion. This competent musician took all too much advantage of this tendencyand shaped, for the many, airs and duets in great number which were performed onthe flute, the violins, oboes, bagpipes and hurdy-gurdies . ..He soabused the ingenuousness of his numerous buyers that in the end the followingwas said of him:Happy is he, Boismortier, whose fertile quillConceives each month, without travail, of airs his fill.(Bienheureux Boismortier, dont la fertile plumePeut tous les mois sans peine enfanter un volume.)Boismortier's answer to such pleasantries, remained simple enough and to thepoint: I am earning money. His output was remarkable, with some 102pieces, to which may be added airs, other scores, grand motets and a dictionaryof harmony. He also published practical manuals for the flute and the trebleviol.Vocal music by Boismortier includes serious songs, drinking songs, Frenchcantatas, small motets, motets for large choirs, small cantatas and, naturally,opera-ballets, these last Les voyages de l'Amour (The Travels of Love) in1736, Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse (Don Quixote at the Duchess') in1743, the pastoral Daphnis et Chloe in 1747, the lyric tragedy Daphnein 1748 and, in 1752, Les quatre parties du monde (The Four Parts ofthe World).Victim, among others of the conflict between Italian and French musicaltraditions, the so-called querelle des bouffons, he withdrew from themusical scene in 1753. He was the owner of a small property, La G?ótinellerie,at Ro
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Various
Various
Lully
