André Maugars
André Maugars (* around 1580 ; † around 1645 ) was a French gambist . Marin Mersenne and Nicolas Hotman described him as the first French virtuoso on the viola da gamba , especially as an improviser of diminutions .
Maugars went to England around 1620 and stayed there for four years. It is possible that he was in the service of Jacob I in his court chapel during this time . On his return he published a French translation of Francis Bacon's work Advancement of Learning (1605). He first worked as an interpreter at the French court, later for Cardinal Richelieu . In 1630 he appointed him prior of the St. Pierre-Eynac monastery in Le Puy-en-Velay . In 1634 Maugars published a translation of another Bacon work, Considerations Touching on a War with Spain . Maugars traveled to Rome in 1637 or the following year . Following this trip, he wrote an open letter published in Paris about his Italian travel experiences. This letter is a valuable musical historical testimony to contemporary Italian church music , oratorios and instrumental works in comparison to 17th century French music.
Works
- Response to an Inquisitive Person on the Italian Feeling about Music. In: Carol MacClintock (Ed.): Readings in the History of Music in Performance. Indiana University Press, Bloomington 1979, pp. 117-126
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Maugars, André |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French gambist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1580 |
| DATE OF DEATH | around 1645 |