Antoine Dauvergne

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Antoine Dauvergne (born October 4, 1713 in Moulins , † February 12, 1797 in Lyon ) was a French violinist, composer and opera director of the pre-classical period .

Life

Dauvergne's father was already a musician and at least at times worked as a “joueur d'instrand” in Clermont-Ferrand . It is likely that he was his son's first teacher. In 1730 he began a violin career in his hometown. In 1739 Antoine Dauvergne was in Paris , where he perfected his compositional technique with Jean-Philippe Rameau and his violin playing with Jean-Marie Leclair . In 1739 he received the royal privilege to publish his six trio sonatas op. 1 and the 12 solo sonatas op. 2. Also in 1739 he became a musician in the musique de la chambre du roi and in 1741 first violinist at the Académie royale de musique, where he worked as one of the conductors in 1751. In 1755 he succeeded François Rebel as maître de musique de la chambre du roi. In 1762 Dauvergne became director of the Concert spirituel and in 1764 "surintendant" of royal music.

The proposal to appoint him director of the Paris Opera in 1766 was prevented by the then holders of the position, Pierre Montan Berton and Jean-Claude Trial ; finally both agreed and Dauvergne was accepted into the management of the opera. In May 1780 he became their general director and remained so until his abdication in 1782. In this position he led, among other things, lengthy negotiations about the first performance of an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck in Paris, which he only agreed after the queen intervened. After resuming his activity in 1785, he finally left the opera in 1790 in the turmoil of the French Revolution. Because of his merits, Dauvergne was made Chevalier de Saint-Michel in 1786. Dauvergne retired to Lyon in 1790, where he died in 1797 under unknown circumstances.

Works (selection)

In addition to 18 works for the stage, in which he pointed the way for the emerging French opera comique , Dauvergne composed church music, French motets and other works. His instrumental music, violin and trio sonatas and concerts de symphonies, are in the Italian style, where he was influenced by Pietro Locatelli.

Instrumental music

  • Six Sonates en trio pour 2 violons et basse continue, op. 1, 1739
  • Douze Sonates pour violon seul et basse continue, op.2, 1739
  • Concerts de symphonies, op. 3, 1751
  • Concerts de symphonies, op. 4, 1751

Web links

literature

  • Benoît Dratwicki: Antoine Dauvergne (1713-1797): une carrière tourmentée dans la France des Lumières , Wavre, Mardaga, 2011, 480 pp. ISBN 2-804-7008-28 (in French)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Michael A. Keller, revised by Elisabeth Cook:  Dauvergne, Antoine. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  2. ↑ Benoît Dratwicki: Grandes Journées Dauvergne 2011, with biographical elements and list of works (in French)
  3. ^ François-Joseph Fétis : Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie génèrale de la musique (1861)
personal data
SURNAME Dauvergne, Antoine
ALTERNATIVE NAMES d'Auvergne, Antoine
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French composer, violinist and opera director
DATE OF BIRTH October 4, 1713
PLACE OF BIRTH Moulins (Allier) , Auvergne
DATE OF DEATH February 12, 1797
Place of death Lyon