Jean-Pierre Guignon

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Jean-Pierre Guignon (actually Giovanni Pietro Ghignone ; born February 10, 1702 in Turin , † January 30, 1774 in Versailles ) was a violinist and composer of Italian origin.

Life

Jean-Pierre Guignon

Jean-Pierre Guignon was the son of a Turin trader and, among others, a student of Giovanni Battista Somis . According to one source, Guignon was a cellist before becoming a violin virtuoso. In May 1725 he appeared at the newly founded Concert Spirituel in competition with Jean-Baptiste Anet . In the next 25 years he appeared frequently where his performances of concerts by Antonio Vivaldi and others were always enthusiastically received. In October 1727 he played with Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Forqueray in Rennes and possibly also in Nantes, where he had great success. In 1730 he became a musician in the private orchestra of the Prince of Savoy-Carignan and held this position for at least two decades. In the same year he won the applause of the Queen, before whom he played his own works with other musicians. This led to his joining the king's court orchestra in late 1733 and staying there until his retirement in 1762. He also began to publish his own compositions. In 1736 Guignon visited Lyon and played there for the Duke of Villeroy (1695–1766), to whom he gave his Op. 2 dedicated. From 1737–38 he was in Paris and took part in the performance of Georg Philipp Telemann's “ Nouveaux Quatuors ”. Shortly afterwards he traveled to Italy with Louis-Gabriel Guillemain , probably for a tour . In 1739 he achieved further success with the performance of his works.

In 1741 Guignon received French citizenship, and the King installed him in the long-vacant post of Royal Maître des Ménétriers . Gignon thus had the overall supervision over the associations of singers and dancers of the kingdom and was officially the 1st violon de l'époque . Since his post had little influence on the modern concert industry, he tried to enforce the prerogatives of his office in several court cases. Faced with these difficulties, he voluntarily gave it up in 1750 without its reputation suffering.

In the summer of 1744 Guignon went on a concert tour with Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville through the French provinces and performed in Dunkirk and Lyon, among others. The concerts of the two musicians were well received by the general public and open-minded musicians, but disapproved of conservative music critics such as the writer Louis Bollioud de Mermet (1709–1794). In August Guignon took part in the performance of a mass and contributed with a self-composed Te Deum and a symphony. In 1745 he appeared again in the Concert Spirituel.

The following summer, the two returned to Lyon and repeated their successes. After 1750 Guignon no longer played in public, but only at court and in music salons. He taught several students from aristocratic families how to play the violin and received lifelong pensions, which allowed him to live in comfortable circumstances throughout his life. He gave free lessons to promising young violinists. Guignon died of a stroke in 1774.

Guignon was one of the brilliant violin virtuosos of his time; especially the ease and security of his game was praised. His compositions influenced the French chamber music of the era significantly.

Works (selection)

  • Op. 1: 12 Sonata a Violino solo e Basso
  • Op. 2: 6 Sonates a deux Violoncelles, Basses de Viole, ou Bassons
  • Op. 3: 6 Sonates a deux Violons, Flute allemande et Violon, et tout Sortes d'Instrumens egaux
  • Op. 4: 6 Sonates en trio for 2 violins and B. c.
  • Op. 5: 6 Sonates en trio for 2 violins and B. c.
  • Op. 6: 6 Sonates a Violon seul et Basse (after 1742)
  • Op. 7: 6 duos à deux violons (around 1744)
  • Op. 8: Pièces de différens Auteurs a 2 violons, amplifiées et doublées (around 1746)
  • Op. 9: Nouvelles Variations de divers Airs et les Folies d'Espagne (around 1747)
  • Op. 10: 6 trios for 3 flutes, violons, skin bois or other instruments
  • 3 concerts for violin and orchestra
  • Variations on l'Air des Sauvages ; based on the ballet of the same name from the opera " Les Indes galantes " by Jean-Philippe Rameau
  • Mass en symphony

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Guignon, Jean-Pierre
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ghignone, Giovanni Pietro
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian composer and violinist
DATE OF BIRTH February 10, 1702
PLACE OF BIRTH Turin
DATE OF DEATH January 30, 1774
Place of death Versailles