Louis Marchand (musician)

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Louis Marchand

Louis Marchand (born February 2, 1669 in Lyon , † February 17, 1732 in Paris ) was a French harpsichordist , organist and composer .

Life

Marchand's father Jean is said to have been a "mediocre organist". However, according to a biography published in the year of his death, Louis became organist at Nevers Cathedral at the age of 14 . Other documents show that he married in Paris when he was 20 years old . From 1691 he worked at the Jesuit church in the Rue St Jacques , at St Benoît , with the Cordeliers and in the monastery of Saint-Honoré . From 1708 he was officially one of the king's organists. In 1713 he went on a journey of several years through the German states and played for the emperor and for some electors. In September 1717 he is said to have evaded a musical competition with Johann Sebastian Bach at the Dresden court by fleeing; however, only German sources describe this incident, such as Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg and Jakob Adlung . Apparently Marchand was received with open arms in Paris a little later. Until his death he remained organist with the Cordeliers and a much sought-after teacher; his most successful student was Louis-Claude Daquin .

Louis Marchand had an outstanding reputation as a virtuoso in France. In addition, scandals made him famous: He is said to have launched intrigues against Pierre Dandrieu and François Couperin and hit his wife. In 1701 he separated from her; the trip to Germany is said to have been an escape from her financial demands. In Germany Marchand must have claimed that he was exiled by Louis XIV because of “impertinence” . In any case, only German sources know this version, music historians doubt it.

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Louis Marchand seems to have been less interested in the publication of his compositions. After all, numerous small songs, so-called airs , were included in anthologies of the time. In 1702 two suites for harpsichord were published in Paris , which are said to have charm and quality; an anthology from 1707 contains a harpsichord piece called "La vénitienne". Only after Marchand's death did a collection of organ pieces appear in Paris, including a quartet for three manuals and pedal .

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  1. ↑ All information on Marchand's life and reputation corresponds to the article "Louis Marchand" in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians . Macmillan, London 1980.
  2. ↑ This is followed by all of the early prints cited in the encyclopedia article mentioned.

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personal data
SURNAME Marchand, Louis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French harpsichordist, organist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH February 2, 1669
PLACE OF BIRTH Lyon
DATE OF DEATH February 17, 1732
Place of death Paris