Simon Leduc

Simon Leduc l'ainé (also Le Duc , born January 15, 1742 in Paris , † January 22, 1777 ibid) was a French violinist and classical composer .

Life

Simon Leduc was the brother of the music publisher and violinist Pierre Leduc (1755-1826) and a student of Pierre Gaviniès . At the age of 17 he was accepted into the orchestra of the Concert spirituel . In 1763 he was appointed concertmaster and made his first appearances as a soloist. During this time Leopold Mozart, known for his harsh reviews, stayed in Paris, who noted "Il joue bien" in his diary about a solo appearance by Leduc .

In 1773 Leduc became a member of a triumvirate, with François-Joseph Gossec and Pierre Gaviniès, who took over the direction of the Concerts spirituels and successfully led the institution. In this capacity he worked until his early death. Leduc was very popular with the members of the orchestra and a friend of the Chevalier de Saint-Georges , who conducted a memorial concert in honor of Leduc.

Works (selection)

Most of his compositions were published by his brother's publishing house. Leduc's music was characterized by strong contrasts, sudden changes in mood and chromatic harmonies. Some musicologists describe Leduc's work as a French form of Sturm und Drang . Some of his works are based on the Mannheim school .

Below are;

• 3 violin concerts
• 1 concert symphony
• 3 trios and 3 symphonies for string orchestra Op. 2 (Paris, 1767)
• 9 trio sonatas
• 12 violin duos
• 7 violin sonatas with Bc Op. 4 (Paris, 1771)
• 1 sonata for violin solo (without bass)

Web links

• Sheet music and audio files by Simon Leduc in the International Music Score Library Project