[PDF]Foreword

The composer and organist Michel Corrette was well as instrumental noëls play an important born in Rouen, where he was baptized on 10 April role. Corrette set popular noëls for organ, 1707. Here his father Gaspard Corrette was an based chamber concerti4 on them, and finally organist, and his grandfather a dance master. At the in 1781 published symphonies in quartet age of thirteen he left his native town to continue form, which can be performed by orchestras his musical development in Paris; however, it is not as well as by chamber music ensembles: know with whom he studied. In Paris, he seems to Six Symphonies | en Quatuor | contenant les have focused initially on organ playing, because in plus beaux | Noëls | François et Etrangers | 1727 he applied – unsuccessfully – for the position avec des Variations | Pour un 1r. Violon ou Flûte, of organist at the Église de la Madeleine-en-la-Cité. un 2e. Violon, | Alto et Basse Chiffrée. | Ces Noëls His violin sonatas op. 1, published in 1727, are lost, se peuvent executer a grand orchestre, | à l’Office but the Duos for two flutes op. 2 from the same year Divin. | Par Mr. Corrette. | Chevalier de l’ordre are preserved.1 At first, he sustained his living as a de Christ. | Prix 7l. 4s. | A PARIS et à LION, | music teacher for flute, violin and musette. By the Aux Adresses Ordinaires de Musique. | Avec Pri- time he married Marie-Catherine Morize in 1733, vilege du Roy. he was already a conductor of various ensembles. The four parts are labeled Violino Primo, Between 1732 and 1773 he composed a total of 25 Violino Secondo, Alto and Organo. This new Concertos comiques, which served as interludes in edition of Sinfonia II contains two well- the theatre.2 His daughter Marie-Anne was born in known French Noëls, which were also the 1734, his son Pierre-Michel in 1744. In addition, basis for compositions by Gigault, Lebègue, he was also active as an organist, both for members Charpentier, Dandrieu, Delalande and of the nobility, as well as 1737 in Sainte-Marie du Balbastre. The texts read: Temple (destroyed in 1796), and from 1741 at the Où s’en vont ces gais bergers, | Ensemble coste latest in the Jesuit church of Saint-Louis (now Église à coste ? | Nous allons voir Jésus-Christ | Né Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis). dedans une grotte. Où est-il le petit nouveau-né ? In addition to 17 instructional books for vari- | Le verrons-nous encore ? ous instruments and voice as well as many secular Laissez paître vos bestes | Pastoureaux, par and sacred vocal works, he composed numerous monts et par vaux; | Laissez paître vos bestes, | lighter works for harpsichord and organ and a great Et allons chanter Nau. deal of chamber music, especially for flute(s) and/ The middle movement Noël Polonois is or violin(s).3 Several concerti and other orchestral notated in the bass part on two systems, but music, some of which can be performed by chamber the upper part is an octave higher than the ensembles, round off his rich compositional oeuvre, analogous violin part. The indications “Flauto which he managed to produce even as an old man. o Cymbalo” and “Pizicatti” suggest alternative He also wrote for new instruments like the clarinet arrangements: in one of these pizzicato strings in 1773, and the pianoforte in 1779 as well as in the would accompany the flute. “Divertissemens pour le clavecin ou le forte-piano” During Christmas celebrations, it might be published in 1780. Michel Corrette died in Paris on attractive to perform not only a Symphonie 21 January 1795. Noël – as chamber music or for orchestra –, If Christmas is Christianity’s most popular feast but also to play the corresponding movements in which music plays a special part, so is it not sur- from Corrette’s Nouveau Livre de noëls (1741) prising that Corrette devoted several works for var- on the organ or harpsichord. For this reason ious instruments to this holiday. In France, vocal as we have included these Noëls in the appendix. 1 Six Sonatas op. 2 for two treble recorders‚ Amadeus BP 2054. 4 Concerto Noël Allemand for flute, 2 violins and b.c. 2 Concerto comique op. 8/1 (“Le Mirliton”) BP 2010. BP 2095. Concerto comique op. 8/3 (“Margoton”) BP 395. Concerto Noël Suisse for treble recorder, two violins and Concerto comique op. 8/6 (“Le Plaisir des Dames”) BP 721. b.c. BP 2401. 3 Cf. www.amadeusmusic.ch for a current list.