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François DEVIENNE Flute Concertos Nos. 1-4 Patrick Gallois, Flute Swedish Chamber Orchestra François Devienne (1759-1803) an excellent teacher and five of his students won prizes at Devienne’s thirteen extant flute concertos fall into three Flute Concertos • 1: Nos. 1-4 the Conservatoire between 1797 and 1801, and one, broad groupings. The first three works were probably Joseph Guillou, was later appointed Professor of Flute. composed in their order of publication: Concerto No.1 in D Born in 1759 in Joinville, Haute-Marne, in the Champagne- Les spectacles de Paris 1790 lists Devienne as the The Théâtre Feydeau closed its doors on 12th April (1782), Concerto No. 2 in D (1783) and Concerto No. 3 in Ardenne region in France, François Devienne was among second bassoonist of the Théâtre de Monsieur (later the 1801 and the following September its orchestra merged G (1784). The dating of the Fourth Concerto is uncertain, the most important composers of wind music in the second Théâtre Feydeau) when it opened in January 1789, which with that of the Théâtre Favart to form the new Opéra- but from its more sophisticated style it was probably half of the eighteenth century. He probably received his suggests that he probably returned to Paris in the autumn Comique orchestra. Devienne’s involvement with the new composed in the late 1780s. Concertos Nos. 5-9 were earliest musical training from Morizot, the organist in or early winter of 1788. Within a year he had secured the orchestra is uncertain and it is possible that his declining published between 1787 and 1794, but the two- Joinville, and continued his education with his elder position of Principal Bassoon which he held until April health prevented him from working. In May 1803 he movement form and limited handling of the orchestra in brother and godfather, François Memmie, in Deux Ponts 1801. His first known solo appearance after his return to entered Charenton, a Parisian home for the mentally ill, Concerto No. 5 suggest that this work dates from the first (Zweibrücken) from 1776 until May 1778. Little is known Paris was at the Concert Spirituel on 7th April 1789 when where he died the following September after a long half of the 1780s. Concertos Nos. 10-13 were published about his activities immediately following his departure he played the flute part in the première of his Sinfonie illness. The obituary in the Courrier des Spectacles of 9th around the time of Devienne’s death and appear to have from Deux Ponts although William Montgomery, the concertante No. 4. In the autumn of 1790 he joined the September 1803 was written by Devienne’s sixteen-year- been composed over a period of several years. Concertos leading authority on Devienne, speculates that he may military band of the Paris National Guard where his duties old student “Guion fils”: Nos. 10 and 13 are among his finest works and share have spent some time with the Royal Cravate regiment included teaching music to the children of French soldiers. many stylistic and structural characteristics with during the following year. By the autumn of 1779 Devienne This organization officially became the Free School of Citizen François Devienne died the eighteenth of Concertos Nos. 6 and 9. Flute Concertos Nos. 11 and 12, was a bassoonist in the orchestra of the Opéra in Paris Music of the National Guard in 1792, and Devienne was this month in the house of Charenton, where he however, are weaker in nearly every respect which led and studying flute with the orchestra’s principal flautist, one of the three sergeants in its administration with an had been for four months under the care of the Montgomery to propose that they may have been written Félix Rault, to whom he dedicated the last of his flute annual salary of 1100 livres, five times the amount he was people of that art, who, in spite of all their efforts, after the onset of Devienne’s mental illness which quickly concertos. It is likely that Devienne entered the service of receiving at the Théâtre de Monsieur. The Free School, were not able to cure him from a mental impaired his ability to compose. Cardinal de Rohan as a chamber musician in the spring of renamed the National Institute of Music in 1793, became derangement which had degenerated into true Flute Concerto No. 1 in D was published in Paris by 1780 where he remained until mid-1785. Like a number of the Paris Conservatoire in 1795. madness, caused by the various sorrows which Sieber in 1782. Given that Devienne’s performance of the prominent eighteenth-century musicians, he joined the Devienne’s opéra comique, Le mariage clandestin he had experienced during the Revolution… work did not take place until 24th December that year it Freemasons and was probably a member of the orchestra was staged at the newly established Théâtre Montansier seems almost certain that the work was already in print of the Loge Olympique during the 1780s in which he would in November 1791 and two more of his operas were At the age of ten years he composed a Mass before his performance at the Concert Spirituel. He also have worked closely with its extraordinary leader, Joseph staged before his most popular opera, Les visitandines which was played by the musicians of the Royal performed the concerto in the spring of 1783, the Journal Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The earliest (1792), was performed at the Théâtre Feydeau. That work Gravatte, where he then was, which foretold of de Paris announcing on 14th April and 17th April that performance of record in Paris of a work by Devienne took was among the most successful operas of the his natural disposition for the art of music… ‘Today… at the Concert Spirituel… de Vienne will perform place on 24th March 1780, when Ozi performed ‘a new Revolutionary period, receiving over 200 performances in Death comes to carry him away at the age of a flute concerto of his composition’. Two days later, a Bassoon Concerto composed by de Vienne’ at the Concert Paris between 1792 and 1797. forty-three; he takes with him the esteem and the ‘second’ concerto – presumably the new Concerto No. 2 Spirituel. Devienne’s first appearance as a soloist occurred As a result of his teaching experience at The Free regrets of the artists and his friends. He leaves in in D – was also performed. Two further performances by two years later when on 24th December 1782 he School, Devienne wrote a method for the one-keyed flute grief a wife and five children, of whom four are of Devienne on 10th May and 19th June 1783, also performed ‘a new flute concerto’, probably his Flute that was published in 1794. This well-known method tender years. announced in the Journal de Paris, probably refer to Concerto No. 1 in D, at the Concert Spirituel and on 25th contains information on flute techniques and performance Concertos Nos. 1 and 2. The publication of a second March 1784 he made his début as a bassoon soloist practice as well as a series of flute duets of progressive The government has already placed one at the edition of Concerto No. 1 by the Amsterdam publisher playing his First Bassoon Concerto. From 1782 to 1785 difficulty. When the Paris Conservatoire was established Lycée de Bruxelles and one hopes that it will not Schmitt in 1785 suggests that the work was well known Devienne appeared at the Concert Spirituel as a soloist on the following year, Devienne was appointed one of its forget the others in the repayment of his services. outside Paris. at least eighteen occasions but after 3rd April 1785 he did nine elected administrators and Professor of Flute (First The publication of Flute Concerto No. 2 in D was not perform there again for another four years. His place of Class) with an annual salary of 5000 livres. After 1795 Guillon fils announced in the Journal de Paris on 18th July 1783 [“2e employment during this period is uncertain but it is three more of his operas were staged and he occupied Concerto à flute principale … exécuté au Concert Spirituel possible that he may have been at Versailles as a member himself with his duties in the Théâtre Feydeau orchestra Student of Devienne at the Conservatory of Music par M. Devienne le jeune, prix 4 liv. 4 f. À Paris chez le Sr. of the Band of the Swiss Guards. and at the Conservatoire. Devienne seems to have been Imbault … rue S. Honoré; chez le Sr. Sieber, rue St Honoré”], and in the Journal de la Librairie on 2nd August It is odd that the publication of Devienne’s Fourth A note from the soloist 1783. It is interesting to note that although the work was Concerto, one of his best and most interesting concertos, available through both Imbault and Sieber the latter did was not announced in the Parisian press. If, as François Devienne was the founder of the French flute when it is badly played, his music remains unique and not publish it in spite of the obvious success of Concerto Montgomery believes, the work dates from the late 1780s, school. He codified flute technique and performance beautiful. Devienne requires a specific approach, great No. 1. The joint listing may have arisen because Imbault then this curious omission may have arisen as a practice, also looking more widely at pre- and post- precision of ornamentation, inflection, articulation and had not yet obtained a printing privilege and Sieber, consequence of the tumult that enveloped France in Revolutionary French music in a survey similar to that phrasing.