Antoine Dauvergne
Encyclopedia
Antoine Dauvergne was a French composer
and violin
ist. Dauvergne served as master of the Chambre du roi, director of the Concert Spirituel
from 1762 to 1771, and director of the Opéra three times between 1769 and 1790. Dauvergne contributed both as a performer and composer to the classical music at the court at Versailles
. He is most famous as the composer of Les troqueurs
, a work which had a major influence on the development of French opéra comique
.
In addition to opera
s and opera-ballet
s, Dauvergne composed a number of other works including violin sonata
s (1739), trio sonatas, motet
s, and what he called Concerts de Simphonies (1751).
The name Dauvergne is sometimes written D'Auvergne. It means "from Auvergne
," the region in the center of France covered by the volcanic Massif Central
mountain range.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist. Dauvergne served as master of the Chambre du roi, director of the Concert Spirituel
Concert Spirituel
The Concert Spirituel was one of the first public concert series in existence. The concerts began in Paris in 1725 and ended in 1790; later, concerts or series of concerts of the same name occurred in Paris, Vienna, London and elsewhere...
from 1762 to 1771, and director of the Opéra three times between 1769 and 1790. Dauvergne contributed both as a performer and composer to the classical music at the court at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
. He is most famous as the composer of Les troqueurs
Les troqueurs
Les troqueurs is a comic opera in one act by the French composer Antoine Dauvergne, first performed at the Foire Saint-Laurent in Paris on 30 July 1753 and revived by the Opéra-Comique at the Hôtel de Bourgogne on 26 February 1762...
, a work which had a major influence on the development of French opéra comique
Opéra comique
Opéra comique is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent , which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections...
.
In addition to opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s and opera-ballet
Opéra-ballet
Opéra-ballet was a popular genre of French Baroque opera, "that grew out of the ballets à entrées of the early seventeeth century". It differed from the more elevated tragédie en musique as practised by Jean-Baptiste Lully in several ways...
s, Dauvergne composed a number of other works including violin sonata
Violin sonata
A violin sonata is a musical composition for violin, which is nearly always accompanied by a piano or other keyboard instrument, or by figured bass in the Baroque period.-A:*Ella Adayevskaya**Sonata Greca for Violin or Clarinet and Piano...
s (1739), trio sonatas, motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s, and what he called Concerts de Simphonies (1751).
The name Dauvergne is sometimes written D'Auvergne. It means "from Auvergne
Auvergne (province)
Auvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne. It is now the geographical and cultural area that corresponds to the former province....
," the region in the center of France covered by the volcanic Massif Central
Massif Central
The Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....
mountain range.
Operas and ballets
- Les amours de Tempé, ballet héroïque (1752, Paris)
- Les troqueursLes troqueursLes troqueurs is a comic opera in one act by the French composer Antoine Dauvergne, first performed at the Foire Saint-Laurent in Paris on 30 July 1753 and revived by the Opéra-Comique at the Hôtel de Bourgogne on 26 February 1762...
, intermèdeIntermèdeIntermède is a French term for a musical or theatrical performance involving song and dance, also an 18th-century opera genre.The context in which the 'intermède' was performed has changed over time. During the 16th century they were court entertainments in which ballet was an important element...
(1753, Paris) - La coquette trompée, comédie lyrique (1753, Fontainebleu)
- La sibylle, ballet (1753, Fontainebleu)
- Enée et Lavinie, tragédie lyrique (1758, Paris)
- Les fêtes d'Euterpe, opéra-balletOpéra-balletOpéra-ballet was a popular genre of French Baroque opera, "that grew out of the ballets à entrées of the early seventeeth century". It differed from the more elevated tragédie en musique as practised by Jean-Baptiste Lully in several ways...
(1758, Paris) - Le rival favorable, additional entrée for Les fêtes d'Euterpe (1760, Paris)
- Canente, tragédie (1760, Paris)
- Hercule mourant, tragédie lyrique (1761, Paris)
- Alphée et Aréthuse, ballet (1762, Paris)
- Polyxène, tragédie lyrique (1763, Paris)
- Le triomphe de flore, ou Le retour de printemps, ballet-héroïque (1765, Fontainebleau)
- La vénitienne, comédie-ballet (1768, Paris)
- La tour enchantée, ballet figuré (1770, Paris)
- Le prix de la valeur, ballet héroïque (1771, Paris)
- La sicilien, ou L'amour peintre, comédie-ballet (1780, VersaillesVersaillesVersailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
) - La mort d'Orphée, tragédie (unperformed)
- Sémiramis, tragédie (unperformed)
Discography
- Musique à Versailles - Dauvergne: Concerts de Simphonies. Performed by the Concerto Cologne. (Virgin Classics 2029-08-31 EMI 615422)
Sources
- List of Dauvergne's staged works with comments (in German)
- List of Dauvergne's staged works with comments (in French)