Jean-Féry Rebel

Jean-Féry Rebel was a French violinist and composer of the Baroque period. He was one of the most respected musicians in France, and a very inventive and innovative composer. Rebel was born into a musical family in Paris in 1666. His father was a singer in the court of King Louis XIV, and his uncle and siblings were also professional musicians. His earliest music education was likely provided by his family, and by the time he was eight years old his talents for the violin were already apparent. He performed for King Louis XIV and Jean-Baptiste Lully, and they were both highly impressed by his abilities. Lully offered to teach the boy, and they proceeded with violin and composition lessons. Very little is known about Rebel's activities throughout the next 20 years of his life. His first published works were composed in 1695, and in 1699 he began an appointment as the first violinist of the Paris Opera Orchestra. The following year, he traveled to Spain to perform at the wedding of King Philippe of Anjou and Maria Luisa of Savoy. Rebel remained in Spain in the service of the king until 1705, and then he returned to France and became the first violinist of the elite ensemble Les 24 Violons du roi. It was also established that he would inherit the position of chamber composer for the king, which was held by his brother-in-law Michel-Richard de Lalande. In 1711 Rebel composed his first ballet, Caprice. The premiere by the Paris Opera was very successful and featured the famous ballerina Françoise Prévost. Four years later, he composed a second ballet, Les Caractères de la Danse. The premiere featured the same performers that appeared in Caprice and was an even bigger success. Its popularity persisted and spread as far as London, where it was conducted by Handel ten years later. Rebel became the maître de musique at the Royal Academie in 1716. Over the next ten years, he composed the ballets La Terpsichore and Les Plaisirs Champêtres. After the passing of Lalande in 1726, Rebel inherited the prestigious post of chamber composer for the king, who at this time was King Louis XV. In this capacity, he was responsible for conducting, and he played the harpsichord in various chamber ensembles. Later in 1734 and 1735, he conducted the Concerts Spirituels concert series in Paris. It was also around this time that he retired and passed his royal appointments on to his son François. In this final segment of Rebel's life, he composed instrumental works that he called symphonies, which were intended to be choreographed for dancers. His final two compositions, Cahos and Les elemens were very innovative, with dissonant tone clusters and colorful orchestrations. After he completed these works, Rebel returned to retirement, and he died in Paris in 1747.
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