Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau was one of the truly multifaceted musicians of his day. Acclaimed for his innovative and popular operas, he was also known as one of the greatest organists in France, and his theoretical writings continue to influence musical thinkers over two centuries later.
Although his father was a professional organist, Rameau was expected to pursue a career in the law. However, he was musically very precocious, teaching himself several instruments and the basics of harmony and composition. After spending more time on music than on his studies at the Jesuit College in Dijon (1693-1697), Rameau was removed from school; only when he was 18 did his parents give in to his wishes for a musical career. He went to Italy for a few months, and spent some time playing violin in a travelling French opera troupe. Then he took organist posts in Clermont-Ferrand (1702-1705), Paris (1705-1708), Dijon (1709-1714), Lyons (1714-1715), and Clermont again (1715-1722).
Rameau had begun composing for the harpsichord, publishing his first book of keyboard works in 1706 (subsequent volumes appeared in 1724, 1728, and 1741). He had also written a few motets and secular cantatas, and had started his first book, the Traité de l'harmonie (published 1722), which later made his reputation as an important theorist.
Hoping for greater fame as a composer, he moved to Paris in late 1722; there he took on some private students and composed numerous keyboard and short stage works. Eventually, he came to the attention of the financier and courtier Le Riche de la Pouplinière, who hired Rameau as conductor of his orchestra (a position he held for some 22 years) and allowed him and his family to live in his mansion. Through La Pouplinière, Rameau also met many of the great writers of his day, including some who later became librettists for his operas.
Rameau produced his first opera, Hippolyte et Aricie (1733), at the age of 50. The work wasn't well received initially, but the opera Castor et Pollux (1737) was much more successful, and Rameau gradually became known as one of France's leading composers. For the rest of his life, he divided his time between composing and writing further theoretical works like Nouveau système de musique théorique (1726), Dissertation sur les differents méthodes d'accompagnement pour le clavecin ou pour l'orgue (1732), and Démonstration du principe de l'harmonie (1750). He felt his theoretical works were at least as important as his music, and defended his theories in extensive correspondences and debates with many of the leading musical thinkers in Europe.
In 1745, he was appointed composer of the King's chamber music. He continued writing operas, both tragic works like Dardanus (1739, rev. 1744) and comedies like Platée (1745) and La Princesse de Navarre (1745). These and his other operas and incidental music (he wrote about 30 stage works in all) were noteworthy for their expanded harmonic palate, their brilliant choruses and ballets, and the prominent role Rameau gave to the orchestra. But not everyone admired his music, and for years a bitter public rivalry existed between the Rameau partisans and the "Lullistes," who preferred the somewhat more conservative works of Jean-Baptiste Lully. Rameau also had to defend his musical style in the "War of the Buffoons" of 1752 against those who preferred the lighter Italian operas of composers like Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. Four months before his death, Rameau was granted a patent of nobility by King Louis XV. He died just before his 81st birthday, and was buried at his parish church at St. Eustache.
© TiVo
Artistas similares
-
Rameau: Pièces de Clavecin en Concerts
Clásica - Editado por Passacaille el 1 ago. 2015
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Les Sauvages (Rameau, Couperin, Royer, Forqueray...)
Clásica - Editado por Cypres el 16 jun. 2015
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rameau Re-Imagined
Edward Higginbottom, Holly Teague
Clásica - Editado por CRD Records el 2 jun. 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rameau: Complete Works for Harpsichord
Clásica - Editado por CRD Records el 1 ene. 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mordecai Shehori Plays Jean-Philippe Rameau
Clásica - Editado por Cembal d'amour CD 104 el 1 ene. 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rameau: Opera & Ballet Transcriptions
Clásica - Editado por Satirino Records el 21 nov. 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rameau: Les Cyclopes – Pièces de Clavecin
Clásica - Editado por AVIE Records el 5 abr. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rameau - Colorful
Clásica - Editado por UME - Global Clearing House el 27 feb. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Power of Rameau
Clásica - Editado por UME - Global Clearing House el 11 jun. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Les Sauvages et Muses
Clásica - Editado por Balt-Music Jsc. (fka BOMBA-PITER) el 25 sept. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rameau, Debussy - La mer
Música de cámara - Editado por Suoni e Colori el 15 mar. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Baroque Keyboard
Louis Couperin, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Domenico Scarlatti
Clásica - Editado por UME - Global Clearing House el 5 mar. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rameau: Suite des Indes Galantes
Clásica - Editado por Past Classics el 4 may. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pièces de clavecin en concerts
Chiara Banchini, Marianne Muller, Françoise Lengellé
Clásica - Editado por Lindoro el 23 oct. 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Geneva Competition Piano Laureates - Live recording - Laureates Festival 2015
Clásica - Editado por Claves Records el 10 mar. 2017
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rameau: Dardanus (Transcribed for Organ)
Clásica - Editado por VDE-GALLO el 19 sept. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The History of French Music (100 Famous Songs)
Clásica - Editado por Dream Collection el 8 sept. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin - La Dauphine
Clásica - Editado por Saphir Productions el 2 feb. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Russian Piano School: Evgeni Teregulov
Clásica - Editado por Russian Compact Disc el 11 jun. 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Works By Rameau, Dukas, Bizet, Saint-Saëns and Ravel
Clásica - Editado por Pipeline Music el 28 nov. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les tendres plaintes - Rameau: Pieces de Clavecin
Clásica - Editado por ALM Records el 7 oct. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo