Michel-Richard Delalande
Michel -Richard Delalande (also Lalande de Lalande or called ) (* December 15, 1657 in Paris, † June 18, 1726 in Versailles) was a French violinist, organist and composer.
Born the fifteenth child of a tailor, he worked first in the choir of the church St. Germain - Auxerrois in Paris. From 1672 he makes a brief career as a violinist, but does not receive any job in the opera orchestra. Then he will in the years 1676 to 1680 gradually organist at four churches in Paris, so to St. Gervais as the successor of Charles Couperin. Here Delalande must undertake to hand over the place, his son François Couperin, as soon as it would have reached the age of 18.
He was at court harpsichord teacher of three princesses, the daughters of Louis XIV Thanks to this, he had the opportunity to make his first secular works to hearing. , 1682 La Sérénade, 1683 Les Fontaines de Versailles and Le Concert d' Esculape. The Carnival celebrations in 1686 became his Ballet de la jeunesse listed instead of the Tragédie en musique Armide by Lully.
In 1689, two years after the death of Jean -Baptiste Lully, Delalande was the musical favorite of the king. He fulfilled immediately, the function of the Superintendent of the court music. His compositions mainly concerned appointed by the King church music. 1722, the year of death of his first wife, he was accepted by the regent Philip II, Duke of Orléans in the Order of Knights of Saint- Michel.
The music Dela country carries out the synthesis of the French and Italian style and continues the work of Marc- Antoine Charpentier. His music reaches its climax in the Grands Motets for Soloists, Choir and instrumental ensemble, in which up to 120 performers were provided. In the sacred concertos ( Concert spiritual ), his works represent the musical aesthetics of the court of Versailles.
His work includes more than 300 well-known works, the 71 Grands Motets, but also entertaining music as his famous " Sinfonies pour les suppers du Roy ", 18 orchestral suites, ballets and Variations on French carols, the then-popular " Noël ".