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French Harpsichords Jean-Philippe Rameau (French: [ʒɑ̃filip ʁamo] Links to an external site.; 25 September 1683 – 12 September 1764) was one of the most important French composers Links to an external site. and music theorists Links to an external site. of the 18th century.[1] Links to an external site. He replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully Links to an external site. as the dominant composer of French opera Links to an external site. and is also considered the leading French composer for the harpsichord of his time, alongside François Couperin Links to an external site..[2] Links to an external site. Little is known about Rameau’s early years, and it was not until the 1720s that he won fame as a major theorist of music with his Treatise on Harmony Links to an external site. (1722) and also in the following years as a composer of masterpieces for the harpsichord, which circulated throughout Europe. He was almost 50 before he embarked on the operatic career on which his reputation chiefly rests today. His debut, Hippolyte et Aricie Links to an external site. (1733), caused a great stir and was fiercely attacked by the supporters of Lully’s style of music for its revolutionary use of harmony. Nevertheless, Rameau’s pre-eminence in the field of French opera was soon acknowledged, and he was later attacked as an “establishment” composer by those who favoured Italian opera during the controversy known as the Querelle des Bouffons Links to an external site. in the 1750s. Rameau’s music had gone out of fashion by the end of the 18th century, and it was not until the 20th that serious efforts were made to revive it. Today, he enjoys renewed appreciation with performances and recordings of his music ever more frequent. Life The details of Rameau’s life are generally obscure, especially concerning his first forty years, before he moved to Paris for good. He was a secretive man, and even his wife knew nothing of his early life,[3] Links to an external site. which explains the scarcity of biographical information available. Early years, 1683–1732 Links to an external site. The Cathedral of Saint-Bénigne, Dijon Rameau’s early years are particularly obscure. He was born on 25 September 1683 in Dijon Links to an external site., and baptised the same day.[4] Links to an external site. His father, Jean, worked as an organist in several churches around Dijon, and his mother, Claudine Demartinécourt, was the daughter of a notary. The couple had eleven children (five girls and six boys), of whom Jean-Philippe was the seventh. Rameau was taught music before he could read or write. He was educated at the Jesuit Links to an external site. college at Godrans, but he was not a good pupil and disrupted classes with his singing, later claiming that his passion for opera had begun at the age of twelve.[5] Links to an external site. Initially intended for the law, Rameau decided he wanted to be a musician, and his father sent him to Italy, where he stayed for a short while in Milan. On his return, he worked as a violinist in travelling companies and then as an organist in provincial cathedrals before moving to Paris for the first time.[6] Links to an external site. Here, in 1706, he published his earliest known compositions: the harpsichord Links to an external site. works that make up his first book of Pièces de clavecin Links to an external site., which show the influence of his friend Louis Marchand Links to an external site..[7] Links to an external site. In 1709, he moved back to Dijon to take over his father’s job as organist in the main church. The contract was for six years, but Rameau left before then and took up similar posts in Lyon Links to an external site. and Clermont. During this period, he composed motets Links to an external site. for church performance as well as secular cantatas Links to an external site.. In 1722, he returned to Paris for good, and here he published his most important work of music theory, Traité de l’harmonie (Treatise on Harmony). This soon won him a great reputation, and it was followed in 1726 by his Nouveau système de musique théorique.[8] Links to an external site. In 1724 and 1729 (or 1730), he also published two more collections of harpsichord pieces.[9] Links to an external site. Rameau took his first tentative steps into composing stage music when the writer Alexis Piron Links to an external site. asked him to provide songs for his popular comic plays written for the Paris Fairs. Four collaborations followed, beginning with L’endriague in 1723; none of the music has survived.[10] Links to an external site. On 25 February 1726 Rameau married the 19-year-old Marie-Louise Mangot, who came from a musical family from Lyon and was a good singer and instrumentalist. The couple would have four children, two boys and two girls, and the marriage is said to have been a happy one.[11] Links to an external site. In spite of his fame as a music theorist, Rameau had trouble finding a post as an organist in Paris.[12] Links to an external site. Later years, 1733–1764 Links to an external site. Bust of Rameau by Caffieri, 1760 It was not until he was approaching 50 that Rameau decided to embark on the operatic career on which his fame as a composer mainly rests. He had already approached writer Antoine Houdar de la Motte Links to an external site. for a libretto in 1727, but nothing came of it; he was finally inspired to try his hand at the prestigious genre of tragédie en musique Links to an external site. after seeing Montéclair Links to an external site.’s Jephté in 1732. Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie Links to an external site. premiered at the Académie Royale de Musique on 1 October 1733. It was immediately recognised as the most significant opera to appear in France since the death of Lully Links to an external site., but audiences were split over whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. Some, such as the composer André Campra Links to an external site., were stunned by its originality and wealth of invention; others found its harmonic innovations discordant and saw the work as an attack on the French musical tradition. The two camps, the so-called Lullyistes and the Rameauneurs, fought a pamphlet war over the issue for the rest of the decade.[13] Links to an external site. Just before this time, Rameau had made the acquaintance of the powerful financier Alexandre Le Riche de La Poupelinière Links to an external site., who became his patron until 1753. La Poupelinière’s mistress (and later, wife), Thérèse des Hayes, was Rameau’s pupil and a great admirer of his music. In 1731, Rameau became the conductor of La Poupelinière’s private orchestra, which was of an extremely high quality. He held the post for 22 years; he was succeeded by Johann Stamitz Links to an external site. and then Gossec Links to an external site..[14] Links to an external site. La Poupelinière’s salon enabled Rameau to meet some of the leading cultural figures of the day, including Voltaire Links to an external site., who soon began collaborating with the composer.[15] Links to an external site. Their first project, the tragédie en musique Samson Links to an external site., was abandoned because an opera on a religious theme by Voltaire—a notorious critic of the Church—was likely to be banned by the authorities.[16] Links to an external site. Meanwhile, Rameau had introduced his new musical style into the lighter genre of the opéra-ballet Links to an external site. with the highly successful Les Indes galantes Links to an external site.. It was followed by two tragédies en musique, Castor et Pollux Links to an external site. (1737) and Dardanus Links to an external site. (1739), and another opéra-ballet, Les fêtes d’Hébé Links to an external site.(also 1739). All these operas of the 1730s are among Rameau’s most highly regarded works.[17] Links to an external site. However, the composer followed them with six years of silence, in which the only work he produced was a new version of Dardanus (1744). The reason for this interval in the composer’s creative life is unknown, although it is possible he had a falling-out with the authorities at the Académie royale de la musique.[18] Links to an external site. The year 1745 was a watershed in Rameau’s career. He received several commissions from the court for works to celebrate the French victory at the Battle of Fontenoy Links to an external site. and the marriage of the Dauphin Links to an external site. to Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain Links to an external site.. Rameau produced his most important comic opera, Platée Links to an external site., as well as two collaborations with Voltaire: the opéra-ballet Le temple de la gloire Links to an external site. and the comédie-ballet La princesse de Navarre Links to an external site..[19] Links to an external site. They gained Rameau official recognition; he was granted the title “Compositeur du Cabinet du Roi” and given a substantial pension.[20] Links to an external site. 1745 also saw the beginning of the bitter enmity between Rameau and Jean-Jacques Rousseau Links to an external site.. Though best known today as a thinker, Rousseau had ambitions to be a composer. He had written an opera, Les muses galantes (inspired by Rameau’s Indes galantes), but Rameau was unimpressed by this musical tribute. At the end of 1745, Voltaire and Rameau, who were busy on other works, commissioned Rousseau to turn La Princesse de Navarre into a new opera, with linking recitative Links to an external site., called Les fêtes de Ramire Links to an external site.. Rousseau then claimed the two had stolen the credit for the words and music he had contributed, though musicologists have been able to identify almost nothing of the piece as Rousseau’s work. Nevertheless, the embittered Rousseau nursed a grudge against Rameau for the rest of his life.[21] Links to an external site. Rousseau was a major participant in the second great quarrel that erupted over Rameau’s work, the so-called Querelle des Bouffons Links to an external site. of 1752–54, which pitted French tragédie en musique against Italian opera buffa Links to an external site.. This time, Rameau was accused of being out of date and his music too complicated in comparison with the simplicity and “naturalness” of a work like Pergolesi’s La serva padrona Links to an external site..[22] Links to an external site. In the mid-1750s, Rameau criticised Rousseau’s contributions to the musical articles in the Encyclopédie Links to an external site., which led to a quarrel with the leading philosophes Links to an external site. d’Alembert Links to an external site. and Diderot Links to an external site..[23] Links to an external site. As a result, Rameau became a character in Diderot’s then-unpublished dialogue, Le neveu de Rameau (Rameau’s Nephew). In 1753, La Poupelinière took a scheming musician, Jeanne-Thérèse Goermans, as his mistress. The daughter of harpsichord maker Jacques Goermans Links to an external site., she went by the name of Madame de Saint-Aubin, and her opportunistic husband pushed her into the arms of the rich financier. She had La Poupelinière engage the services of the Bohemian Links to an external site. composer Johann Stamitz Links to an external site., who succeeded Rameau after a breach developed between Rameau and his patron; however, by then, Rameau no longer needed La Poupelinière’s financial support and protection. Rameau pursued his activities as a theorist and composer until his death. He lived with his wife and two of his children in his large suite of rooms in Rue des Bons-Enfants, which he would leave every day, lost in thought, to take a solitary walk in the nearby gardens of the Palais-Royal or the Tuileries. Sometimes he would meet the young writer Chabanon Links to an external site., who noted some of Rameau’s disillusioned confidential remarks: “Day by day, I’m acquiring more good taste, but I no longer have any genius” and “The imagination is worn out in my old head; it’s not wise at this age wanting to practise arts that are nothing but imagination.”[24] Links to an external site. Rameau composed prolifically in the late 1740s and early 1750s. After that, his rate of productivity dropped off, probably due to old age and ill health, although he was still able to write another comic opera, Les Paladins Links to an external site., in 1760. This was due to be followed by a final tragédie en musique, Les Boréades Links to an external site.; but for unknown reasons, the opera was never produced and had to wait until the late 20th century for a proper staging.[25] Links to an external site. Rameau died on 12 September 1764 after suffering from a fever, thirteen days before his 81st birthday. At his bedside, he objected to a song sung. His last words were, “What the devil do you mean to sing to me, priest? You are out of tune.”[26] Links to an external site. He was buried in the church of St. Eustache Links to an external site., Paris on the same day of his death.[27] Links to an external site. Although a bronze bust and red marble tombstone were erected in his memory there by the Société de la Compositeurs de Musique in 1883, the exact site of his burial remains unknown to this day.