Charles Dieupart

Charles Dieupart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dieupart
Charles Dieupart
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charles Dieupart (after 1667 1740) was a French harpsichordist, violinist, and composer. Although he
was known as Charles to his contemporaries, his real name may have been Franois. He was most
probably born in Paris, but spent much of his life in London, where he settled sometime after 1702/1703.
A prominent member of the Drury Lane musical establishment, Dieupart was active both as composer
and performer and actively participated in the musical life of the city. However, after about 1712 he
earned his income mostly by teaching, and in his later years lived in poverty. He is best remembered
today for a collection of six harpsichord suites which influenced Johann Sebastian Bach's English Suites.
Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
Life
Music
List of works
Notes
References
External links
Life
Details of Dieupart's early life and training are sketchy, and the reason for his emigration to England is
unknown. The earliest document to refer to the composer is his own Six Suittes de clavessin, published in
Amsterdam in 1701. He is next heard of on 11 February 1703 in London, when he performed Corelli's
music at Drury Lane with Gasparo Visconti. Dieupart settled in London and eventually became an
important member of the Drury Lane musical establishment. He collaborated with playwright Peter
Anthony Motteux, composer Thomas Clayton, and others; he also participated in performances of music
by Italian composers such as Giovanni Bononcini and Domenico Scarlatti.[1]
In late 1707 Dieupart became involved in establishing an operatic project at the Queen's Theatre in the
Haymarket, London. Although he evidently played a significant part in the project, he was dropped by the
management after about a year, in late 1708. Dieupart tried organizing a series of concerts at York
Buildings in 1711 and 1712, but ended up giving only a few. After 1712 he was mostly active as a
teacher, although his music was still performed in concerts until at least 1726, and he was apparently a
regular member of the Drury Lane orchestra. Dieupart's last known public appearance was in 1724.
According to music historian John Hawkins, whose work is the most important source on Dieupart's
biography, the composer died at a very advanced age and in poverty.[1]
Music
Dieupart's best known work is Six Suittes de clavessin (Amsterdam, 1701). As the title indicates, it
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contains six harpsichord suites. All of them are in seven movements, always beginning with the sequence
ouverture allemande courante sarabande gavotte, and ending with either a menuet or a passepied,
and a gigue as the final movement. Some of the movements are linked thematically. The music represents
a highly successful synthesis of French, Italian and English styles, married with imaginative harmony.
The same can be said about most of Dieupart's other music, which has been neglected in recent times. The
suites were popular even during the composer's lifetime: they were reissued already in 1702, arranged for
violin or recorder (voice flute and fourth flute) and basso continuo, and then 13 of the movements were
published in London in 1705 as Select Lessons for the Harpsichord or Spinnett. Johann Sebastian Bach
copied all six suites sometime between 1709 and 1714,[2] and was influenced by Dieupart's music,
particularly in the famous English Suites.[1] Dieupart's suites may have also inspired Nicolas Siret, whose
first book adopts the suite's initial opening as an example.
List of works
Six suittes de clavessin (A, D, b, e, F, f) (Amsterdam, 1701)
Instrumental arrangements published as Six suittes (Amsterdam, 1702)
Thirteen individual movements published as Select Lessons for the Harpsichord or Spinnett
(London, 1705)
Songs in the New Opera, Call'd Love's Triumph, The Symphonys or Instrumental Parts in the Opera
Call'd Love's Triumph (London, 1708)
The Overture and Chaconne belonging to [...] the Opera of Thomyris (London, 1708; lost)
Six Sonatas or Solos (G, a, e, B, g, F), for recorder and basso continuo (London, 1717)
Sonata in D minor for oboe, strings and basso continuo
Sonata (Ouverture) in E minor for strings
Concerto in A minor for soprano recorder/flute/oboe, 2 oboes, bassoon, strings, and basso continuo
Concerto in A major for violin, 2 oboes, bassoon, strings, and basso continuo
Concerto in B major for 2 violins, 2 oboes, bassoon, strings, and basso continuo
Concerto in E minor for 2 flutes, 2 horns, strings, and basso continuo
Concerto in B minor for trumpet, 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo
miscellaneous keyboard pieces and 33 airs published in various collections
Notes
1. Fuller, Holman, Grove.
2. Butt 1997, 140.
References
Butt, John (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Bach. Cambridge Companions to Music. Cambridge
University Press. 1997. ISBN 978-0-521-58780-8
Fuller, David, and Holman, Peter. "Charles (Franois) Dieupart". In Macy, Laura. Grove Music
Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. (subscription required)
External links
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Free scores by Charles Dieupart at the International Music Score Library Project
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_Dieupart&oldid=715740983"
Categories: 17th-century births 1740 deaths 17th-century French people
18th-century French people Baroque composers French classical composers
French male classical composers French harpsichordists Members of the Academy of Ancient Music
18th-century keyboardists 18th-century classical composers
This page was last modified on 17 April 2016, at 18:29.
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Charles Dieupart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Dieupart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Dieupart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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