The Music Masters under the different French Kings
A King’s personal choice, internal promotion and music competitions were methods used to recruit music masters for the Royal Chapel. They varied with each King, as did the musicians themselves. Let us go back in time, starting with the reign of Francis I….
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Francis I
1494-1547
In the 16th and early 17th century, music masters were usually appointed via internal promotion. Among them was Claudin de Sermisy, who took up the post in 1532.
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Henri II
1519-1559
In 1550 Guillaume Belin, Hilaire Rousseau & Nicolas Testard joined the Royal Chapel.
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Francis II
1544-1560
Didier Leschenet took over from Nicolas Testard when he died in 1559, early in the reign of Francis II whose reign was brief (he died of meningitis in 1560).
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Charles IX
1550-1574
Nothing is known of how Nicolas Millot was recruited, although he kept his post for much of the next King’s reign (Henri III).
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Henri III
1551-1589
Under Henri III, the royal chapel music masters were replaced almost every five years (in 1574, 1578, 1585 & 1589!). Notable newcomers were Eustache Du Caurroy, former Royal Chapel chorist, and Etienne Le Roy.
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Henri IV
1553-1610
The French court was in turmoil as the wars of religion tore through the Kingdom. The role of music master was divided into semesters. Abbot Nicolas Forme, royal chapel chorist and Eustache Picot, former master of music at Rouen cathedral, shared the year.
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Louis XIII
1610-1643
The two music masters chosen by Louis XIII were Nicolas Formé and Eustache Picot.
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Louis XV
1710-1774
In 1723, to assist an ageing Lalande, the Regent appointed three of his closest musicians - Nicolas Bernier, André Campra and Charles-Hubert Gervais. From 1738 onwards a series of musicians worked together, including Henry Madin, Esprit-Joseph-Antoine Blanchard, Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville, Charles Gauzargues and Julien-Amable Mathieu. This meant no less than nine music masters under one reign, including old Lalande who died in 1726!
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Louis XVI
1754-1793
Abbot Julien-Amable Mathieu, appointed under Louis XV in 1770, retained his post until the fall of the monarchy in 1792. No contest was organised in 1775 when his colleague François Giroust, former master of music at Orléans cathedral, was appointed. Follow the astonishing career of this musician in Episode 6…
Another recruitment contest under Louis XIV
On the death of abbot Jehan Veillot in 1662, Henry du Mont and Pierre Robert shared duties as the young King’s chapel masters. According to Jean Loret’s epistolary poem in La Muze historique on 7th July 1663, it is abundantly clear that a contest was held and Du Mont and Robert were recruited!
« Après les essais qu’on a faits
De quantité de Gens parfaits
En profession Musicale,
par mérite et non par bonheur,
Avoir la Maîtrise et l’honneur,
Le Roy, dont l’oreille est savante
En cette science charmante,
Par un vrai jugement d’Expert,
A choisi Dumont et Robert,
Tous-deux rares, tous-deux sublimes,
Et tous-deux excellentissime ;
Bref, chacun demeure d’accord
Que sans faire à personne tort
De ceux qui parurent en lice,
On leur rend à tous-deux justice :
De la Cour c’est le sentiment,
Et le nôtre, pareillement.
Chacun d’eux bien ravi doit être
De se voir ainsi passer Maître ;
Cela, sans canon et sans fer,
S’appelle vaincre et triompher ;
Et, tout-de-bon, la préférence
Dans cette grande concurrence
De très-capables Aspirans
(Qui sont à présent soûpirans),
Est un guerdon inestimable
Qui joint l’utile à l’honorable,
Et qui les doit bien réjouir ;
En puissent-ils longtemps jouir. »