Desmarets and Boismortier

Donald Macleod steps into the French baroque with Desmarets and
Boismortier


Donald Macleod discovers the stories of two very colourful
figures of the French baroque, Henri Desmarets and Joseph Bodin
de Boismortier.


Born a generation apart, Boismortier and Desmarets are perhaps
lesser known figures of the French baroque, but together they
provide a fascinating picture of life and music-making in the
reigns of the Sun King and Louis XV after him.


Boismortier’s success came from what seems to be a natural
ability to keep his finger on the pulse: his music followed all
the latest trends and styles. He made a small fortune supplying
music to the amateur market. They were works that fall cleverly
under the fingers, and he advanced his profits by publishing them
for any number of different combinations of instruments. That’s
not to say he didn’t dip his toe into deeper waters: he wrote
cantatas, motets and stage works, of which the comic opera about
Don Quixote is probably the best known. After a golden career in
1753 at the age of 63, Boismortier retired to enjoy life on a
beautiful estate 45 minutes outside Paris.


That kind of material comfort was not to be Henri Desmarets’s
destiny. Born in 1661, he started out as a page at the Sun King’s
court. What was shaping up to be a promising career fell off the
tracks after he eloped with one of his pupils. Her furious father
got an order for his arrest, arranged for him to be attacked in
the street, and dragged him through the courts. The furore
finally ended when the couple fled into exile. In his absence
Desmarets was condemned to death. He eventually settled at the
Court of Lorraine. There’s little doubt his fall from grace had a
detrimental effect on his reputation. His operas and masses show
him to be a talented and innovative composer. He was one of the
very first composers known to have written for double choir and
orchestra.


Music Featured:


Boismortier: Trio sonata in D, op 37 no 3 (I. Allegro) Desmarets:
Mass for Two Choirs and Two Orchestras: Kyrie Desmarets: La Diane
de Fontainebleau (excerpt) Boismortier: Flute sonata in B minor
op 44/2 Desmarets: Te Deum (excerpt) Desmarets: La Diane de
Fontainebleau – Marche Desmarets: La Diane de Fontainebleau
(excerpt) Boismortier: Bassoon Concerto, Op 21 Boismortier: Les
quatre saisons, Op. 5 (Cantata no 4: Hyver) Desmarets: De
Profundis Desmarets: Didon (Act 5, Sc 1) A Nocte Temporis
Desmarets: Théagène et Chariclée (Act 4, sc 1) Desmarets: Mass
for 2 choirs and 2 orchestras (excerpt) Boismortier: Troisième
suite de piéces de clavécin Boismortier: Les voyages de l’amour
(Act 4, sc 2) Boismortier: Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse (First
divertimento) Desmarets: Les amours de Momus (Lieux charmants)
Desmarets: Usquequo Domino (Psalm XII) (excerpt) Desmarets: Vénus
et Adonis (Act 3 Sc 3, excerpt) Desmarets: Vénus et Adonis (Act
5, sc 5 to 8, excerpt) Boismortier: : Exaudiat te Dominus (Psalm
19) Boismortier: Daphnis et Chloé (Act 3, excerpt) Boismortier:
Daphnis et Chloé (Act 2, Sc 3, excerpt) Desmarets: Domine ne
furore Boismortier: Concerto for 5 flutes in A minor, Op 15/2
Desmarets: Circé: Sommeil - Ah! Que le sommeil est charmant


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Johannah Smith for BBC
Wales


For full track listings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Desmarets and Boismortier
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000nvbl


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z