Boismortier, Joseph Bodin de - Dikmans on Performance

# Joseph Bodin de Boismortier Biography ![[Boismortier.jpeg]] Joseph Bodin de Boismortier by Jean Ranc (1674–1735) ## Overview **Boismortier** (1689–1755) did not come from a celebrated family of musicians, as did such notable contemporaries as **Jacques Hotteterre** (1674–1763) and **François Couperin** (1668–1733). The son of a merchant confectioner, he held no long-term official post at the French court or other noble or ecclesiastical musical establishment. He was acknowledged as being pleasant and good company, clever, original and inventive. > [!box] Boismortier was simply a talented and prolific composer of profitable and popular works that enabled him to live a life of fame and luxury. Boismortier’s fame and popularity aroused jealousy in some quarters, as can be seen in a few less-than-flattering opinions of him and his music published during the eighteenth century and quoted by many present day authors. These opinions should be balanced by those of writers such as Evrard Titon du Tillet who, in the last supplement of his *Parnasse François* (*French Parnassus*) published in 1756, referred to Boismortier as one of its most illustrious members: > ‘here’s to the memory of one of the most illustrious French poets and musicians.’ Titon du Tillet refers to the fact that Boismortier sometimes included a dedicatory poem in his publications. In his *Essai sur la Musique Ancienne et Moderne* (*Essay on Ancient and Modern Music*) published in 1780, Jean-Benjamin de la Borde wrote a portrait of Boismortier that mentions that he ‘put together his verses like \[the poet, dramatist and novelist Paul] Scarron (1610–1660), several of which were well-known in society.’ > [!box] Boismortier responded to his critics by saying that he was just trying to make a living. He did not feel the need for what in French is known as *succès d’estime*, praise from the critics (but with poor sales). Rather, he had real popularity, a popularity that should not prejudice us against the quality of his compositions or his skill as a composer. > [!box] Boismortier was writing for a cultured, knowledgeable and sophisticated audience. --- ![[Boismortier-par-Ranc.jpg]] Joseph Bodin de Boismortier taking snuff by Jean Ranc (1674–1735) --- ## Early Life Boismortier was born on 23 December 1689 in Thionville, a town in the Lorraine region near Luxembourg. This was during the reign of Louis XIV (reigned 1643–1715), a time when France became the dominant power in Europe, both politically and culturally. Louis XIV had moved his court from Paris to Versailles in 1682. As well as becoming a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy in the *Ancien Régime*, Versailles was an important cultural centre where all the arts flourished under the patronage of the king. At the time of Boismortier’s birth, Louis XIV was involved in the War of the Grand Alliance (1688–1697) fought between France and a European-wide coalition. The war was ended with the Treaty of Ryswyck, by which time France was in the grip of an economic crisis. The French people, feeling that their sacrifices in the war had been for nothing, never forgave the king. Boismortier’s father, Étienne Bodin (1652–1730), spent some time in the French military. He was given the nickname ‘Boismortier’ which literally means ‘wood or wooden mortar’ (as in the weapon). When his regiment was stationed in Thionville, Étienne obtained an exemption from the army in order to marry local girl Lucie Gravet (1665–1738) on 7 April 1687. Étienne then followed his family tradition by becoming a merchant confectioner after moving to Metz (30km south of Thionville). In Metz Boismortier began his musical education with Joseph Valette de Montigny (1665–1738), a well-known composer of motets, who was related to the rich Valette family of goldsmiths from Perpignan and by 1713 he had moved to that city. A parish register notes that in November 1702 a motet composed by Valette de Montigny was performed for a wedding in Metz. Boismortier, then aged 12, sang in that performance. Boismortier studied **composition**, **singing** and the **flute**, an instrument that was becoming popular after its redesign by French makers and players, such as the Hotteterre family. He is known to have written a flute tutor that is sadly now lost. His interest in flute pedagogy can also be seen in his surviving *Diverses pièces pour une flûte traversière seule … propres pour ceux qui commencent à jouer de cet instrument* Op.22 (Paris, 1728) (*Diverse pieces for a solo transverse flute … appropriate for those who are starting to play this instrument*). At the time he taught Boismortier, Valette de Montigny was a *musician in ordinary* employed by Jean-Baptiste Louis Picon, Vicomte d’Andrezel (c.1663–1727). Picon began his career in the royal civil service as secretary to the Grand Dauphin (the eldest son and heir of Louis XIV) and in 1701 was working in the administration of Alsace (today the province to the east of Lorraine). Boismortier was to become a friend of the viscount. --- ## Boismortier in Perpignan (1713–1723) By 1713 Boismortier had followed Valette de Montigny to Perpignan, the capital of Roussillon, a province on the border with Spain. He took up the position of *Receveur de la Régie royale des Tabacs pour les troupes du Roussillon* (Tax Collector of the Royal Tobacco Excise Office for the troops in Roussillon), a post he held for nearly ten years. It is probable that the position was arranged by Vicomte d’Andrezel, who in 1716 was appointed *Intendant* (a public office representing the king with jurisdiction over finances, policing and justice) in Roussillon. The viscount was an amateur flute player and it seems certain that he and Boismortier played duets together. In his second opus of flute duets (Paris, 1724) Boismortier included a dedicatory poem titled *A Monsieur Privat, Noble de Perpignan*, a thinly disguised reference to Vicomte d’Andrezel, which concludes: > *Si mon pourvoir a mes souhaits,* > *Cher amy, s’egale jamais,* > *Je te marqueray mieux encore* > *Avec quelle ardeur je t’honore,* > *Et combien je suis tout entier* > *Ton fidelle amy BOISMORTIER.* > If my power ever equals my wishes, > Dear friend, > I will show you even more > With what ardour I honour you, > And how completely I am > Your faithful friend, Boismortier. In 1720 Boismortier married Marie Valette, a distant niece of his music teacher and whose father was superintendent of finance at the Town Hall. Their daughter Suzanne was born in November 1722. While in Perpignan, some songs by Boismortier were published in a collection of *airs à boire et sérieux* (drinking songs and serious songs) by Ballard in Paris in 1721. --- ## Boismortier in Paris (1723–1753) Around 1723, on the advice of Vicomte d’Andrezel, Boismortier moved to Paris to begin a career as a professional musician. > [!box] Boismortier was reluctant to take a paid position with a patron, preferring rather to become successful by his own efforts. In 1724 he obtained his first *Privilège du Roi* to publish vocal and instrumental music. This *privilège* gave Boismortier the exclusive right to publish his own works and so be protected against any counterfeits printed within France. Boismortier went on to publish a large amount of music. Many of his compositions were intended for the numerous amateur musicians among the nobility and bourgeoisie. However there are also works obviously written for professional musicians that demand a great deal of expertise in performance. There is virtuosic vocal writing in his motets for solo voice and in the ***Six Sonates pour une flûte traversiere et un violon par accords*** (Op. 51) the violin part employs many chords that are a challenge to any violinist. ![[Boismortier-Sonata-5-Sarabanda.png]] Sarabanda from Sonata 5 (Op. 51) – the second staff is for violin ‘with chords.’ > [!box] Boismortier published at least 101 collections of suites, sonatas and other instrumental music with opus numbers. A majority of the pieces include, or were written specifically for, the **flute**: suites and sonatas with and without basso continuo, duets and trios, and even concertos for five flutes. He also wrote for other wind instruments, string instruments, solo harpsichord and two of the particularly fashionable instruments of the time, the **musette** (a type of refined bagpipes) and the **hurdy-gurdy**. To help increase sales many title pages give a wide variety of possible instrumentations, for example Opus 77 (1739) includes six sonatas for hurdy-gurdy, musette, flute or violin and basso continuo. As already noted, Boismortier also wrote for the voice. In addition to fourteen collections of airs, he also published two books of secular cantatas and one of motets for solo voice with instruments and basso continuo. His Christmas motet *Fugit nox* for large choir and organ (now lost), which used themes from popular *noëls*, was first performed at the *Concert Spirituel* (a public concert series) in 1742 and then every year until 1770, well after his death. Boismortier wrote at least four stage works for solo singers, choir, dancers and orchestra. We know that three were performed: the opera-ballet ***Les Voyages de l’Amour*** in 1736 and the ballet-comique ***Don Quichotte chez la duchesse*** in 1743, both at the *Académie Royale de Musiqu*e, and the pastorale ***Daphnis et Chloé*** in 1747 at the Opéra. Boismortier was the musical director in orchestral concerts at the **Foire Saint-Laurent** (1743–1745) and the **Foire Saint-Germain** (1745). These were annual fairs dating back to the twelfth century that included all manner of goods and entertainments, such as marionettes, tightrope walkers and fairground performers presenting short plays. They were a meeting place for artisans, merchants and the bourgeoisie. --- ## Retirement and Death In 1753, at the age of 63, Boismortier decided to retire from musical activities. An autograph letter has survived that gives his reason: > ‘the Italians, who have taken over at the *Opéra*, have reduced me to retirement.’ He is referring to the *Querelle des Bouffons*, the name given to a dispute over rival musical philosophies which took place in Paris between 1752 and 1754. The controversy was over the relative merits of French opera versus Italian opera. Boismortier died on his estate *La Gastinellerie* in Roissy-en-Brie (27km west of Paris) on 28 October 1755 at the age of 65. His daughter continued to sell his compositions. --- © Greg Dikmans