André Philidor biography
André Philidor, authentic household title Danican, byname L’aîné, (born c. 1652—died Aug. 11, 1730, Dreux, France), musician and composer, an excellent member of a big and essential household of musicians lengthy linked with the French court docket.
The first recorded representatives of the household have been Michel Danican (died c. 1659), upon whom the nickname Philidor (the title of a well-known Italian musician) was bestowed by Louis XIII as a complimentary reference to his talent, and André’s father Jean (died 1679), who, like Michel, performed varied devices within the Grande Écurie, the king’s band. André and his brothers, Jacques, referred to as “le Cadet” (died 1708), and Alexandre, whose beginning and dying dates are unknown, additionally performed within the royal band.
André distinguished himself as a performer in Louis XIV’s chamber and chapel and composed a number of divertissements, or opéra ballets, for royal leisure, in addition to marches, fanfares, and comparable music. Further, as keeper of the royal music library from 1684, he collected lots of of volumes of dances, operas, sacred music, songs, marches, and different music from the time of Henry III onward; a big a part of this invaluable assortment survives.
André and Jacques every had youngsters who carried on the household custom, a very powerful being André’s son François-André Philidor (q.v.), famous as a composer and chess participant. Another son of André, Michel, whose beginning and dying dates are unknown, a drummer within the Grande Écurie, is claimed to have labored with the instrument builder Jacques Hotteterre (q.v.) within the invention of the oboe.