Musicians at court were organised into three main establishments: Musique de la Chambre, Musique de la Chapelle and Musique de la Grande Écurie. Each of these organisations also allowed for the formation of smaller ensembles of musicians. Whilst the three main units were independent from each other in administration and performance, they would join forces and perform together during court ballets and grand ceremonial events. This became increasingly more common after Lully’s appointment as Surintendant de la Musique in 1661. Furthermore, musicians could hold positions within multiple groups, and thus move between units as required. Towards the end of Louis XIV’s reign, the court employed between 100 and 200 musicians. The establishments they played for provided a huge array of music which accompanied almost every aspect of court life.

 

 

Musique de la Chambre

Music of the Chamber

 

Musicians at the Musique de la Chambre were generally made up of players of relatively quiet instruments, such as the violin, viol, lute, harpsichord, recorder, and flute, as performances primarily occurred indoors. As well as concerts, chamber musicians would perform in a variety of settings including for plays, operas, ballets, and balls. The King’s Chamber employed some of the most renowned musicians of the time, including multiple members of the De La Barre family, De Visée, Marais, Chambonnières, D’Anglebert, and Couperin.

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In 1592, the position of Surintendant de la Musique de la Chambre was formed, allowing for an individual to oversee the running and decision making of the organisation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, however, two men were appointed simultaneously, with each serving for one of the two terms per year. They were responsible for choosing the repertoire the Vingt-quatre performed, as well as all non-religious musical performances at court. The Surintendant was aided by the Maître de Musique de la Chambre, whose role it was to provide the musical education, sustenance and clothing of the boys assigned to the Chamber. [1]

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The Musique de la Chambre was made up of two smaller units: the Vingt-quatre Violons du Roi and the Petits Violons du Roi.

 

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Vingt-quatre Violons du Roi

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Also known as the Grande Bande, The Vingt-quatre Violons du Roi were first noted at the court of François I (1515-1547). Having gained official recognition in 1626 by Louis XIII, the Vingt-quatre became indispensable within the performance of ballet de cour. By the time of Louis XIV’s court, they were the largest ensemble within the King’s Chamber, playing specifically for the King and his courtiers to dance to, as well as performances at ceremonial dinners and public functions outside of the palace within the city of Paris. Musicians would buy their membership of the Vingt-quatre and sold their office position to another musician upon leaving. The King, however, could refuse the sale if he deemed the new member to be an incompetent musician.

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As an ensemble built around stringed instruments, the Vingt-quatre can be considered the first formally established orchestra, often reinforced by the Douze Grands Hautbois of the Grande Écurie. Split into five parts, the outer voices were the most heavily reinforced, whereas the three inner voices had a much lighter texture. This framework became the model used by Lully upon creating his orchestra for the Paris Opera in 1672, and thus became the standard voicing of the string section during the development of the modern-day symphony orchestra.

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In 1661 the Vingt-quatre came under the administration of Lully, although the day-to-day director remained as Guillaume Dumanoir, who was appointed the ‘twenty-fifth’ violin by special order of the King in 1655. Louis XIV believed Dumanoir’s ability, loyalty and diligence were “considered necessary to maintain this ensemble in its state of perfection.” Lully only directed the Vingt-quatre personally for the occasional important event. [2]

 

The Vingt-quatre enjoyed much success, serving multiple French monarchs and their courts until 1761.

 

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Petits Violons du Roi

 

Formed in 1648 when Louis was 10 years old, the Petits Violons du Roi were effectively a ‘toy orchestra’ for the young King, serving him personally throughout his lifetime until their disbandment in 1715 upon Louis XIV’s death. Originally known as the Petite Bande, the Petits Violons were a smaller version of the same five-part string ensemble established under the Vingt-quatre Violons. However, their structure was slightly more Italianate in style in comparison to the Vingt-quatre, with more violins and fewer violas and basses. The ensemble initially had 18 string players, although by 1690 this was supplemented by 2 oboists and 2 bassoonists.

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Like the Vingt-quatre, the Petits Violons also performed for balls, ballets, plays and other social gatherings, although their alternative name, the Violons du Cabinet, suggests that they may have entertained specifically invited audiences during private functions as well. The Petits Violons had closer ties to the court, as their musicians often held lodgings within the palace and accompanied the King during his travels. Upon his appointment in 1653 as Composeur de la Musique Instrumentale, Lully became musical director of the Petits Violons, and thus used the ensemble to try out many of his new ideas which he could not do with the Vingt-quatre Violons. [3]

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The Petits Violons served Louis XIV from childhood to old age, disbanding in 1715 at around the same time as his death. 

 

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Musique de la Chapelle Royale

Music of the Royal Chapel

 

The Musique de la Chapelle Royale supplied the music for the daily religious services which took place at court. Louis XIV himself attended mass every morning, in which the musicians employed by the Chapelle Royale would perform. The Chapelle was predominantly made up of singers, including boys, men, priests, laymen and castrati, who were supplemented by a handful of instrumentalists. The 1708 État de la France specifies the employment of 11 sopranos, made up of boys, castrati and falsettis, 18 hautes-contres, the French equivalent of a countertenor, 23 tenors, 24 baritones and 14 basses. It is unlikely that these singers sung together in one large ensemble, but instead sung in rotation in smaller choirs. Similarly, 4 separate organists would rotate to accompany the singers during mass. [4]

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Appointment as a chapel musician was one of the most prestigious offices a musician could hold, with many singers also holding posts within the Musique de la Chambre as well as performing in theatrical productions staged at court. As the Chapelle Royale was primarily a vocal establishment, only a few instrumentalists were employed. Initially in the early 17th century, they accompanied plainchant, and doubled the bass line in the performance of polyphonic repertoire. However, by the mid-1600’s, bowed string players were brought into the chapel for ‘concerted’ pieces. [5] 15 instrumentalists were employed by 1705, whilst the 1708 État de la France documents woodwind instruments being in use at the Chapelle, including 2 flutes, 2 oboes and 1 bassoon amongst the 19 instruments listed.

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The Sous-maître or Compositeur de la Chapelle held the responsibility of training the choir and choosing or composing the repertoire for the King’s daily mass and other important ceremonies that took place at court. For day-to-day services, the Chapelle put on grand motets scored for two choirs, along with small scale instrumental symphonies scored for either one or two string players per part. For more grand occasions, such as royal births, coronations, weddings, military victories and funerals, instrumentalists were brought in from the Chambre and the Grand Écurie to perform alongside the Chapelle musicians.

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The Musique de la Chapelle held a strong influence over the development of French baroque music. Louis XIV’s requirement for music at the chapel to be appropriate for a monarch brought about the existence of the grand motet. As a direct result, instrumentalists were brought into the Chapelle to accompany this new vocal genre. In addition to this, Philidor’s copies of 1689 and 1690 show women were evident in the motets of Delalande, having been introduced to the Chapelle around a similar time to Lully’s appointment as Compositeur de la Musique Instrumentale in 1653. [6]

 

           

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Musique de la Grande Écurie

Music of the Great Stable  

 

The Musique de la Grande Écurie coordinated the ceremonial aspect of the court’s musical life. Housing the King’s horses, the Grande Écurie were typically associated with military and outdoor engagements including military salutes, parades, the arrival of the King or foreign dignitaries and fêtes, as well as milestone events such as royal births, marriages, and funerals. Substantial volume was necessary for successful execution of these performances, therefore musicians of the Écurie played loud wind, brass, and percussion instruments.

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The Grande Écurie employed the most woodwind players in comparison to the Chambre and the Chapelle. These musicians were frequently multi-instrumentalists and descended from families who had been employed at the French court for many generations. Therefore, families such as the Rodde’s, the Philidor’s, and the Hotteterre’s, were fortunate in their financial security due to the various employment opportunities they received at the court. This in turn led to the development of performance practice and advances in instrument-making, which influenced the spread of French music to other European courts as well as making their instruments some of the most admired.

 

The division of the Musique de la Grande Écurie changed and adjusted as required to move forward with the times. During the 1540s, 100 years before the court of Louis XIV, instrumentalists were grouped into three units, consisting of 12 players in the Saqueboutes et Joueurs d’Instruments, 5 players in the Fifres et Tambourins, and 7 players in the Trompettes. By 1689, the 43 musicians of the Écurie were divided into five smaller ensembles: the Trompettes, the Violons, Hautbois, Saqueboutes et Cornets, the Hautbois et Musettes de Poitou, the Fifres et Tambours, and the Cromornes et Trompettes Marines. [7]

 

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Trompettes

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Made up of 12 trumpet players, the Trompettes occasionally provided musicians for staged theatrical productions when they required military sound effects.

 

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Violons, Hautbois, Saqueboutes et Cornets

 

The Violons, Hautbois, Saqueboutes et Cornets were a group of 12 violin, oboe, sackbut and cornett players. Frequently referred to as the Douze Grands Hautbois, these musicians could often play stringed instruments, therefore a selection of players could accompany those playing wind instruments as required.

 

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Hautbois et Musettes de Poitou

 

The Hautbois et Musettes de Poitou included 6 oboe and musette players. An instrument from the bagpipe family, the musette first came into use towards the end of the 16th century in France, where it was further developed by the Hotteterre family.  Players of the Hautbois et Musettes not only played capped double reed instruments, but were also competent bassoon, flute and recorder players. Towards the end of Louis XIV’s reign when the musette had declined in popularity, the ensemble became a specialised group of flute and recorder players.

 

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Fifres et Tambours

 

The 8 players of the Fifres et Tambours, or fifes and drums, provided music for the King’s many appearances, as well as performing alongside the Trompettes for theatrical productions.

 

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Cromornes et Trompettes Marines

 

The Cromornes et Trompettes Marines consisted of 5 crumhorn and trumpet players, although their make up as this instrumentation was short lived. The crumhorn’s popularity declined quickly over the reign of Louis XIV, whilst the marine trumpet was obsolete by the middle of the 17th century. Instead, the Cromornes et Trompettes Marines became a supplementary supply of oboists and bassoonists.

 

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It is important to note that each of these small ensembles within the Grande Écurie kept their original titles long after their suggested instrumentation had changed Moreover, it is difficult to confirm the exact instrumental practices of these units as many musicians were capable of playing multiple instruments. Besides official ceremonial engagements, musicians could also be selected to perform for staged theatrical productions, ranging from ballets to masquerades, in which they would appear on stage in costume rather than arranged towards the side or in the pit. These instrumentalists would receive extra pay if they were fortunate enough to be called upon for special events.[8]

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