Adrian Le Roy
Encyclopedia
Adrian Le Roy was an influential French music publisher, lute
nist, guitarist, composer and music educator.
in northern France to a wealthy family. Very little is actually known about his formative years but he was probably a chorister and studied the lute
, guitar and cittern
with various teachers.
He became an accomplished musician and entered the service of, first, Claude de Clermont, then, Jacques II (Baron de Semblançay and Viscount of Tours), both members of the aristocracy who had influence at court. In 1546 he met the publisher Jean de Brouilly in Paris and married his daughter Denise de Brouilly.
Le Roy and his cousin Robert Ballard (ca. 1525-1588) founded the printing firm "Le Roy & Ballard", and in August 1551 obtained a royal privilege from Henry II
to print music. In February 1553, the company was awarded the title of "imprimeur du Roi en musique" (previously held by Pierre Attaignant). This office, which was renewed by successive monarchs, gave the company legal protection against competitors and commercially valuable prestige. Royal patronage was a major factor in the company's success since it ensured both a ready supply of new music from the court musicians and a market for its publications. Over the following two decades other rival companies dropped out of the market and from the 1570s onwards Le Roy & Ballard enjoyed a virtual monopoly in music publishing. The publishing house lasted to the 19th century.
While Robert Ballard looked after the business side, Le Roy was the artistic director. He achieved renown as a composer and arranger of songs and instrumentals, his published work including at least six books of tablature for the lute, 5 volumes for the guitar and arrangements for the cittern. Le Roy also helped to ensure the success of composer Orlande de Lassus
, introducing him to court and publishing his music.
Le Roy died in Paris in 1598.
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
nist, guitarist, composer and music educator.
Life
Le Roy was born in the town of Montreuil-sur-MerMontreuil-sur-Mer
Montreuil or Montreuil-sur-Mer is a sub-prefecture in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is located on the Canche river, not far from Étaples...
in northern France to a wealthy family. Very little is actually known about his formative years but he was probably a chorister and studied the lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
, guitar and cittern
Cittern
The cittern or cither is a stringed instrument dating from the Renaissance. Modern scholars debate its exact history, but it is generally accepted that it is descended from the Medieval Citole, or Cytole. It looks much like the modern-day flat-back mandolin and the modern Irish bouzouki and cittern...
with various teachers.
He became an accomplished musician and entered the service of, first, Claude de Clermont, then, Jacques II (Baron de Semblançay and Viscount of Tours), both members of the aristocracy who had influence at court. In 1546 he met the publisher Jean de Brouilly in Paris and married his daughter Denise de Brouilly.
Le Roy and his cousin Robert Ballard (ca. 1525-1588) founded the printing firm "Le Roy & Ballard", and in August 1551 obtained a royal privilege from Henry II
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
to print music. In February 1553, the company was awarded the title of "imprimeur du Roi en musique" (previously held by Pierre Attaignant). This office, which was renewed by successive monarchs, gave the company legal protection against competitors and commercially valuable prestige. Royal patronage was a major factor in the company's success since it ensured both a ready supply of new music from the court musicians and a market for its publications. Over the following two decades other rival companies dropped out of the market and from the 1570s onwards Le Roy & Ballard enjoyed a virtual monopoly in music publishing. The publishing house lasted to the 19th century.
While Robert Ballard looked after the business side, Le Roy was the artistic director. He achieved renown as a composer and arranger of songs and instrumentals, his published work including at least six books of tablature for the lute, 5 volumes for the guitar and arrangements for the cittern. Le Roy also helped to ensure the success of composer Orlande de Lassus
Orlande de Lassus
Orlande de Lassus was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance...
, introducing him to court and publishing his music.
Le Roy died in Paris in 1598.
Some Published Works
- Premier Livre de Tablature de Luth (1551).
- Briefve et facile instruction (1551).
- Tiers Livre de Tablature de Luth (1552).
- Cinquiesme Livre de Guiterre (1554).
- Second Livre de Guiterre (1556).
- Instruction de Luth (1557).
- Sixiesme Livre de Luth (1559).
- A Briefe and Easye Instrution to Learne the Tableture to Conducte and Dispose the Hande unto the Lute (1568 - 2nd ed. 1574) - English translation by Alford.
- Livre d'air de cours miz sur le Luth (1571): Solo songs with lute accompaniments.
- Les instructions pour le Luth (1574)
Further reading
- Calmes, Keith. Guitar Music of the 16th Century (Mel Bay, 2008), pp46 ff.
- Harr, James. European music, 1520-1640 (Boydell Press, 2006)), p172 ff.
- Lesure, Francois & Thibault, Geneviève. Bibliographie des éditions musicales d'Adrian Le Roy et Robert Ballard, 1551-1598 (Paris, 1955).
- Tyler, James & Sparks, Paul. The guitar and its music: From the Renaissance to the Classical era (OUP Oxford, 2007), p17 ff.
External links
- Adrian Le Roy (at "Virtual Baroque")
- Lute tablature.
- Lute songs.
- 4 Pieces by Le Roy performed on the lute (YouTube)
- 4 songs arranged by Le Roy (YouTube).