Charles Piroye
Encyclopedia
Charles Piroye was a French
Baroque
organist
and composer
.
. His teachers were Jean-Baptiste Lully
and Michel Lambert
, but some of the surviving music suggests not their influence, but that of Marc-Antoine Charpentier
. From 1690 to 1712 Piroye was organist of the Jacobins Church at Rue St. Jacques, and from 1708 to 1712 organist at Saint-Honoré. He started publishing his music at least as early as 1695; a tax register from that year lists him among the organists of the second rank (the "first rank" included François Couperin
, Louis Marchand
, and others). By 1712 he was evidently very well known, for the publisher of Piroye's Pièces choisies mentioned the composer's exceptionally high reputation ("each day renewed applause") in the preface. Évrard Titon du Tillet
, writing in 1732, referred to Piroye as one of the "most able organists recently deceased", providing the only clue as to when the composer died.
Piroye's organ works from Pièces choisies (Paris, 1712) cover much more ground than the French organ school tradition of the period. Most of his works are not fugues, hymn settings, trios, etc., but dialogues between different choirs of the organ. They all have descriptive titles: La Béatitude, La Paix, L'Allégresse, L'Immortelle, La Brillante, La Royal. Other works by Piroye also show a distinct, individual style.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Biography
Very little is known about his life, and even the dates of his birth and death have not yet been determined. He may have been born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. His teachers were Jean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
and Michel Lambert
Michel Lambert
Michel Lambert was a French singing master, theorbist and composer.Lambert was born at Champigny-sur-Veude, France. He received his musical education as an altar boy at the Chapel of Gaston d'Orléans. He studied also with Pierre de Nyert in Paris. Since 1636, he was known as a singing teacher...
, but some of the surviving music suggests not their influence, but that of Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, , was a French composer of the Baroque era.Exceptionally prolific and versatile, he produced compositions of the highest quality in several genres...
. From 1690 to 1712 Piroye was organist of the Jacobins Church at Rue St. Jacques, and from 1708 to 1712 organist at Saint-Honoré. He started publishing his music at least as early as 1695; a tax register from that year lists him among the organists of the second rank (the "first rank" included François Couperin
François Couperin
François Couperin was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented Couperin family.-Life:Couperin was born in Paris...
, Louis Marchand
Louis Marchand
Louis Marchand was a French Baroque organist, harpsichordist, and composer. Born into an organist's family, Marchand was a child prodigy and quickly established himself as one of the best known French virtuosi of his time. He worked as organist of numerous churches and, for a few years, at the...
, and others). By 1712 he was evidently very well known, for the publisher of Piroye's Pièces choisies mentioned the composer's exceptionally high reputation ("each day renewed applause") in the preface. Évrard Titon du Tillet
Évrard Titon du Tillet
Évrard Titon du Tillet is best known for his important biographical chronicle, Le Parnasse françois, composed of brief anecdotal vite of famous French poets and musicians of his time, under the reign of Louis XIV and the Régence.- Biography :Of Scottish origin, Évrard Titon du Tillet was the son...
, writing in 1732, referred to Piroye as one of the "most able organists recently deceased", providing the only clue as to when the composer died.
Piroye's organ works from Pièces choisies (Paris, 1712) cover much more ground than the French organ school tradition of the period. Most of his works are not fugues, hymn settings, trios, etc., but dialogues between different choirs of the organ. They all have descriptive titles: La Béatitude, La Paix, L'Allégresse, L'Immortelle, La Brillante, La Royal. Other works by Piroye also show a distinct, individual style.
List of works
- 3 livres d'airs sérieux et à boire (Paris, 1695–97)
- 9 airs in Recueil d'airs sérieux et à boire de différents auteurs (Paris, 1695–1724)
- Cantique pour le temps de noël, for soprano and basso continuo (Paris, 1703)
- Jephté, tragedy (1703)
- Le retour d'Eurydice aux enfers, for soprano, 2 violins or 2 flutes, and basso continuo (after 1710; an afterpiece for Louis-Nicolas ClérambaultLouis-Nicolas ClérambaultLouis-Nicolas Clérambault was a French musician, best known as an organist and composer. He was born and died in Paris.-Biography:...
's Orphée (1710, from the first book of cantatas)) - Pièces choisies [...] tant pour l'orgue et le clavecin, que pour toutes sortes d'instruments de musique (Paris, 1712): 5 large organ pieces (Simphonies)
- Premier livre de clavecin (lost)
- Messe de M. Biroat
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