François d'Agincourt
Encyclopedia
François d'Agincourt (1684 30 April 1758) was a French harpsichordist
, organist
, and composer. He spent most of his life in Rouen
, his native city, where he worked as organist of the Rouen Cathedral
and of three smaller churches. Highly regarded during his lifetime, d'Agincourt was one of the organists of the royal chapel. The single surviving book of harpsichord
music by him contains masterful pieces inspired by François Couperin
; also extant are some 40 organ works that survive in manuscript copies.
and received his early musical training there. He soon left for Paris where he probably studied under Nicolas Lebègue
. Between 1701 and 1706 he worked as organist of Sainte-Madeleine-en-la-Cité in Paris, and in 1706 he went back to Rouen and became organist of the Rouen Cathedral
, succeeding Jacques Boyvin
. He kept the post until his death some 52 years later. Later he also took jobs at St. Herbland, the Abbey of Saint-Ouen
(he would hold both of these until his death as well), and at St. Jean, all in Rouen. By 1714 he was sufficiently well-known and respected to be appointed one of the four organists of the royal chapel. Jacques Duphly
studied with d'Agincourt in c. 1730–31, but his surviving works do not show any considerable influence of his teacher's style.
D'Agincourt only published a single collection of his music, 1er livre de clavecin (Paris, 1733). It contains 43 pieces for harpsichord, clearly influenced by François Couperin
: the pieces are organized into ordres, make good use of ornamentation, and many are character pieces: genre scenes, portraits (sometimes double portraits), etc. D'Agincourt's organ music, which survives in manuscript copies, comprises some 46 pieces for liturgical use. They are more progressive than Couperin's organ works, with frequent use of elements of the style galant
. The pieces are organized according to mode, as is usual in French organ music, but for unknown reasons d'Agincourt omits the third mode altogether. Suites in the first three modes (i.e. 1, 2, and 4) are less developed than the remaining ones. Apart from keyboard pieces, only three songs for soloist and basso continuo are known, published in the anthology Recueil d'airs sérieux et à boire in 1713 and 1716.
A portrait of one Barthélemy-Jean-Claude Pupil is frequently misidentified as a portrait of d'Agincourt.
Harpsichordist
A harpsichordist is a person who plays the harpsichord.Many baroque composers played the harpsichord, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, George Frideric Handel, François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau...
, 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. He spent most of his life in Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, his native city, where he worked as organist of the Rouen Cathedral
Rouen Cathedral
Rouen Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Gothic cathedral in Rouen, in northwestern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Rouen and Normandy.-History:...
and of three smaller churches. Highly regarded during his lifetime, d'Agincourt was one of the organists of the royal chapel. The single surviving book of harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
music by him contains masterful pieces inspired by 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...
; also extant are some 40 organ works that survive in manuscript copies.
Biography
D'Agincourt was born in RouenRouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
and received his early musical training there. He soon left for Paris where he probably studied under Nicolas Lebègue
Nicolas Lebègue
Nicolas Lebègue was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was born in Laon and in 1650s settled in Paris, quickly establishing himself as one of the best organists of the country. He lived and worked in Paris until his death, but frequently made trips to other cities to...
. Between 1701 and 1706 he worked as organist of Sainte-Madeleine-en-la-Cité in Paris, and in 1706 he went back to Rouen and became organist of the Rouen Cathedral
Rouen Cathedral
Rouen Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Gothic cathedral in Rouen, in northwestern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Rouen and Normandy.-History:...
, succeeding Jacques Boyvin
Jacques Boyvin
Jacques Boyvin was a French Baroque composer and organist.He was probably born in Paris, and studied there. One of his first jobs was that of organist of the parisian church des Quinze-Vingts, and in 1674 he was appointed titular organist of the Rouen Cathedral, where Jean Titelouze served as...
. He kept the post until his death some 52 years later. Later he also took jobs at St. Herbland, the Abbey of Saint-Ouen
Church of St. Ouen, Rouen
The Church of St. Ouen is a large Gothic Roman Catholic church in Rouen, northern France, famous for both its architecture and its large, unaltered Cavaillé-Coll organ, which Charles-Marie Widor described as "a Michelangelo of an organ"...
(he would hold both of these until his death as well), and at St. Jean, all in Rouen. By 1714 he was sufficiently well-known and respected to be appointed one of the four organists of the royal chapel. Jacques Duphly
Jacques Duphly
Jacques Duphly was a French harpsichordist and organist, and the composer of bright, lively, and attractive keyboard music.- Biography :...
studied with d'Agincourt in c. 1730–31, but his surviving works do not show any considerable influence of his teacher's style.
D'Agincourt only published a single collection of his music, 1er livre de clavecin (Paris, 1733). It contains 43 pieces for harpsichord, clearly influenced by 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...
: the pieces are organized into ordres, make good use of ornamentation, and many are character pieces: genre scenes, portraits (sometimes double portraits), etc. D'Agincourt's organ music, which survives in manuscript copies, comprises some 46 pieces for liturgical use. They are more progressive than Couperin's organ works, with frequent use of elements of the style galant
Galante music
A new style of classical music, fashionable from the 1720s to the 1770s, was called Galante music. It consciously simplified contrapuntal texture and intense composing techniques that realized a pattern on the page and substituted a clear leading voice with a transparent accompaniment....
. The pieces are organized according to mode, as is usual in French organ music, but for unknown reasons d'Agincourt omits the third mode altogether. Suites in the first three modes (i.e. 1, 2, and 4) are less developed than the remaining ones. Apart from keyboard pieces, only three songs for soloist and basso continuo are known, published in the anthology Recueil d'airs sérieux et à boire in 1713 and 1716.
A portrait of one Barthélemy-Jean-Claude Pupil is frequently misidentified as a portrait of d'Agincourt.