Julien Perrichon
Encyclopedia
Julien Perrichon (November 6, 1566 – c. 1600) was a French composer and lute
nist of the late Renaissance
. He was a lute player for Henry IV of France
, and famous enough to be mentioned by Marin Mersenne
in Harmonie universelle (1636) as one of the finest musicians of the preceding age.
He was born in Paris. His father, Jehan Perrichon, was a viol
and shawm
player, also for the royal court. As a child Jehan probably learned to play the lute from the king's renowned lutenist, Vaumesnil. Court records mention him as a student of the lute from 1576 to 1578, at which time he was likely studying with Jean de la Fontaine or Samuel de La Roche, who were then the king's lutenists. While Perrichon's life has not yet been the subject of a scholarly study, records indicate he was formally the valet de chambre
to Henry IV sometime before 1595, a position he likely retained until his early death around 1600; neither the details of his employment nor the circumstances of his death are yet known.
All of Perrichon's surviving music is for lute. It includes dances in the prevailing styles, such as courante
s, galliard
s, voltas
, as well as preludes. Most of his music was published after his death, and it attained unusually wide distribution, appearing in Germany and England as well as his native France. Michael Praetorius
included his music in a collection in Germany, mentioning in prose his high quality as a composer. John Dowland
included some of his music in an English collection, inadvertently attributing it to his father Jehan.
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 of the late Renaissance
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
. He was a lute player for Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
, and famous enough to be mentioned by Marin Mersenne
Marin Mersenne
Marin Mersenne, Marin Mersennus or le Père Mersenne was a French theologian, philosopher, mathematician and music theorist, often referred to as the "father of acoustics"...
in Harmonie universelle (1636) as one of the finest musicians of the preceding age.
He was born in Paris. His father, Jehan Perrichon, was a viol
Viol
The viol is any one of a family of bowed, fretted and stringed musical instruments developed in the mid-late 15th century and used primarily in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The family is related to and descends primarily from the Renaissance vihuela, a plucked instrument that preceded the...
and shawm
Shawm
The shawm was a medieval and Renaissance musical instrument of the woodwind family made in Europe from the 12th century until the 17th century. It was developed from the oriental zurna and is the predecessor of the modern oboe. The body of the shawm was usually turned from a single piece of wood,...
player, also for the royal court. As a child Jehan probably learned to play the lute from the king's renowned lutenist, Vaumesnil. Court records mention him as a student of the lute from 1576 to 1578, at which time he was likely studying with Jean de la Fontaine or Samuel de La Roche, who were then the king's lutenists. While Perrichon's life has not yet been the subject of a scholarly study, records indicate he was formally the valet de chambre
Valet de chambre
Valet de chambre , or varlet de chambre, was a court appointment introduced in the late Middle Ages, common from the 14th century onwards. Royal Households had many persons appointed at any time...
to Henry IV sometime before 1595, a position he likely retained until his early death around 1600; neither the details of his employment nor the circumstances of his death are yet known.
All of Perrichon's surviving music is for lute. It includes dances in the prevailing styles, such as courante
Courante
The courante, corrente, coranto and corant are some of the names given to a family of triple metre dances from the late Renaissance and the Baroque era....
s, galliard
Galliard
The galliard was a form of Renaissance dance and music popular all over Europe in the 16th century. It is mentioned in dance manuals from England, France, Spain, Germany and Italy, among others....
s, voltas
Lavolta
The volta is an anglicised name for a Renaissance dance for couples from the later Renaissance. This dance was associated with the galliard and done to the same kind of music. Its main figure consisted of a turn and lift in a sort of closed position, which could be done either to the right or to...
, as well as preludes. Most of his music was published after his death, and it attained unusually wide distribution, appearing in Germany and England as well as his native France. Michael Praetorius
Michael Praetorius
Michael Praetorius was a German composer, organist, and music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of musical forms based on Protestant hymns, many of which reflect an effort to make better the relationship between...
included his music in a collection in Germany, mentioning in prose his high quality as a composer. John Dowland
John Dowland
John Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has...
included some of his music in an English collection, inadvertently attributing it to his father Jehan.