Les Vingt-quatre Violons du Roi
Encyclopedia
The Vingt-quatre Violons du Roy (in modern notation also Vingt-quatre Violons du roi) were a famous five-part string orchestra at the French royal court, existing from 1626 to 1761.
. As part of the Musique de la Chambre they played an important role in the musical accompaniment of festivities and official events at the Versailles
court. If needed they were reinforced by the wind instruments of the Grande Ecurie, an ensemble that was primarily responsible for open-air and military occasions, or they performed together with the orchestra of the opera. Members of the Vingt-quatre Violons had to have an impeccable reputation and had to be Roman Catholic. Their privileges included tax exemption and the right to carry a rapier. Among the members of the ensemble were Jean-Baptiste Lully
, Jean-Féry Rebel
, his son François Rebel
and Jacques Aubert
.
In 1656, under Louis XIV
, the Vingt-quatre Violons were supplemented by an orchestra consisting of 16, later 21 strings. The new ensemble was called La petite bande, the Vingt-quatre Violons were dubbed La grande bande. In 1761, the orchestra was disbanded, mainly for financial reasons, and was merged with the Chapelle Royale, then responsible solely for religious festivities.
The three middle parts were played by viola
s of equal tuning, but different size (corpus between 39 and 48 cm), resulting in different timbre and volume. The basse de violon was tuned a whole step lower than a modern cello
but was roughly the same size and shape. The group could be further augmented by the addition of violone
doubling the basses de violon. Sometimes a bass viol could be substituted for a basse de violon; the Petite Bande also included several viol players. The instrumentation of the Vingt-quatre Violons greatly influenced the five-part string writing that prevailed in 17th and 18th century France, especially the early-18th-century French orchestral symphonies of Jean-Féry Rebel
, etc.
History
The Vingt-quatre Violons du Roy (engl. "The King's 24 Strings") were founded 1626 under Louis XIIILouis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
. As part of the Musique de la Chambre they played an important role in the musical accompaniment of festivities and official events at the Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
court. If needed they were reinforced by the wind instruments of the Grande Ecurie, an ensemble that was primarily responsible for open-air and military occasions, or they performed together with the orchestra of the opera. Members of the Vingt-quatre Violons had to have an impeccable reputation and had to be Roman Catholic. Their privileges included tax exemption and the right to carry a rapier. Among the members of the ensemble 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...
, Jean-Féry Rebel
Jean-Féry Rebel
Jean-Féry Rebel was an innovative French Baroque composer and violinist.-Biography:Rebel , a son of the singer Jean Rebel, a tenor in Louis XIV's private chapel, was a child violin prodigy. He became, at the age of eight, one of his father's most famous musical offspring. Later, he was a student...
, his son François Rebel
François Rebel
François Rebel was a French composer of the Baroque era. Born in Paris, the son of the leading composer Jean-Féry Rebel, he was a child prodigy who became a violinist in the orchestra of the Paris Opera at the age of 13...
and Jacques Aubert
Jacques Aubert
Jacques Aubert , also known as Jacques Aubert le Vieux , was a French composer and violinist....
.
In 1656, under Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, the Vingt-quatre Violons were supplemented by an orchestra consisting of 16, later 21 strings. The new ensemble was called La petite bande, the Vingt-quatre Violons were dubbed La grande bande. In 1761, the orchestra was disbanded, mainly for financial reasons, and was merged with the Chapelle Royale, then responsible solely for religious festivities.
Instrumentation
The five-part instrumentation of the Vingt-quatre Violons consisted of the following string instruments:- 6 premiers violons (first violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, tuningMusical tuningIn music, there are two common meanings for tuning:* Tuning practice, the act of tuning an instrument or voice.* Tuning systems, the various systems of pitches used to tune an instrument, and their theoretical bases.-Tuning practice:...
: g - d1 - a1 - e2) - 4 hautes-contre (tuning: c – g – d1 - a1)
- 4 tailles (tuning: c – g – d1 - a1)
- 4 quintes (tuning: c – g – d1 - a1)
- 6 basses de violon (tuning: ‚B flat – F – c- g)
The three middle parts were played by viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
s of equal tuning, but different size (corpus between 39 and 48 cm), resulting in different timbre and volume. The basse de violon was tuned a whole step lower than a modern cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
but was roughly the same size and shape. The group could be further augmented by the addition of violone
Violone
The term violone can refer to several distinct large, bowed musical instruments which belong to either the viol or violin family. The violone is sometimes a fretted instrument, and may have six, five, four, or even only three strings. The violone is also not always a contrabass instrument...
doubling the basses de violon. Sometimes a bass viol could be substituted for a basse de violon; the Petite Bande also included several viol players. The instrumentation of the Vingt-quatre Violons greatly influenced the five-part string writing that prevailed in 17th and 18th century France, especially the early-18th-century French orchestral symphonies of Jean-Féry Rebel
Jean-Féry Rebel
Jean-Féry Rebel was an innovative French Baroque composer and violinist.-Biography:Rebel , a son of the singer Jean Rebel, a tenor in Louis XIV's private chapel, was a child violin prodigy. He became, at the age of eight, one of his father's most famous musical offspring. Later, he was a student...
, etc.