Nicolas Siret
Encyclopedia
Nicolas Siret was a French
baroque
composer
, organist
and harpsichord
ist. He was born and died in Troyes
, France, where he worked as organist in the Church of Saint Jean and the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Both his grandfather and his father were organists in Troyes.
Siret was a friend and admirer of François Couperin
, and his first collection of harpsichord pieces, published approximately in 1709, was dedicated to Couperin. The suite
s of this collection all begin with a French overture
, following the tradition established by Jean-Baptiste Lully
. Siret's second volume of harpsichord pieces (Second livre de pièces de clavecin, published in 1719) was, along with Couperin's L'art de toucher le clavecin
, one of the last publications to include unmeasured prelude
s. Siret also wrote some "pièces de caractère" (pieces of descriptive character, not dances), stylistically reminiscent of Couperin, and a single organ
work by him survives, Fugue
primi toni.
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 music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
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...
, 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 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...
ist. He was born and died in Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
, France, where he worked as organist in the Church of Saint Jean and the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Both his grandfather and his father were organists in Troyes.
Siret was a friend and admirer of 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...
, and his first collection of harpsichord pieces, published approximately in 1709, was dedicated to Couperin. The suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
s of this collection all begin with a French overture
French overture
The French overture is a musical form widely used in the Baroque period. Its basic formal division is into two parts, which are usually enclosed by double bars and repeat signs. They are complementary in styles , and the first ends with a half-cadence that requires an answering structure with a...
, following the tradition established by 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...
. Siret's second volume of harpsichord pieces (Second livre de pièces de clavecin, published in 1719) was, along with Couperin's L'art de toucher le clavecin
L'Art de toucher le Clavecin
L'art de toucher le clavecin is a didactic treatise by the French composer François Couperin...
, one of the last publications to include unmeasured prelude
Unmeasured prelude
Unmeasured or non-measured prelude is a prelude in which the duration of each note is left to the performer. Typically the term is used for 17th century harpsichord compositions that are written without rhythm or metre indications, although various composers of the Classical music era were...
s. Siret also wrote some "pièces de caractère" (pieces of descriptive character, not dances), stylistically reminiscent of Couperin, and a single organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
work by him survives, Fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
primi toni.