Jean-Philippe Rameau

Jean-Philippe Rameau   C 1728

Painting: Jacques Aved

Source: Baroque Music

Born on 25 September 1683 in Dijon, France, high baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau was contemporary to J.S. Bach born briefly afterward in Germany in March of 1685. Rameau's triad of expertise was composition for harpsichord, music theory and operas. Rameau's father worked as an organist at churches around town. Jean-Philippe was otherwise Jesuit-educated and likely studied music for a brief period in Milan before becoming an itinerant organist and violinist.

It was 1706 when Rameau published his first volume of compositions, 'Premiere livre de pièces de clavecin' RCT 1, in Paris, a suite of nine pieces in A minor, that begins the RCT (Rameau Catalogue Thématique) of Sylvie Bouissou and Denis Herlin published in Paris in 2007 [ BNF Editions / Musicologie].

'Premiere livre de pièces de clavecin'   RCT 1   Jean-Philippe Rameau

Nine pieces published 1706   Digital Copy   Score

Harpsichord: Pieter-Jan Belde

Between 1709 and 1722 Rameau worked as an organist at churches in Dijon, Lyon and Clermont, also composing a good number of sacred motets and secular cantatas. It was early during that period between 1710 and 1714 that he composed his setting, 'In convertendo Dominus' RCT 14 in either Dijon or Lyon. In church liturgy the 'In convertendo Dominus' refers to text in either the Latin Psalter 125 or the King James Psalm 126. The revised version of 'In convertendo Dominus' saw publishing in 1751.

'In convertendo Dominus'   RCT 14   Jean-Philippe Rameau

Composed 1710-1714   Digital Copy (revision 1751)

Vox Luminis

Back in Paris in 1722, Ramaeu there published his 'Traité de l'harmonie réduite à ses principes naturels' the same year. He composed for stage for the first time in 1723, RCT 36, a lost work of incidental music for an opéra comique by Alexis Piron called 'L'endriague'. Come 'Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode' in 1724 consisting of 'Suite in E minor' RCT 2 and 'Suite in D major' RCT 3 along with 'Menuet en Rondeau' RCT 4 [digital copy]. Come 'Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin' in 1727 consisting of 'Suite in A minor' RCT 5 and 'Suite in G major' RCT 6.

'Suite in A minor' from 'Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin'   RCT 5   Jean-Philippe Rameau

Published 1727   Digital Copy

Harpsichord: Blandine Rannou

Rameau was fifty years of age when his first opera was staged by the Académie Royale de Musique (Opéra de Paris or Paris Opera) on 1 October 1733, a tragedie called 'Hippolyte et Aricie' RCT 43 that saw revision 1742. This opera wasn't successful, considered excessively orchestrated too erotically suggestive.

'Hippolyte et Aricie'   RCT 43   First opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau

Premiere at the Paris Opera 1 Oct 1733   Digital Copy

Libretto: Simon-Joseph Pellegrin based on Racine's 'Phèdre' of 1677

Le Concert d'Astrée conducted by Emmanuel Haïm at the Opera National de Paris

Aricie: Anne-Catherine Gillet   Hippolyte: Topi Lehtipuu   Phedre: Sarah Connolly

By 1733 Rameau had found patronage in Alexandre Le Riche de La Poupelinière which he enjoyed for the next twenty years. In 1735 he premiered the opera, 'Les Indes Galantes'.

'Forêts paisibles'   From 'Les Indes Galantes'   RCT 44   Opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau

Premiere at the Paris Opera 23 Aug 1735   Score   Text

Libretto: Louis Fuzelier

South Korean Orchestra and Choir conducted by Sung-Hoon Lee

Baritone: Mose Choi   Soprano: Tae-kyung Kang

It was 1741 when Rameau published his 'Pièces de clavecin en concerts' consisting of 5 chamber concerti:

'Pièces de clavecin en concerts'   RCT 7-RCT 11   Jean-Philippe Rameau

Published 1741   Digital Copy

Harpsichord: Gustav Leonhardt   Transversal Flute: Frans Brüggen 

Violin: Sigiswald Kuijken   Viola da Gamba: Wieland Kuijken

Rameau ceased writing for keyboard upon turning his focus to operas. He wrote what is thought to be his last piece for harpsichord, 'La Dauphine', in 1747. This is thought to have first been delivered as an impromptu performance at the wedding of Marie-Josephe of Saxony with Louis de France, first son of Louis XV. His operas, 'Zais' and 'Les Surprises de L'amour' premiered in February and November of 1748.

'La Dauphine'   RCT 12   Jean-Philippe Rameau

Published 1747   Digital Copy(autograph)   Digital Copy (autograph)

Harpsichord: Andre Alberto Gomez 

Overture (Suite) to the opera 'Zais'   RCT 60   Jean-Philippe Rameau

Premiere 29 February 1748   Digital Copy

Libretto: Louis de Cahusac 

 Les Musiciens du Louvre / Marc Minkowski 

 Album: 'Rameau: Une Symphonie Imaginaire' on Archiv Produktion 2005 

Rameau published 'Observations on our instinct for music, and on its principle' in 1754, the same year his opera, 'La Naissance d'Osiris', was written for the occasion of the birth of future King Louis XVI, stacked in three consecutive parts below:

'La Naissance d'Osiris'   RCT 48   Part 1  Opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau

Premiere 12 October 1754 at Fontainebleau   Digital Copy

Libretto: Louis de Cahusac 

 Capella Savaria / Mary Terey-Smith

 Album: 'La Naissance d'Osiris' 1996 on Naxos   Presto

'La Naissance d'Osiris'   RCT 48   Part 2  Opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau

Premiere 12 October 1754 at Fontainebleau   Digital Copy

Libretto: Louis de Cahusac 

 Capella Savaria / Mary Terey-Smith

 Album: 'La Naissance d'Osiris' 1996 on Naxos   Presto

'La Naissance d'Osiris'   RCT 48   Part 3  Opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau

Premiere 12 October 1754 at Fontainebleau   Digital Copy

Libretto: Louis de Cahusac 

 Capella Savaria / Mary Terey-Smith

 Album: 'La Naissance d'Osiris' 1996 on Naxos   Presto

Rameau's last opera to see public performance was 'Les Paladins' RCT 51 in 1760. He composed 'Les Boréades' in 1763 toward private performance at the Choisy-le-Roi, though it wasn't publicly staged until 1770 six years after Rameau's death. This opera's libretto by Louis de Cahusac contains references to Freemasonry. Masonry is a fraternal organization originating with stonemason guilds in the latter 13th century. Its first Grand Lodge of an association of lodges was formed in England in 1717.

Overture (Suite) to the opera 'Les Paladins'   RCT 51   Jean-Philippe Rameau

Premiere 12 February 1760 at the Paris Opera

Librettist unidentified

 Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / Gustav Leonhardt

 Album: 'Jean-Philippe Rameau: Les Paladins' 1992 on Decca at All Music   Qobuz

Overture (Suite) to the opera 'Les Boréades'   RCT 31   Jean-Philippe Rameau

Privately staged at Choisy 1763   Digital Copy

Public premiere posthumous at Lille 1770

Libretto: Louis de Cahusac

 Frankfurt Radio Symphony / Riccardo Minasi

Rameau's died in Paris on 12 Sep 1764. He hadn't begun to receive a pension until a few months before his death when he was knighted as well. Though he lived so frugally that one wouldn't have guessed, he left behind a bag containing 1,691 gold louis. A louis was worth about 24 livres around that time. The livre had been established by Charlemagne (747-814) to be equal to one pound of silver a thousand years prior [Wikipedia]. The livre began to be replaced by the franc in 1795, worth just slightly more but about the same. One livre a few hundred years old equals about $263.00 today, but one pound of silver (livre) is worth only perhaps $20.80. Inflation probably erases about 98% of what a louis could buy in Rameau's time. While these are interesting figures they don't assist a very accurate portrayal of Rameau's real monetary value at the time of his death. Multiplying $20 x 24 x 1,691 arrives to above $800,000. This is a hit-and-run figure without adjustments by one (myself) who is no currency expert. Though this could be widely inaccurate it's safe to say that Rameau was not so poor as his appearance and furnishings might have implied. He does, after all, wear the gentlemanly wig in the portrait above which would indicate something like "I've got a college degree" if worn today. I've left undetermined if he paid for the painting, but it wasn't cheap.