Jean-Féry Rebel (18 April 1666 – 2 January 1747) was an innovative French Baroque composer and violinist.

Biography

Rebel, a child violin prodigy, was the most famous offspring of Jean Rebel, a tenor in Louis XIV's private chapel. He later became a student of the great violinist, singer, conductor, and composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. By 1699, at age 33, Rebel became first violinist of the

Académie royale de musique The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...

(also known as the Opéra). He travelled to Spain in 1700. Upon his return to France in 1705, he was given a place in the prestigious ensemble known as the Les Vingt-quatre Violons du Roi. He was chosen Maître de Musique in 1716. His most important position at court was Chamber Composer, receiving the title in 1726. Rebel served as court composer to

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

and ''maître de musique'' at the Académie, and directed the

Concert Spirituel The Concert Spirituel ( en, Spiritual Concert) was one of the first public concert series in existence. The concerts began in Paris in 1725 and ended in 1790. Later, concerts or series of concerts of the same name occurred in Paris, Vienna, Londo ...

(during the 1734–1735 season). Rebel was one of the first French musicians to compose sonatas in the Italian style. Many of his compositions are marked by striking originality that include complex counter-rhythms and audacious harmonies that were not fully appreciated by listeners of his time. His opus ''Les caractères de la danse'' combined music with dance, a French tradition, and presented innovative metrical inventions. The work was popular and was performed in London in 1725 under the baton of George Frideric Handel. In honour of his teacher, Rebel composed ''Le tombeau de M. Lully'' (literally, "The Tomb of Monsieur

Lully Jean-Baptiste Lully ( , , ; born Giovanni Battista Lulli, ; – 22 March 1687) was an Italian-born French composer, guitarist, violinist, and dancer who is considered a master of the French Baroque music style. Best known for his operas, he ...

"; figuratively, "A Tribute to Lully"). Some of Rebel's compositions are described as choreographed "symphonies." Among his boldest original compositions is '' Les Élémens'' ("The Elements") which describes the creation of the world – the beginning, "Le Chaos", is surprisingly modern. The opening dissonant chord of "Le Chaos" is a tone cluster and includes all the notes of the D harmonic minor scale. His son

François Rebel François Rebel (19 June 17017 November 1775) 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 The following lists of violinists are availab ...

(1701–1775) was also a composer, noted violinist, and member of the "Vingt-quatre violons du roi". He co-wrote and co-directed operas with

François Francœur François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, King o ...

. The Rebel Baroque Orchestra, formed in 1991, was named in his honour.

Compositions

Aria

*''Receuils d'airs sérieux et à boire'', airs for voice (1695–1708) *''

Leçons de Ténèbres Leçons de ténèbres ( 'lessons of darkness'; sometimes spelled Leçons des ténèbres) is a genre of French Baroque music which developed from the polyphonic lamentations settings for the tenebrae service of Renaissance composers such as Serm ...

'' (Lost)

Ballet

*''Caprice'', ballet d'action (ballet-pantomime) (1711) *''Boutade'' (1712) *''Les Caractères de la danse'' (1715) *''La Terpsichore'' (1720) *''Les Plaisirs champêtres'' (1724) *''Fantaisie'' (1729) *'' Les Élémens'' (1737)

Opera

*'' Ulysse'', tragédie lyrique (1703)

Trio Sonata

*''Recueil de douze sonates à 2 ou 3 parties'', Book of twelve sonatas in 2 or 3 parts (composed in 1695, published in Paris in 1712) **(includes: ''Le tombeau de M. de Lully, en hommage à son maître'')

Violin Sonata

*''12 Sonates à violon seul mellées de plusieurs récits pour la viole'', 12 sonatas for violin solo mixed with récits for viol, (Paris 1713)

References

External links

EarlyMusic.com: ''Jean-Féry Rebel (1666–1747)''
biography
Pandora: ''Jean-Féry Rebel''
biography from ''All Music Guide'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rebel, Jean-Fery 1666 births 1747 deaths 18th-century classical composers 18th-century French composers 18th-century French male classical violinists French Baroque composers French classical composers French male classical composers French opera composers 17th-century French male violinists Male opera composers Musicians from Paris 17th-century male musicians