Louis-Barthélémy Pradher par Godefroy Engelmann

Louis-Barthélémy Pradher (16 December 1782 – 19 October 1843) was a French composer, pianist and music educator.

Life

Born in Paris, Pradher was the son of a violinist of the Prince de Condé. He received his first music lessons from his father and Louis Gobert at the École royale de musique. After the school was closed during the Revolution, he was a student of Hélène de Montgeroult. From 1797, he took lessons at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

, piano with Gobert and harmony with Henri Montan Berton, until the completion of his training in 1798. He married the singer and pianist Elyse (Elisabeth-Charlotte) Philidor (1776–1819) in 1799. She was the daughter of the composer

François-André Danican Philidor François-André Danican Philidor (7 September 1726 – 31 August 1795), often referred to as André Danican Philidor during his lifetime, was a French composer and chess player. He contributed to the early development of the ''opéra comique''. ...

and the niece of the singer Louis-Augustin Richer. In 1802, he took musical composition courses with Étienne-Nicolas Méhul and in 1802 took over the piano class of Louis Emmanuel Jadin at the Paris Conservatoire and, from 1803, he was full professor at the succession of

François-Adrien Boieldieu François-Adrien Boieldieu (, also ) (16 December 1775 – 8 October 1834) was a French composer, mainly of operas, often called "the French Mozart". His date of birth was also cited as December 15 by his biographer and writer Lucien Augé de Lass ...

. He remained in this position until his retirement in 1828. Among his students were

François-Joseph Fétis François-Joseph Fétis (; 25 March 1784 – 26 March 1871) was a Belgian musicologist, composer, teacher, and one of the most influential music critics of the 19th century. His enormous compilation of biographical data in the ''Biographie univer ...

, Charles-Laurent Rhein, as well as the Herz brothers, Jacques-Simom Herz and

Henri Herz Henri Herz (6 January 1803 – 5 January 1888) was a virtuoso pianist, composer and piano manufacturer, Austrian by birth and French by nationality and domicile. He was a professor in the Paris Conservatoire for more than thirty years. Among his ...

. He was a member of King

Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. He spent twenty-three years in ...

's Court Orchestra and Chamber Music and King

Charles X Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Lou ...

's Court pianist as well as ''Maître de musique des enfants du roi''. In his second marriage, he married an opera singer, Félicité More and was made a Chevalier of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

in 1826.

: ''Biographie universelle des musiciens'', 2. Pradher died at

Gray Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...

at age 60.

Works

Pradher composed several opéras-comiques, whose moderate success quickly declined due to the poor quality of the booklets. However, he has made a name for himself with his brilliant piano music that brought his virtuosity to light. Among these works, thirteen series of romances, numerous sonatas for piano and several concertos for piano and orchestra. Operas * ''Le Chevalier d'industrie'', opera (composed with Gustave Dugazon, on a libretto by Jacques Bins de Saint-Victor), 1804 * ''La Folie musicale ou Le Chanteur prisonnier'', opera on a libretto by Francis d’Allarde), 1807 * ''Trois romances mises en musique avec accompagnement de forte piano'', 1810 * ''Jeune et vieille'', opera on a libretto by René Allisan de Chazet, composed with

Henri-Montan Berton Henri-Montan Berton (17 September 1767 – 22 April 1844) was a French composer, teacher, and writer, mostly known as a composer of operas for the Opéra-Comique. Career Henri-Montan Berton was born the son of Pierre Montan Berton.Charlton ...

), 1811 * ''L'Emprunt, secret ou Le Prêteur sans le vouloir'', opera on a libretto by François Antoine Eugène de Planard), 1812 * ''Le Philosophe en voyage'', opera on a libretto by Paul de Kock, composed with Charles-Frédéric Kreubé), 1821 * ''Jenny la bouquetière'', opera on a libretto by

Jean-Nicolas Bouilly Jean-Nicolas Bouilly (24 January 1763 – 14 April 1842) was a French playwright, librettist, children's writer, and politician of the French Revolution. He is best known for writing a libretto, supposedly based on a true story, about a woman who ...

and Joseph Pain, composed with Kreubé), 1823

References

External links

Pradher, Louis-Barthélémy
(Palace pianos) {{DEFAULTSORT:Pradher, Louis-Barthélémy 1782 births 1843 deaths 19th-century classical composers Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Conservatoire de Paris alumni 19th-century French male classical pianists French opera composers French Romantic composers Musicians from Paris