Claude-Jean-François Despréaux was a French musician and revolutionary, born in the 1740s and died in Paris on 11 August 1794.

Biography

The son of Jean-François Despréaux,

oboist An oboist (formerly hautboist) is a musician who plays the oboe or any oboe family instrument, including the oboe d'amore, cor anglais or English horn, bass oboe and piccolo oboe or oboe musette. The following is a list of notable past and pres ...

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 kn ...

who retired in 1767, and Marie-Anne d'Arras, Louis-Félix's older brother (1746-1813) and

Jean-Étienne Despréaux Jean-Étienne Despréaux (; 31 August 1748 – 26 March 1820) was a French ballet dancer, choreographer, composer, singer and playwright. Biography The son of an oboist of the orchestra of the Académie royale de musique, he made here his débu ...

, Despréaux made his debut in 1759 as

violinist The following lists of violinists are available: * List of classical violinists * List of contemporary classical violinists * List of jazz violinists * List of popular music violinists * List of Indian violinists * List of Persian violinists * Li ...

. After he became head of the

concertmaster The concertmaster (from the German language, German ''Konzertmeister''), first chair (U.S.) or leader (UK) is the principal first violin player in an orchestra (clarinet or oboe in a concert band). After the Conducting, conductor, the concertma ...

s in 1771, he retired in 1782. A pensioner of the Republic, he was a civil commissioner and a member of the popular society of the , and juror at the

Revolutionary Tribunal The Revolutionary Tribunal (; unofficially Popular Tribunal) was a court instituted by the National Convention during the French Revolution for the trial of political offenders. In October 1793, it became one of the most powerful engines of ...

in 1793. Desperate following the

Fall of Maximilien Robespierre Maximilien Robespierre addressed the National Convention on 26 July 1794, was arrested the next day, and executed on 28 July. In his speech on 26 July, Robespierre spoke of the existence of internal enemies, conspirators, and calumniators, with ...

, he committed suicide with a shotgun in his apartment, at 20 rue du Sentier, on 24

thermidor Thermidor () was the eleventh month in the French Republican calendar. The month was named after the French word ''thermal'', derived from the Greek word ''thermos'' 'heat'. Thermidor was the second month of the summer quarter (''mois d'été ...

an II (11 August 1794). He is the author of several sonatas for violin and harpsichord.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Despreaux, Claude Jean Francois French male classical violinists Maximilien Robespierre Year of birth missing 1794 deaths Suicides by firearm in France 18th-century suicides Concertmasters 18th-century French violinists 18th-century French male musicians