François de Fossa (full name: François de Paule Jacques Raymond de Fossa)
[Maurice J. Summerfield: ''The Classical Guitar. Its Evolution, Players and Personalities Since 1800'', 5th edition (Blaydon-on-Tyne: Ashley Mark Publishing Co., 2002), p. 122.] (31 August 1775 – 3 June 1849) was a French
classical guitar
The classical guitar, also known as Spanish guitar, is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string (music), string instrument with strings made of catgut, gut or nylon, it is a precursor of the ...
ist and composer.
Biography
His father, also named François de Fossa, was one of the most important historians of the province of
Roussillon
Roussillon ( , , ; , ; ) was a historical province of France that largely corresponded to the County of Roussillon and French Cerdagne, part of the County of Cerdagne of the former Principality of Catalonia. It is part of the region of ' ...
.
De Fossa was born in
Perpignan
Perpignan (, , ; ; ) is the prefectures in France, prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales departments of France, department in Southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the Me ...
, the capital of
Pyrénées-Orientales
Pyrénées-Orientales (; ; ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a departments of France, department of the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spain, Spanish ...
in southern France along the border with Spain. At age 17, he joined an army regiment, the Légion de Pyrénées, which fought the revolutionary government in France. for most of his life, he remained an army officer, also travelling to Mexico in the 1790s in this function.
A friend of
Dionisio Aguado Dionisio, a variant of Dionysius, may refer to:
People Given name
* Dionisio Lazzari (1617–1689), Italian sculptor and architect
* Dionisio Aguado y García (1784–1849), Spanish classical guitarist and composer
* Papa Isio (1846–1911), Dio ...
, he cooperated in his guitar method, also arranging its publication in Paris. He was also the copyist of
Luigi Boccherini
Ridolfo Luigi Boccherini (, also , ; 19 February 1743 – 28 May 1805) was an Italian composer and cellist of the Classical era whose music retained a courtly and '' galante'' style even while he matured somewhat apart from the major classi ...
's well-known guitar quintets. In 1826, the Paris firm of Richault published de Fossa's three guitar quartets, opus 19. He died in Paris, aged 73.
Works
*''Recuerdo'' (c.1840)
*''Three Grand Duos Based on the Works of Haydn''
*''Overture of the opera
Didon of Piccinni'', arranged for 2 guitars
*''La Tyrolienne'' op. 1
*''First Fantasie'' op. 5
*''12 Divertissements'' op. 6
*''Third Fantasie on a theme of Beethoven'' op. 10
*''Forth Fantasie Les Adieux a l'Espagne'' op. 11
*''Fifth Fantasie on the air Les Follies d'Espagne'' op. 12
*''4 Divertissements'' op. 13
*''Overture of the opera Elisabetta of Rossini, arranged for piano and guitar'' op. 14
*''12 Divertissements'' op. 15
*''Trio Op. 18 No. 1 in A Major'', for violin, guitar and cello. Movements: 1. Allegro non tanto; 2. Largo cantabile; 3. Minuetto: Poco presto; 4. Rondo: Allegretto.
*''Trio Op. 18 No. 2 in G major'', for violin, guitar and cello. Movements: 1. Allegro; 2. Adagio; 3. Minuetto: Allegretto; 4. Finale: Allegro.
*''Trio Op. 18 No. 3 in F major'', for violin, guitar and cello. Movements: 1. Allegro; 2. Romance: Andante sostenuto; 3. Minuetto: Allegro; 4. Finale: Allegro.
*Three Guitar Quartets op. 19
*''6 Divertissements for harpolyre'' op. 21
Modern edition
*François de Fossa: ''Méthode complète pour la guitare by Dionisio Aguado y García'' (Geneva: Minkoff, 1980); , OCLC 7960184.
Bibliography
*Matanya Ophee: ''Luigi Boccherini's Guitar Quintets, New Evidence; To which is added, for the first time, a reliable biography of François de Fossa, his portrait and a check list of his known compositions''. Includes correspondence between Fossa and
Louis Picquot in French with English translations (Boston: Éditions Orphée, 1981); (pbk.), (hbk.), OCLC 8954207.
*Jan de Kloe: François de Fossa's edition for guitar of Haydn works. Soundboard, vol 22 No 4, spring 1996.
References
Sheet music
Rischel & Birket-Smith's Collection of guitar music1
Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Denmark
The Music Library of Sweden
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fossa, Francois de
1775 births
1849 deaths
Composers for the classical guitar
French Romantic composers
French classical guitarists
French male classical composers
French male guitarists
Officers of the Legion of Honour
Musicians from Pyrénées-Orientales
People from Perpignan