Jean Marie Leclair

Updated on Oct 12, 2024

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Name Jean-Marie Leclair		Role Violinist

Died October 22, 1764, Paris, France Parents Jean-Marie Leclair the younger Siblings Jean-Marie Leclair the younger Compositions Scylla et Glaucus, Scylla et Glaucus, The Enchanted Island, The Enchanted Island, Sonata no 3 in G minor - op 13 no 6: III Aria, Sonata no 3 in G minor - op 13 no 6: III Aria, Sonata in C major - op 9 no 8: I Andante ma non troppo, Sonata in C major - op 9 no 8: I Andante ma non troppo, Sonata no 3 in G minor - op 13 no 6: I Adagio, Sonata no 3 in G minor - op 13 no 6: I Adagio, Sonata in A major - op 9 no 1: I Adagio, Sonata in A major - op 9 no 1: I Adagio, Sonata in D major - op 9 no 3: IV Tambourin Presto, Sonata in D major - op 9 no 3: IV Tambourin Presto, Sonata in C major - op 9 no 8: IV Tempo di Ciaccona, Sonata in C major - op 9 no 8: IV Tempo di Ciaccona, Sonata no 3 in G minor - op 13 no 6: II Allegro ma non troppo, Sonata no 3 in G minor - op 13 no 6: II Allegro ma non troppo, Sonata for 2 Violins in F major - op 3 no 4: I Allegro assai, Sonata for 2 Violins in F major - op 3 no 4: I Allegro assai, Sonata in A minor - op 9 no 5: I Andante, Sonata in A minor - op 9 no 5: I Andante, Sonata in D major - op 9 no 3: II Allegro, Sonata in D major - op 9 no 3: II Allegro, Trois Ouvertures et trois Sonates en trio pour deux violons - op 13 - no 2 Sonate en trio pour 2 violons et basse continue: Allegro, Trois Ouvertures et trois Sonates en trio pour deux violons - op 13 - no 2 Sonate en trio pour 2 violons et basse continue: Allegro, Sonata in A minor - op 9 no 5: II Allegro assai, Sonata in A minor - op 9 no 5: II Allegro assai, Sonata in A major - op 9 no 1: II Allegro assai, Sonata in A major - op 9 no 1: II Allegro assai, Sonata in C major - op 9 no 8: II Allegro assai, Sonata in C major - op 9 no 8: II Allegro assai, Sonata in D major - op 9 no 3: I Un poco andante, Sonata in D major - op 9 no 3: I Un poco andante, Sonata for 2 Violins in F major - op 3 no 4: II Aria Andante grazioso, Sonata for 2 Violins in F major - op 3 no 4: II Aria Andante grazioso, Sonata in C major - op 9 no 8: III Andante, Sonata in C major - op 9 no 8: III Andante, Sonata for 2 Violins in F major - op 3 no 4: III Gigue Allegro moderato, Sonata for 2 Violins in F major - op 3 no 4: III Gigue Allegro moderato, Sonata no 3 in G minor - op 13 no 6: IV Allegro, Sonata no 3 in G minor - op 13 no 6: IV Allegro, Sonata in D major - op 9 no 3: III Sarabanda Largo, Sonata in D major - op 9 no 3: III Sarabanda Largo, Sonata for 2 Violins in E minor - op 3 no 5: III Presto, Sonata for 2 Violins in E minor - op 3 no 5: III Presto, Tambourin, Tambourin, Sonata for 2 Violins in E minor - op 3 no 5: II Gavotte (Andante grazioso), Sonata for 2 Violins in E minor - op 3 no 5: II Gavotte (Andante grazioso), Sonata in A minor - op 9 no 5: III Adagio, Sonata in A minor - op 9 no 5: III Adagio, Sonata in A minor - op 9 no 5: IV Allegro ma non troppo, Sonata in A minor - op 9 no 5: IV Allegro ma non troppo, Sonata in A major - op 9 no 1: III Andante Arpeggio sempre, Sonata in A major - op 9 no 1: III Andante Arpeggio sempre, Sonata for 2 Violins in E minor - op 3 no 5: I Allegro ma poco, Sonata for 2 Violins in E minor - op 3 no 5: I Allegro ma poco, Sonata in A major - op 9 no 1: IV Minuetto Allegro moderato, Sonata in A major - op 9 no 1: IV Minuetto Allegro moderato, Trois Ouvertures et trois Sonates en trio pour deux violons - op 13 - no 2 Sonate en trio pour 2 violons et basse continue: Adagio, Trois Ouvertures et trois Sonates en trio pour deux violons - op 13 - no 2 Sonate en trio pour 2 violons et basse continue: Adagio, Trois Ouvertures et trois Sonates en trio pour deux violons - op 13 - no 2 Sonate en trio pour 2 violons et basse continue: Sarabanda - Largo, Trois Ouvertures et trois Sonates en trio pour deux violons - op 13 - no 2 Sonate en trio pour 2 violons et basse continue: Sarabanda - Largo Similar People Michel Blavet, Simon Standage, Jean‑Philippe Rameau, Jean‑Francois Paillard, Andre Campra

Jean Marie Leclair Violin Duos - No. 4 .mov

Jean Marie Leclair, Sonata for 2 violin e minor

Jean-Marie Leclair l'aine, also known as Jean-Marie Leclair the Elder, (10 May 1697 – 22 October 1764) was a Baroque violinist and composer. He is considered to have founded the French violin school. His brothers Jean-Marie Leclair the younger (1703–77), Pierre Leclair (1709–84) and Jean-Benoit Leclair (1714–after 1759) were also musicians.

Biography

Leclair was born in Lyon, but left to study dance and the violin in Turin. In 1716, he married Marie-Rose Casthanie, a dancer, who died about 1728. Leclair had returned to Paris in 1723, where he played at the Concert Spirituel, the main semi-public music series. His works included several sonatas for flute and basso continuo.

In 1730, Leclair married for the second time. His new wife was the engraver Louise Roussel, who prepared for printing all his works from Opus 2 onward. Named ordinaire de la musique by Louis XV in 1733, Leclair resigned in 1737 after a clash with Guidon over control of the musique du Roy.

Leclair was then engaged by the Princess of Orange – a fine harpsichordist and former student of Handel – and from 1738 until 1743, served three months annually at her court in Leeuwarden, working in The Hague as a private maestro di cappella for the remainder of the year. He returned to Paris in 1743. His only opera Scylla et Glaucus was first performed in 1746 and has been revived in modern times. From 1740 until his death in Paris, he served the Duke of Gramont, in whose private theatre at Puteaux were staged works to which Leclair is known to have contributed. They included, in particular, a lengthy divertissement for the comedy Les danger des epreuves (1749) and one complete entree, Apollon et Climene, for the opera-ballet by various authors, Les amusemens lyriques (1750).

Leclair was renowned as a violinist and as a composer. He successfully drew upon all of Europe's national styles. Many suites, sonatas, and concertos survive along with his opera, while some vocal works, ballets, and other stage music is lost.

Murder

In 1758, after the break-up of his second marriage, Leclair purchased a small house in a dangerous Parisian neighborhood, where he was found stabbed to death on October 23, 1764. Although the murder remains a mystery, there is a possibility that his ex-wife may have been behind it – her motive being financial gain – although the strongest suspicion rests on his nephew, Guillaume-Francois Vial.

List of works

Op. 1 No. 1 – Violin Sonata in A minor

Op. 1 No. 2 – Violin Sonata in C major

Op. 1 No. 3 – Violin Sonata in B flat major

Op. 1 No. 4 – Violin Sonata in D major

Op. 1 No. 5 – Violin Sonata in G major

Op. 1 No. 6 – Violin Sonata in E minor

Op. 1 No. 7 – Violin Sonata in F major

Op. 1 No. 8 – Violin Sonata in G major

Op. 1 No. 9 – Violin Sonata in A major

Op. 1 No. 10 – Violin Sonata in D major

Op. 1 No. 11 – Violin Sonata in B flat major

Op. 1 No. 12 – Violin Sonata in B minor

Op. 2 No. 1 – Violin Sonata in E minor

Op. 2 No. 2 – Violin Sonata in F major

Op. 2 No. 3 – Violin Sonata in C major

Op. 2 No. 4 – Violin Sonata in A major

Op. 2 No. 5 – Violin Sonata in G major

Op. 2 No. 6 – Violin Sonata in D major

Op. 2 No. 7 – Violin Sonata in B flat major

Op. 2 No. 8 – Violin Sonata in D major

Op. 2 No. 9 – Violin Sonata in E major

Op. 2 No. 10 – Violin Sonata in C minor

Op. 2 No. 11 – Violin Sonata in B minor

Op. 2 No. 12 – Violin Sonata in G minor

Op. 3 No. 1 – Sonata for 2 violins in G major

Op. 3 No. 2 – Sonata for 2 violins in A major

Op. 3 No. 3 – Sonata for 2 violins in C major

Op. 3 No. 4 – Sonata for 2 violins in F major

Op. 3 No. 5 – Sonata for 2 violins in E minor

Op. 3 No. 6 – Sonata for 2 violins in D major

Op. 4 No. 1 – Trio for 2 violins & continuo in D minor

Op. 4 No. 2 – Trio for 2 violins & continuo in B flat major

Op. 4 No. 3 – Trio for 2 violins & continuo in D minor

Op. 4 No. 4 – Trio for 2 violins & continuo in F major

Op. 4 No. 5 – Trio for 2 violins & continuo in G minor

Op. 4 No. 6 – Trio for 2 violins & continuo in A major

Op. 5 No. 1 – Violin Sonata in A major

Op. 5 No. 2 – Violin Sonata in F major

Op. 5 No. 3 – Violin Sonata in E minor

Op. 5 No. 4 – Violin Sonata in B flat major

Op. 5 No. 5 – Violin Sonata in B minor

Op. 5 No. 6 – Violin Sonata in C minor

Op. 5 No. 7 – Violin Sonata in A minor

Op. 5 No. 8 – Violin Sonata in D major

Op. 5 No. 9 – Violin Sonata in E major

Op. 5 No. 10 – Violin Sonata in C major

Op. 5 No. 11 – Violin Sonata in G minor

Op. 5 No. 12 – Violin Sonata in G major

Op. 6 – Recreation de musique in D major

Op. 7 No. 1 – Violin Concerto in D minor (1737 homotonal, with all movements in D minor)

Op. 7 No. 2 – Violin Concerto in D major

Op. 7 No. 3 – Violin Concerto in C major

Op. 7 No. 4 – Violin Concerto in F major

Op. 7 No. 5 – Violin Concerto in A minor

Op. 7 No. 6 – Violin Concerto in A major

Op. 8 – Recreation de musique in G minor

Op. 9 No. 1 – Violin Sonata in A major

Op. 9 No. 2 – Violin Sonata in E minor

Op. 9 No. 3 – Violin Sonata in D major

Op. 9 No. 4 – Violin Sonata in A major

Op. 9 No. 5 – Violin Sonata in A minor

Op. 9 No. 6 – Violin Sonata in D major

Op. 9 No. 7 – Violin Sonata in G major

Op. 9 No. 8 – Violin Sonata in C major

Op. 9 No. 9 – Violin Sonata in E flat major

Op. 9 No. 10 – Violin Sonata in F sharp minor

Op. 9 No. 11 – Violin Sonata in G minor

Op. 9 No. 12 – Violin Sonata in G major

Op. 10 No. 1 – Violin Concerto in B flat major

Op. 10 No. 2 – Violin Concerto in A major

Op. 10 No. 3 – Violin Concerto in D major

Op. 10 No. 4 – Violin Concerto in F major

Op. 10 No. 5 – Violin Concerto in E minor

Op. 10 No. 6 – Violin Concerto in G minor

Op. 11 – Scylla et Glaucus, tragedie en musique with prologue and five acts (opera, fp. 1746)

Op. 12 No. 1 – Sonata for 2 violins in B minor

Op. 12 No. 2 – Sonata for 2 violins in E major

Op. 12 No. 3 – Sonata for 2 violins in D major

Op. 12 No. 4 – Sonata for 2 violins in A major

Op. 12 No. 5 – Sonata for 2 violins in G minor

Op. 12 No. 6 – Sonata for 2 violins in B flat major

Divertissement for Le danger des epreuves, a 1 act comedy given at the Duke of Gramont's theatre at Puteaux on 19 June 1749 [lost]

Apollon et Climene, second entree of Les amusements lyriques, given at the Duke of Gramont's theatre at Puteaux, in February 1750 [lost]

Incidental airs and dances for various theatrical productions (1751–1764) [lost]

Op. 13 No. 1 – Ouvertura for 2 violins & continuo in G major

Op. 13 No. 2 – Trio for 2 violins & continuo in D major

Op. 13 No. 3 – Ouvertura for 2 violins & continuo in D major

Op. 13 No. 4 – Trio for 2 violins & continuo in B minor

Op. 13 No. 5 – Ouvertura for 2 violins & continuo in A major

Op. 13 No. 6 – Trio for 2 violins & continuo in G minor

Op. 14 – Trio for 2 violins & continuo in A major

Op. 15 – Violin Sonata in F major

References

Jean-Marie Leclair Wikipedia

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