Henri-Jacques de Croes

Henricus Jacobus de Croes, Hendrik Jacob de Croes, known as Henri-Jacques de Croes (baptised 19 September 1705 in Antwerp, died 16 August 1786 in Brussels) was a Flemish composer and violinist. He was Kapellmeister of Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, governor of the Austrian Netherlands whose court was based in Brussels. He composed various violin concertos, masses, motets, chamber music and an opéra comique. He received a solid education in prose, languages, composition and so on. He studied music with Josephus Guillielmus Soussé at the St. Andrew's Church in Antwerp. Soussé was a tenor and a singing master at various Antwerp churches including the St. James' Church. De Croes was appointed as the first violinist in the latter church in 1723 when he was only 18 years old and held this position until 1729.

In 1729 he left Antwerp for Frankfurt on Main (Germany) where he worked in the service of the Thurn und Taxis family. Prins Anselm Franz von Thurn und Taxis had discovered de Croes' talent and wished to include him in the new orchestra which he planned to set up in Frankfurt. De Croes joined the orchestra and eventually became its Kapellmeister. He toured with the orchestra and gained an international reputation. When the Thurn und Taxis family was required by the Emperor to move to Regensburg, de Croes decided not to follow them. Instead, he accepted in 1744 a position in Brussels as the Kapellmeister of the Royal Chapel of Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, governor of the Austrian Netherlands. The Prince hoped that de Croes would inject new dynamism into the orchestra that was led by the ailing Jean-Joseph Fiocco. As a result de Croes could only rely on a small budget to perform his variety of tasks as Kapellmeister including composing music, teaching music, conducting, organizing concerts at court and accompanying masses.

It is known that he wrote chamber music, sonatas, symphonies, concerts, 15 masses, a Requiem and 34 motets.

Recordings Motets, Capella Brugensis and the Collegium Instrumentale Brugense, dir. Patrick Peire (CD Eufoda 1358) Carlo van Neste: Concerto Septimo in C minor on Pavane Jean-Pierre Rampal: Flute concerts Nos 2, 4 and 5 on Erato Ensemble BaroccoTout, Triosonates Op. 5 No. 1–6 La Sonate Égarée, Linn Records, 2018 Le Pavillon de Musique, dir. Ann Cnop: VI Concerti for Violin, etcetera, 2021