Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer

Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer (12 May 1703 – 11 January 1755) was a French Baroque composer, harpsichordist, organist, and administrator.

Biography Born in Turin, Royer went to Paris in 1725, and in 1734 became maître de musique des enfants de France, responsible for the musical education of the children of the king, Louis XV. Together with the violinist Jean-Joseph de Mondonville, Royer directed the Concerts Spirituels starting in 1748. Royer was at the Paris Opéra during the 1730s and the 1750s, writing six operas himself, of which the best known is the ballet héroïque Zaïde, reine de Grenade. In 1753, he acquired the prestigious position of music director of the chambre du roi (the king's chamber), and in the same year was named director of the Royal Opera orchestra. He died in Paris in 1755, at the age of 51.

Works Royer is particularly known for his often extravagant and virtuosic harpsichord music, especially "La Marche des Scythes", which ends his first book of harpsichord pieces.

Operas

TitleGenreSub­divisionsLibrettoPremière datePlace, theatre Le fâcheux veuvage (contributions) opéra comique 3 acts Alexis Piron September 1725 Paris, Foire St Laurent Crédit est mort (contributions) opéra comique 1 act Alexis Piron February 1726 Paris, Foire St Germain Pyrrhus tragédie lyrique prologue and 5 acts Fermelhuis 26 October 1730 Paris, Académie Royale de Musique Zaïde, reine de Grenade ballet héroïque prologue and 3 acts Abbé de La Marre 5 September 1739 Paris, Opéra Le pouvoir de l'Amour ballet héroïque prologue and 3 acts C-H Le Febvre de Saint-Marc 23 April 1743 Paris, Académie Royale de Musique Prométhée et Pandore tragédie 5 acts Voltaire composed 1744–54, private rehearsal 5 October 1752Paris Almasis acte de ballet 1 act François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif 26 February 1748 Versailles Myrtil et Zélie pastorale-héroïque prologue and 1 act 20 June 1750 Versailles

Other works

1746: Premier livre de pièces de clavecin (1746) La Majestueuse, courante La Zaïde, rondeau (Tendrement) Les Matelots (Modérément) Premier et deuxième tambourins, suite des Matelots L'Incertaine (Marqué) L'Aimable (Gracieux) La Bagatelle Suitte de la Bagatelle La Rémouleuse, rondeau (Modérément) Les tendre Sentiments, rondeau Le Vertigo, rondeau (Modérément) Allemande La Sensible, rondeau La marche des Scythes (Fièrement) La chasse de Zaïde (1739) 1746: Ode à la fortune, text by Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, (first performance 25 December 1746, Concert Spirituel) 1751: Venite exultemus, motet (first performance 18 December 1751, Concert Spirituel)

Recordings Vertigo - Jean Rondeau (harpsichord), a collection of pieces from Royer's first book of harpsichord pieces and from contemporary harpsichord composer Jean-Philippe Rameau, 2016 Complete Harpsichord Music – Yago Mahugo (harpsichord), OnClassical (OC67B) licensed for Brilliant Classics (BC 94479), 2013 Pièces de Clavecin – William Christie (harpsichord), Harmonia Mundi France (HM1901037), recorded 1979, CD-release 1992 (out of print) Ode de la Fortune 1746, Guillaume Durand (singer), Almazis-Iakovos Pappas dir. Iakovos Pappas, Jean-Baptiste Rousseau Poésies mises en musique.MAG 358.427, 2020).