Louis-Nicolas Clérambault

Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (19 December 1676 – 26 October 1749) was a French baroque musician, best known as an organist and composer. He was born, and later died, in Paris.

Biography Clérambault came from a musical family (his father and two of his sons were also musicians). While very young, he learned to play the violin and harpsichord and he studied the organ with André Raison. Clérambault also studied composition and voice with Jean-Baptiste Moreau.

Clérambault became the organist at the church of the Grands-Augustins and entered the service of Madame de Maintenon. After the death of Louis XIV and Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers, he succeeded the latter at the organ of the church of Saint-Sulpice and the royal house of Saint-Cyr, an institution for young girls from the poor nobility. He was responsible there for music, the organ, directing chants and choir, etc. It was in this post—it remained his after the death of Madame de Maintenon—that he developed the genre of the "French cantata" of which he was the uncontested master. In 1719 he succeeded his teacher André Raison at the organs of the church of the Grands-Jacobins.

His Motet du Saint Sacrement in G major is one of the first French works known to have been performed in Philadelphia.

Works His important published work includes: a large number of religious pieces with chants and choirs, (motets, hymns, Magnificat, Te Deum etc.); more than 25 secular cantatas on subjects often inspired by Greco-Roman myths; sonatas for violin and basso continuo: a book of dance pieces for the harpsichord (1704) in which he adopted the tradition of the unmeasured prelude; a book of organ pieces in two suites (1710) in which melodic charm wins out over religious spirit. These two collections seemed destined to begin a cycle of pieces in all keys but Clérambault never completed the cycle.

By catalogue number

1: Cantata Book I No. 1: L'amour piqué par une abeille 2: Cantata Book I No. 2: Le jaloux 3: Cantata Book I No. 3: Orphée 4: Cantata Book I No. 4: Polyphême 5: Cantata Book I No. 5: Médée 6: Cantata Book I No. 6: L'amour et Bacchus 7: Cantata Book II No. 1: Alphée et Aréthuse 8: Cantata Book II No. 2: Léandre et Héro 9: Cantata Book II No. 3: La musette 10: Cantata Book II No. 4: Pirame et Tisbé 11: Cantata Book II No. 5: Pigmalion 12: Cantata Book II No. 6: Le triomphe de la paix 13: Cantata: Le bouclier de Minerve 14: Cantata: Abraham 15: Cantata Book III No. 1: Apollon 16: Cantata Book III No. 2: Zéphire et Flore 17: Cantata Book III No. 3: L'isle de Délos 18: Cantata Book III No. 4: La mort d'Hercule 19: Cantata: La muse de l'Opéra 20: Cantata Book IV No. 1: L'amour guéri par l'amour 21: Cantata Book IV No. 2: Apollon et Doris 22: Cantata: Le soleil, vainqueur des nuages 23: Cantata Book V No. 1: Clitie 24: Cantata Book V No. 2: Les forges de Vulcain 25: Cantata: Les francs masçons 26: Choeurs et intermèdes de l'idille de St Cyr 27: Choeurs de l'idille de St Cyr sur le départ du roi 28: Le triomphe d'Iris 29: Le triomphe de la vertu, ou Hercule vainqueur des plaisirs 30: Himne de Saint Louis 31: Idille sur la naissance de Nôtre Seigneur de Moreau (arrangement) 32: Le retour du printemps (lost) 33: Daphnis et Sylvie (lost) 34: Air à boire: Enfin nos voeux sont satisfaits in C major 35: Air à boire: C'en est fait j'ai brisé ma chaîne in G major 36: Air italien: Vuol parlar il mio cuore in F major 37: Air à boire: Buveurs trop altérés in E minor 38: Ariette: Hélas! La pauvre fille in E minor 39: Air sérieux: Jugez de ma peine extrême in C minor 40: Air à boire: Réparons l'honneur de la treille in C major 41: Air à boire: Amis, le dieu du vin s'empresse in G major 42: Canon: Vive le roi in C major 43: Harpsichord Suite No. 1 en C major 44: Harpsichord Suite No. 2 en C minor 45: Prelude for harpsichord in G major 46: Organ suite of the first tone 47: Organ suite of the second tone 48: Chaconne for violin, viola da gamba and continuo in A major 49: Allemande for violin and continuo in A major 50: Menuet en rondeau for violin and continuo in A major 51: Sonata I in G major "L'anonima" 52: Sonata II in G major "La félicité" 53: Sonata III in B flat major "L'abondance" 54: Sonata IV in F major "Symphonia" 55: Sonata V in D major 56: Sonata VI in C major "L'impromptu" 57: Sonata VII in E minor "La magnifique" 58: Motet pour le jour de Noël in A major 59: Motet pour le dimanche de la quinquagezime in E minor 60: Motet pour le lundy qui précède le caresme in A major 61: Motet pour le mardy qui précède le caresme in D minor 62: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in C minor 63: Motet pour le roy in D minor 64: Motet pour l'ascension in B flat major 65: Motet du Saint Esprit in E minor 66: Motet du Saint Sacrement in E minor 67: Motet du Saint Sacrement in D major 68: Motet du Saint Sacrement in G major 69: Motet pour le bienheureux Vincent de Paul in A major 70: Stabat mater in B flat major 71: Motet pour Sainte Françoise in A minor 72: Motet pour Saint Joseph in G major 73: Motet pour le saint jour de pâques in F major 74: Motet pour l'ascension in F major 75: Motet pour la fête de la Sainte Trinité in F major 76: Motet de Saint Jean Baptiste in G major 77: Motet de Saint Roch in G major 78: Motet pour le bienheureux Vincent de Paul in C major 79: Motet pour les Saints Anges in F major 80: Motet de Saint Denis in C minor 81: Motet pour la fête de tous les saints in B flat major 82: Motet pour les apostres in A minor 83: Motet du Saint Sacrement in A minor 84: Motet du Saint Sacrement in G major 85: Motet du Saint Sacrement in F major 86: Motet du Saint Sacrement in D minor 87: Motet du Saint Sacrement in D major 88: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in A major 89: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in G minor 90: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in G major 91: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in D major 92: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in C minor 93: Motet de la Sainte Vierge pour le caresme in G minor 94: Motet de la Sainte Vierge pour le tems de pasques in G major 95: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in A major 96: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in D minor 97: Domine salvum in A minor 98: Domine salvum in F major 99: Cantique des anges in D major 100: Antienne à la Sainte Vierge pour le temps pascal in G major 101: Motet de Saint Benoit in G major 102: Motet de Saint Bernard in G major 103: Motet de Saint Michel in D major 104: Antienne à la Sainte Vierge in G minor 105: Motet de Saint Dominique in G major 106: Motet du Saint Sacrement in F major 107: Motet de Saint Jean l'Evangéliste in A major 108: Motet de Saint Augustin in D minor 109: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in C minor 110: Motet du Saint Sacrement in A major 111: Motet pour la fête de l'assomption in D major 112: Motet de Saint Sulpice in D major 113: Motet de Saint Pie in D major 114: Salve regina in E minor 115: Motet de Sainte Chantal in A major 116: Miserere à 3 in G minor 117: De profundis clamavi in D minor 118: Ecce quam bonum in G major 119: Dominus quis habitabit in A major 120: Judica me Deus in G minor 121: Exaltabo te Domine in A major 122: Exultate Deo in G major 123: Miserere in C minor 124: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in G minor 125: Conturbatus est spiritus meus in C minor 126: Motet de Saint Jean Baptiste in D major 127: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in F major 128: Motet du Saint Sacrement in D major 129: Motet de Saint Sulpice in G major 130: Viderunt te aquae Deus in E minor 131: Motet du Saint Sacrement in C minor 132: Antienne à la Sainte Vierge in C major 133: Motet du Saint Sacrement in F major 134: Motet du Saint Sacrement in A minor 135: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in D minor 136: Magnificat à trois parties in F major 137: Te Deum in A minor 138: Te Deum in C major 139: Dixit Dominus in E minor 140: Regina caeli in F major 141: Exultate Deo in D major 142: Audite gentes in D major 143: Motet pour le sacré coeur de Jésus in A major 144: Motet pour la nativité de Saint Jean Baptiste in G major 145: Motet pour Saint Sulpice in A major 146: Motet pour le roy, la reine et le dauphin in A major 147: Pseaume 28 in C major 148: Motet de Saint Sulpice in D major 149: Motet pour la dédicace de l'eglise de Saint Sulpice in D major 150: Motet pour la canonisation de Saint Pie in G major 151: Motet de Saint Sulpice in B flat major 152: Motet pour le roy in B flat major 153: Pseaume 121 in C major 154: Magnificat à trois parties in D minor 155: Te Deum à trois parties in C major 156: Motet du Saint Sacrement in A major 157: Motet pour le roy in A major 158: Motet pour le roy in G minor 159: Motet pour le roy in E minor 160: Stabat mater in B flat major 161: Exaudiat in D minor 162: Exaudiat in F major 163: O sacrum convivium in A major 164: Tantum ergo in A minor 165: O salutaris hostia in E minor 166: Adoramus te Christe in A minor 167: Pie Jesu in C minor 168: Litanies du sacré coeur de Jésus in C major 169: Vovete et redite in G major 170: Salve regina in D minor 171: Motet pour la fête de la Sainte Trinité in G major 172: Motet de Saint Augustin in F major (Nivers arr. Clérambault) 173: O salutaris in A major (Nivers arr. Clérambault) 174: Motet du Saint Sacrement in D major (Nivers arr. Clérambault) 175: Motet du Saint Sacrement in G minor (Nivers arr. Clérambault) 176: Motet du Saint Sacrement in A major (Nivers arr. Clérambault) 177: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in A major (Nivers arr. Clérambault) 178: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in A major (Nivers arr. Clérambault) 179: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in D major (Nivers arr. Clérambault) 180: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in A major (Nivers arr. Clérambault) 181: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in D major (Nivers arr. Clérambault) 182: Motet de la Sainte Vierge in F major (Nivers arr. Clérambault) 183–188: 6 Leçons de ténèbres (lost) 189: O Filii (lost) 190: Laudemus cantemus (lost) 191: L'histoire de la femme adultère 192: Air spirituel: Vertus – Misères du pêché in C minor 193: Air spirituel: Stance in A minor 194: Air spirituel: Vertus – La résignation in F major 195: Air spirituel: Le paradis in A major 196: Airs spirituels: Louanges de Dieu in E minor 197: Air spirituel: Mistères de Notre Seigneur J.C. – Moment in B flat major 198: Air spirituel: Mistères de Notre Seigneur J.C. – Sa résurrection in B flat major 199: Air spirituel: Vertus – Amour de la sagesse in C minor 200: Air spirituel: Noël in G major 201: Air spirituel: Vertus – L'innocence in G major 202: Air spirituel: Cantique de Saint Bernard in G major 203: Air spirituel: Vertus – L'education in G minor 204: Air spirituel: Vertus – Respect dans le lieu saint in A minor 205: Air spirituel: Noël in A major 206: Air spirituel: Cantique in A minor 207: Airs spirituels: Vices – Le libertinage in D minor 208: Air spirituel: Sonnet de Des Barreaux in D minor 209: Air spirituel: Vertus – La confiance in G minor 210: Air spirituel: Vertus – La sagesse in E minor 211: Air spirituel: Cantique de Saint Bernard in C major 212: Airs spirituels: Louanges de Dieu in B flat major 213: Airs spirituels: Mistères de Notre Seigneur J.C. – Sa circoncision in G major 214: Airs spirituels: Les IV fins de l'homme – L'impie détrompé in B flat major 215: Air spirituel: Les IV fins de l'homme – Fuite du tems in G major 216: Air spirituel: Vertus – Prière dans la tentation in G minor 217: Air spirituel: Stance – Mon coeur est accablé in G major 218: Air spirituel: Ne cherchons plus que Dieu in G major 219: Air spirituel: Stance – N'espérons plus mon âme in D minor 220: Air spirituel: Stance – Objets lugubres et funèbres in D minor 221: Air spirituel: Sur les O de Noël – O sapientia in D minor 222: Air spirituel: Sur les O de Noël – O adonai in D major 223: Air spirituel: Sur les O de Noël – O radix Jesse in F major 224: Air spirituel: Sur les O de Noël – O clavis David in F major 225: Air spirituel: Sur les O de Noël – O oriens in G major 226: Air spirituel: Sur les O de Noël – O rex gentium in G major 227: Air spirituel: Sur les O de Noël – O Emmanuel in E minor 228: Air spirituel: O vive flamme in A major 229: Airs spirituels: Mistères de Notre Seigneur J.C. – Son incarnation in G major 230: Air spirituel: Stance – Pour un pécheur in C minor 231: Airs spirituels: Les IV fins de l'homme – La mort in B minor 232: Air spirituel: Stance – Quand je pense au Seigneur in G major 233: Air spirituel: Mistères de Notre Seigneur J.C. – Sa mort in F major 234: Air spirituel: Vices – L'oisiveté in A major 235: Air spirituel: Sur les désirs de la mort in C minor 236: Air spirituel: Les IV fins de l'homme – Le paradis in A major 237: Air spirituel: Désir de la mort in B flat major 238: Air spirituel: Stance – Vous me cherchez Seigneur in D minor 239: Règles d'accompagnement