Robert Cambert (c. 1628–1677) was a French

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

principally of

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

. His opera '' Pomone'' was the first actual opera in French.

Biography

Under Mazarin

Born in Paris c. 1628, he studied music under Chambonnières. His first position was as

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

at the church of Saint-Honoré in Paris. In 1655 he married Marie du Moustier. At this time he came under the patronage of

Cardinal Mazarin Jules Mazarin (born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino or Mazarini; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), from 1641 known as Cardinal Mazarin, was an Italian Catholic prelate, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Lou ...

who was instrumental in his appointment as Superintendent of music to the Dowager Queen Anne of Austria, mother of

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

. Cambert's early works with

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

written by

Pierre Perrin Pierre Perrin ( – 24 April 1675) was a French poet and librettist. Perrin, sometimes known as L'Abbé Perrin although he never belonged to the clergy, was born in Lyon. He founded the Académie d'Opéra, which later was renamed the Académie ...

were frequently performed at court during this period. However, following the death of the powerful Mazarin, and the Queen's subsequent retirement to a convent, Cambert's position at court was weakened, as new powers came into force at court.

''Académie Royale de Musique''

In 1669 Perrin founded the ''Académie Royale de Musique'', under the auspices of the French King. Cambert was invited to join Perrin in the administration of the project which is considered today to be one of the founding influences of

grand opera Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and Orchestra, orchestras. The original productions consisted of spectacular design and stage effects with plots normally based on o ...

. However, both Perrin and Cambert were eventually replaced at the academy by Lully. Cambert, furious at the insult, and at the lack of interest in his work shown by the French monarchy, left France in 1673 to pursue his career in England.

English years

In England he was warmly received at the court of King Charles II, and was quickly appointed to "Master of the King's Band". Various pieces by him which had been shunned in France were now performed in London, but while accepted at the English court, he enjoyed little success with the general English public. His operas '' Pomone'', '' Ariane'' and '' Les Peines et les plaisirs de l'amour'' were if anything less to the

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

taste than the French. Cambert died, rather mysteriously, in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. His death was widely reported at the time to be suicide; another widespread theory is that he was poisoned by one of his servants. Some have accused Lully of complicity in Cambert's demise.

Depictions in fiction

Gérard Corbiau's 2000 film '' Le Roi danse'' (''The King is dancing'') portrays a much older-looking Cambert ( Johan Leysen) as the archrival of Lully and a symbol of Mazarin's old court Catholic establishment. Disgusted by libertine and pagan Lully, he desperately tries to prevent his rise and their animosity comes to a novel dimension after Cambert's mistress Madeleine Lambert, the daughter of Michel Lambert, marries Lully.

Notes

References

*Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', 782 pages, * Kennedy, Michael (2006), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'', 985 pages,

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cambert, Robert 1620s births 1677 deaths Composers from Paris French Baroque composers French opera composers French male opera composers 17th-century French classical composers 17th-century French male musicians