Gigault, Nicolas

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Gigault, Nicolas

Gigault, Nicolas, French organist and composer;b. probably in Paris, c. 1627; d. there, Aug. 20, 1707. He acquired distinction as an organist at the Parisian churches of St. Honore (1646-52), St. Nicolas-desChamps (from 1652), St. Martin-des-Champs (from 1673), and Hopital du Saint Esprit (from 1685). He publ. 2 vols. of music as Livre de musique (Paris, 1683,1685; ed. by A. Guilmant and A. Pirro in Archives des maitres de 1’orgue, IV, Paris, 1902). The first vol. includes 20 noels with variations, the earliest known works of their kind. The second vol., designated for the organ, includes 183 versets.

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire