Montéclair, Michel Pignolet de (real name, Michel Pignolet)

Montéclair, Michel Pignolet de (real name, Michel Pignolet), distinguished French composer, teacher, and music theorist; b. Andelot, Haute-Marne (baptized), Dec. 4, 1667; d. Aumont, Sept. 22, 1737. He became a pupil at the Langres Cathedral choir school (1676), where he was taught by the choirmaster, Jean-Baptiste Moreau. He was maître de la musique to the Prince of Vaudémont, whom he followed to Italy. He went to Paris (1687), and later added the name of the fortress in his birthplace, “Montéclair,” to his own. With Fedeli, he introduced the double bass to the Paris Opéra orch., where he played from 1699 until 3 months before his death. He was also active as a teacher, his students including François Couperin’s daughters. Among his works were Les Festes de l’été,opera ballet (Paris Opéra, June 12, 1716) and Jephté, tragédie lyrique (Paris Opéra, Feb. 28, 1732). He also composed Messe de Requiem, motets, and other sacred works, all of which are lost, as well as various cantatas, several of which were ed. by J. Anthony and D. Akmajian in Recent Researches in the Music of the Baroque Era, XXIX-XXX (1978). Other works include airs, Sérénade ou concert divisez en 3 suites for Violins, Recorders, and Oboes (Paris, 1697), (6) Concerts for 2 Flutes (n.d.; ed. by R. Viollier, N.Y. and Locarno, 1962–64), (6) Concerts for Flute and Basso Continuo (n.d.), Bruneies anciènes et modernes for Flute or Violin (n.d.), and other instrumental music (not extant).

Writings

(all publ. in Paris):Nouvelle méthode pour apprendre la musique(1709); Leçons de musique divisées en quatre classes (cl709); Méthode facile pour apprendre à jouer du violon(1711–12); Petite méthode pour apprendre la musique aux enfans et même aux personnes plus avencées en âge (c. 1735); Principes de musique (1736).

Bibliography

E. Voillard, Essai sur M. (Paris, 1879).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire