Personalities | Jacques Champion, Sieur de Chambonnières | Early Baroque | Classical
(Zhak Shamp-yôn’ Syör da Shan-bun-yâr) c. 1601–72
French composer
Chambonnières is generally considered the founder of the French harpsichord school. He developed a style in harpsichord writing adapted from the lute idiom of style brisé, characterized by broken, arpeggiated chordal textures. In 1641, he began a twice-weekly series of concerts, later inheriting his father’s position as gentilhomme ordinaire of the king’s chamber. During the 1650s he danced in several court entertainments. His two collections of harpsichord pieces were both published in 1670. He was sought after as a teacher and numbered among his pupils Nicolas-Antoine Lebègue (c. 1631–1702), Guillaume Gabriel Nivers (c. 1632–1714) and Jean-Henri d’Anglebert (1635–91), who composed a tombeau for solo harpsichord in his memory.
Recommended Recording:
Harpsichord Suites, Skip Sempé (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi)
Introduction | Early Baroque | Classical
Personalities | Marc-Antoine Charpentier | Early Baroque | Classical
AUTHORITATIVE
An extensive music information resource, bringing together the talents and expertise of a wide range of editors and musicologists, including Stanley Sadie, Charles Wilson, Paul Du Noyer, Tony Byworth, Bob Allen, Howard Mandel, Cliff Douse, William Schafer, John Wilson...
CURATED
Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.

David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
his life, music, art and movies, with a
sweep of incredible photographs.