Contributor VIAF URI: 44320275
Artist of print:
Engraver of Print:
Author of (Song 1): S.1.02 Les amours de Glicere et d’Alexis, S.1.03 Le declin du jour, S.1.04 La dormeuse, S.1.05 Les plaisirs du printems, S.1.06 La fête du Seigneur, S.1.09 La fille obéissante, S.1.11 Les jardins de Marly, S.1.12 La sérenade, S.1.13 L’heureuse nuit, S.1.14 La fille mal gardée, S.1.16 La soirée du village, S.1.17 Le droit de péage, S.1.18 L’amant guéri, S.1.20 Le berger fidéle, S.1.21La foire de gonésse, S.1.23 Plus de peur que de mal, S.2.01 Le printems ou la voliere, S.2.02 L’eté, S.2.03 L’automne, S.2.04 L’hyver, S.2.06 Le racomodement, S.2.08 Le souper, S.2.10 L’enlévement, S.2.12 Le bal, S.2.14 L’heureux mariage, S.2.16 L’ombre d’Hylas, S.2.19 La rupture, S.2.20 La promenade du matin, S.2.21 Les derniers regrets d’un amant, S.2.22 Le concert, S.2.24 Conseils aux femmes S.2.25 Regrets de David sur la mort de Betsabée S.3.06 L’heureuse plainte, S.3.07 Le recuëillement, S.3.11 L’obscurité desirée, S.3.12 La leçon offerte, S.3.14 La valeur d’un baiser, S.3.15 La vengeance impossible, S.3.16 Le berger amoureux, S.3.18 La douleur de l’absence, S.3.19 Regrets de Petrarque, S.3.20 Le retour du berger S.3.23 Le soupçon injuste, S.3.24 Le berger mécontent, S.3.25 Le melancolique, S.4.02 La consolation S.4.05 Le désespoir amoureux, S.4.07 Le danger de se deffendre, S.4.08 Les douces bléssures, S.4.14 La bagatelle, S.4.15 L’heureux songe, S.4.18 L’amour vain queur de la raison, S.4.19 Le pouvoir de l’amour, S.4.25 Le devin de village, S.3.04 Le retour desiré, S.1.25 Les quatre coins, S.4.12 Dame françoise, S.3.02 La declaration ingénieuse
Author of (Song 2): S.1.02 Les amours de Glicere et d’Alexis, S.1.04 La dormeuse, S.1.12 La sérenade, S.1.14 La fille mal gardée, S.1.15 L’ingénuë, S.1.19 L’effet de la peur, S.1.21 La foire de gonésse, S.1.23 Plus de peur que de mal, S.1.24 L’amant timide, S.2.05 Le pot au lait, S.2.11 La statue de l’amitie, S.2.15 L’amour frére quêteur, S.2.20 La promenade du matin, S.2.22 Le concert, S.2.23 Le tombeau, S.2.24 Conseils aux femmes, S.3.03 Le reproche mal fondé, S.3.06 L’heureuse plainte, S.3.07 Le recuëillement, S.3.08 Les plaintes mutuelles, S.3.11 L’obscurité desirée, S.3.12 La leçon offerte, S.4.09 Le mort vivant, S.4.21 Le danger de tomber, S.4.22 La resolution inutile, S.4.23 Le lever de l’aurore
Composer of (Song 1): S.1.01 Le portrait reconnu, S.1.02 Les amours de Glicere et d’Alexis, S.1.03 Le declin du jour, S.1.04 La dormeuse, S.1.05 Les plaisirs du printems S.1.06 La fête du Seigneur, S.1.07 Le ruisseau, S.1.08 La toilette, S.1.09 La fille obéissante, S.1.10 L’ombre d’eglé, S.1.11 Les jardins de Marly, S.1.12 La sérenade, S.1.13 L’heureuse nuit, S.1.14 La fille mal gardée, S.1.15 L’ingénuë, S.1.16 La soirée du village, S.1.17 Le droit de péage, S.1.18 L’amant guéri, S.1.19 L’effet de la peur, S.1.20 Le berger fidéle, S.1.21La foire de gonésse S.1.22 Le départ, S.1.23 Plus de peur que de mal, S.1.24 L’amant timide, S.1.25 Les quatre coins, S.2.01 Le printems ou la voliere, S.2.02 L’eté, S.2.03 L’automne, S.2.04 L’hyver, S.2.05 Le pot au lait, S.2.06 Le racomodement, S.2.07 Le clavecin, S.2.08 Le souper, S.2.09 Le prêtre d’esculape, S.2.10 L’enlévement, S.2.11 La statue de l’amitie, S.2.12 Le bal, S.2.13 Le loup garou, S.2.14 L’heureux mariage, S.2.15 L’amour frére quêteur, S.2.16 L’ombre d’Hylas, S.2.17 Le premier soupir de l’amour, S.2.18 Le juge intégre, S.2.19 La rupture, S.2.20 La promenade du matin, S.2.21 Les derniers regrets d’un amant, S.2.23 Le tombeau, S.2.24 Conseils aux femmes, S.2.25 Regrets de David sur la mort de Betsabée, S.3.01 Anaximandre, S.3.02 La declaration ingénieuse, S.3.03 Le reproche mal fondé, S.3.04 Le retour desiré, S.3.05 La leçon, S.3.06 L’heureuse plainte, S.3.07 Le recuëillement, S.3.08 Les plaintes mutuelles, S.3.09 L’avare et la jeune esclave, S.3.10 L’heureuse menace, S.3.11 L’obscurité desirée, S.3.12 La leçon offerte, S.3.13 Priere a morphée, S.3.14 La valeur d’un baiser, S.3.15 La vengeance impossible, S.3.16 Le berger amoureux, S.3.17 Les souvenirs, S.3.18 La douleur de l’absence, S.3.19 Regrets de Petrarque, S.3.20 Le retour du berger, S.3.21 La clochette, S.3.22 La deffense inutile, S.3.23 Le soupçon injuste, S.3.24 Le berger mécontent, S.3.25 Le melancolique, S.4.01 La chapelle de Vénus, S.4.02 La consolation, S.4.03 Les vendanges de Cythere, S.4.04 L’ heureux maladroit, S.4.05 Le désespoir amoureux, S.4.06 La raison deraisonable, S.4.07 Le danger de se deffendre, S.4.08 Les douces bléssures, S.4.09 Le mort vivant, S.4.10 Les effets du bonheur, S.4.11 Le mécontent, S.4.12 Dame françoise, S.4.13 L’heureux naufrage, S.4.14 La bagatelle, S.4.15 L’heureux songe, S.4.16 La capricieuse, S.4.17 Le sommeil de l’amour, S.4.18 L’amour vain queur de la raison, S.4.19 Le pouvoir de l’amour, S.4.20 Le dernier parti a prendre, S.4.21 Le danger de tomber, S.4.22 La resolution inutile, S.4.23 Le lever de l’aurore, S.4.24 L’heureuse loterie, S.4.25 Le devin de village
Composer of (Song 2): S.1.01 Le portrait reconnu, S.1.02 Les amours de Glicere et d’Alexis, S.1.03 Le declin du jour, S.1.04 La dormeuse, S.1.05 Les plaisirs du printems S.1.06 La fête du Seigneur, S.1.07 Le ruisseau, S.1.08 La toilette, S.1.09 La fille obéissante, S.1.11 Les jardins de Marly, S.1.13 L’heureuse nuit, S.1.14 La fille mal gardée, S.1.15 L’ingénuë, S.1.16 La soirée du village, S.1.19 L’effet de la peur, S.1.21La foire de gonésse S.1.22 Le départ, S.1.23 Plus de peur que de mal, S.1.24 L’amant timide, S.1.25 Les quatre coins, S.2.05 Le pot au lait, S.2.11 La statue de l’amitie, S.2.13 Le loup garou, S.2.15 L’amour frére quêteur, S.2.18 Le juge intégre, S.2.20 La promenade du matin, S.2.21 Les derniers regrets d’un amant, S.2.22 Le concert, S.2.23 Le tombeau, S.2.24 Conseils aux femmes, S.3.03 Le reproche mal fondé, S.3.04 Le retour desiré, S.3.05 La leçon, S.3.06 L’heureuse plainte, S.3.07 Le recuëillement, S.3.08 Les plaintes mutuelles, S.3.09 L’avare et la jeune esclave, S.3.10 L’heureuse menace, S.3.11 L’obscurité desirée, S.3.12 La leçon offerte,
Biography:
(Paris, Sept 5, 1734-Paris, July 22, 1794)
Laborde was born into a wealthy aristocratic family of fifteen children; only three sisters and two brothers survived infancy. His father was the banker Jean-François de Laborde. His intended career was to be a financial one, but his wide education included music and as a teenager Laborde was privileged to study with some of the finest musicians of the day, namely Antoine Dauvergne on violin and composition with Jean Phillipe Rameau. This was his first contact with Rameau, and Laborde was to remain a champion of Rameau’s theoretical work throughout most of his life. In 1748, at the age of fourteen, his family supported his musical debut, the presentation at Mons of an opera called La chercheuse d’oiseaux.
Laborde was in his late twenties when he attracted the attention of Louis XV and in 1762 he formally entered the service of the King as premier valet du chambre. His ties at court were from the beginning extremely tight: Laborde was also a close and extremely loyal confidant of the Dauphin. His courtly ambitions soon led him to abandon his financial career, although his training in this area must have aided in his appointment, through the favour of Louis XV, as a fermier-généraux. Post-Revolutionary biographers, however, record his recklessness and capriciousness.
[M]ais, par suite de ses prodigalités, de ses fréquents voyages et de sa facilité à se jeter dans les entreprises les plus hasardeuses, il fut plus d’une fois sur le point d’être ruiné; cependant la faveur de le roi et son génie fécond en ressources parvinrent toujours à le soutenir. [As a result of his lavishness, his frequent travels and his facility to throw himself into the most risky endeavours, he was more than once on the point of being ruined; however the king’s favour and his resourcefulness always managed to support him.][1]Laborde was high enough in Louis XV’s favour for the King to support his musical aspirations and for the next twelve years Laborde’s stage works were regularly mounted at all of the major Parisian musical institutions as well as in private performances for select gatherings at Fontainebleau and Choisy. His output was for the most part opéras comiques but he also composed several tragédies lyriques that are heavily influenced by Rameau, and he also revised and modernised for performance at the Opéra works by Lully and Pascale Collasse. Laborde enjoyed some degree of public success, although the Mercure de France reported whistling and jeering at the premiére of La cinquantaine (1771). The connoisseur Friedrich Grimm found his works insufferable, commenting that:
Les chutes fréquentes de M. Laborde auraient dû le dégoûter du métier de compositeur, mais malheureusement c’est un barbouilleur de notes infatigable. [The frequent failures of M. Laborde should have discouraged him to the profession of composer, sadly, however, he is a tireless note dauber.][2]
Grimm found the Le dormeur éveillé (1764) “triste, plate, et froide [sad, flat, and cold]” and remarked that even the King’s presence could not prevent the public for expressing its disapproval.[3] Many clearly biased nineteenth-century writers attribute his sustained operatic career in this period wholly to the support of Louis XV. Indeed, with the death of the monarch in 1774, it does appear that after the ascent of Louis XVI Laborde’s influence and presence at the Opéraand Comédie-Italienne evaporates.
Laborde was very friendly with Voltaire, and they appear to have become acquainted with each other when Laborde composed incidental music for Voltaire’s Pandore in 1767. Laborde was also very close to Madame du Barry, for whom on several important occasions he acted as a liaison between du Barry and the King. In 1774, along with Beaumarchais, Laborde was extensively involved in the diplomatic wrangling and negotiations concerning the suppression of the publication of a scurrilous account attacking du Barry (Mémoires secrets by Théveneau de Morande). And when Louis XV contracted smallpox and was confined to his room, Laborde exercised special privileges unique to his courtly position when he cleared the royal bedroom to permit the intimate final encounter between du Barry and the King on 4 May 1774.
As Filar notes, Laborde’s life can be divided into two halves: the first was his life as an opera composer in the service of Louis XV, the second half, beginning in 1774 with the death of his patron, sees Laborde abandoning composition in favour of solitary scholarly and theoretical pursuits. After Louis XV’s death Laborde left Versailles for Paris, installing himself comfortably, even sumptuously, in the Parisian suburb of Montmartre. Around this time, he married Adélaïde-Suzanne de Vismes (1753-1832). She was a distinguished poet and later dame de lit to Queen Marie-Antoinette; her brother was Jacques de Vismes, the director of the Académie Royale de Musique from 1778-1780. Despite the ultimately unsuccessful support of the influential de Vismes family, and the dedication of a luxurious and remarkable set of illustrated chansons by Laborde and associates to Marie Antoinette in 1773, Laborde’s influence at court had dissipated. In order to revive his diminishing fortunes, he decided to return to the life of a fermier-généraux.
In Paris Laborde took up the solitary life of a scholar. Although he had championed the theoretical work of his teacher Rameau up to this point, around the late 1770s he preferred instead to follow the work of Abbé Pierre-Joseph Roussier. From 1774 to 1794 Laborde wrote, translated, edited, and collaborated on around twenty different books on music, topography, history, and literature. In the nineteenth century Laborde’s scholarly efforts were heavily and anachronistically criticised but his writings demonstrate a deep curiosity and engaged thoughtfulness, qualities that he shares with many of the philosophes. His musicological work contains a wealth of knowledge on music of the eighteenth century, antiquity, and non-European cultures (including Samoa and China). His most famous and influential monograph is his encyclopaedic Essai sur la musique ancienne et moderne (1780). In the prominent debates that characterised musical discourse in Paris at the time, Laborde took Rameau’s side in the quarrel with Rousseau, and favoured Piccinni over Gluck.
As a member of the aristocracy and also as a fermier-généraux Laborde was considered an enemy of the newly installed French republic. The ubiquity of his name meant that several Labordes, unrelated to the composer, were brought before the Revolutionary Tribunal. Haraszti suggests that Laborde was eventually arrested only because the public prosecutor remembered the name of Laborde from a previous incident involving the illegal trafficking of paintings, and then quite coincidentally demanded the musician’s head. Laborde fled Paris for Normandy, hoping to find refuge in anonymity in the country. His Parisian palace on the rue de Richelieu, with a library numbering some 25000 volumes, was burnt to the ground by revolutionaries. He was discovered and arrested at Rouen. Indignant at his incarceration, Laborde apparently demanded a speedy settlement of his case and was summarily sentenced to death by guillotine. He was executed on 22 July 1794 (4 Thermidor, Year 2).
EH, 2020
Bibliography:
Chaussier, Hector. Obituary, Ami des arts. Paris: ?, 1796, 369ff.
Couty, Mathieu. Jean-Benjamin de Laborde ou Le bonheur d’être fermier-général. Paris: M. de Maule, 2001.
Fend, Michael. “La Borde [Laborde], Jean-Benjamin(-François) de.” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 19 Apr. 2020. https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000015760.
Fétis, François-Joseph. Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique. Brussels: Melins, Cans & Co., 1835–44.
Filar, Donald Craig. “Jean-Benjamin de Laborde’s Abrégé d’un Traité de Composition: The Merger of Musica Speculativa and Musica Pratica with an Emerging Musica Historica” Florida State University: PhD dissertation, 2005.
Franqueville, Mme Latour de [?P. Gaviniès]. Errata de l’Essai … ou Lettre à l’auteur de cet Essai. ?Paris, 1780.
Haraszti, Emil. “Jean-Benjamin de Laborde’.’ Revue de musicology 157–60 (1935): 109–16.
Pichard du Page, René. “Un financier dilettante au XVIIIe siècle’.” Revue de l’histoire de Versailles, 28 (1926): 106–27, 191–213.
Tourneux, Maurice ed. Correspondance littéraire, philosophique et critique par Grimm, Diderot, Raynal, Meister, etc. Paris, 1877–82.
Visme, Jacques-André-Robert de. Un favori des dieux: Jean-Benjamin de La Borde, 1734-1794. Paris: Eugène Figuière, 1935.
[1] Fétis, Biographie universelle des musiciens, II, 25.
[2] Tourneux, ed.: Correspondance littéraire, philosophique et critique par Grimm, Diderot, Raynal, Meister, etc. (Paris, 1877–82), vi, 206.
[3] ibid., vi, 125.
Roles (Getty AAT Term): composers (people in music)
Roles Getty AAT URI: 300025671
References to this Individual:
Notes:
