Amédée Méreaux

Jean-Amédée Lefroid de Méreaux (18 September 1802 – 25 April 1874) was a French composer, pianist, piano teacher, musicologist and music critic. He is best-known for his 60 Grandes Études, Op. 63.

Engraving of Amédée Méreaux
Engraving of Amédée Méreaux
Photograph of Amédée Méreaux
Photograph of Amédée Méreaux

Family background

Amédée Méreaux came from a family of musicians. His father, Joseph-Nicolas Lefroid de Méreaux, composed for the piano and organ, whilst his grandfather, Nicolas-Jean Lefroid de Méreaux, mainly composed operas. Going up the family tree, one more generation is known; it consists of Pierre Lefroid de Méreaux (Méreaux's great-grandfather) and an unknown person (Méreaux's great-grandmother).[1]

According to Antoine François Marmontel, Méreaux's father was "a professor of good merit, in ongoing relationships with all the musical celebrities at the time".[2] The Lefroid de Méreaux seemed to have above-average status in French society, which comes from the fact that both Méreaux's father and grandfather had been professors with their own respective musical reputations. If this wasn't the case, they also wouldn't have connections to aristocracy, since a handful of Méreaux's early works are dedicated to noblemen and baronesses, which creates room for the possibility that Méreaux himself performed for aristocrats at a young age.

His family was in possession of a large collection of 17th century music as well, which was passed down from his grandfather.[3]

Life and career

Jean-Amédée Lefroid de Méreaux was born as son and first child of Joseph-Nicolas Lefroid de Méreaux and Marie Angélique-Félicité Blondel (1774-1840), daughter of the lawyer Jean Blondel (1733-1810),[4] on the 18th of September in Paris. His grandfather, Nicolas-Jean Lefroid de Méreaux (1745–1797), was a composer of operas and oratorios.[5]

Méreaux's parents - especially his mother - wanted him to pursue a career in advocacy, so he received a very careful education at a young age, while learning to play piano from his father. Louise-Eugénie Lefroid de Méreaux (1808-1892), his sister, was born 6 years after him, on the 28th of February 1808. Their relationship with each other is unknown, but the Fantaisie et variations, Op. 11, and L'Inquiétude, Op. 20, both works of Méreaux, are dedicated to her.[6]

At the age of ten, Méreaux took harmony lessons from Anton Reicha. During this time period, he rapidly progressed at piano playing and went on to study at the Lycée Charlemagne, where he received first prize in a piano competition the same year.[7] It was clear that Méreaux wanted to pursue a career in music rather than in advocacy, so his parents - particularly his mother - placed his ambition over working in the fields of advocacy.

When Méreaux was barely 14 years of age, his father let his first works to be published, most-likely through his connections as a musician. After his studies at the Lycée Charlemagne, he went on to learn counterpoint and composition under Reicha, potentially at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1815, as Reicha had been a teacher there since 1809 at that point.[2]

His compositions are known for their immense difficulty – Marc-André Hamelin considered them more difficult than those of Charles-Valentin Alkan.[8] His best-known work is his 60 Grandes Études, Op. 63. Of this album, the "Bravura" étude, Op. 63 No. 24, has passages where the pianist's two hands cross over each other simultaneously every quaver, at the speed of quarter note = 100. However, not all of his works have such difficulties.

Although his works are considered by some, including Hamelin, to be unmusical,[8] this view is not held by everyone. Despite his current obscurity, some of his Op. 63 études were included in piano collections edited by Isidor Philipp, and there is a street in Rouen named after him.[5] In 2011, five of his Op. 63 études were recorded by Cyprien Katsaris.[9]

As a musicologist, he is known for his study Les Clavecinistes de 1637 à 1790, written between 1864 and 1867.[10] One of his students was Charlotte Tardieu, with whom he later performed.[11]

He died in Rouen.

Works

List of works in order

Op. 1La Biondina. (ca. 1815/1816)

Op. 2Rondeau pastoral. (ca. 1815/1816)

Op. 3Polonaise brillante. (ca. 1815/1816)

Op. 4Air créole.

Op. 5Variations sur un thème favori de Hændel: «God Save The Queen»

Op. 6Rondo brillant sur un motif de Sémiramis.

Op. 7Le Départ pour les champs. (1825?)

Op. 8Rondo sur la valse de Robin des Bois. (1821 or after)

Op. 9Rondo-valse.

Op. 10Les Cloches.

Op. 11Fantaisie et variations sur une canzonetta italienne de Righini.

Op. 12Duo concertant pour piano et violon. (1825-1827)

Op. 13Troix Rondeaux pour piano: No.1 (1825-1827)

Op. 14Variations concertantes pour piano et violon.

Op. 15Variations et Rondeau brillant. (1825-1828)

Op. 16Variations pour piano et violon.

Op. 17Caprice en forme de valse. (1825-1828)

Op. 18Polonaise brillante, avec accompagnement d'orchestre. (1827-1829)

Op. 19Variations pour piano, sur l'air: Do, do, l'enfant do. (1827-1829)

Op. 20L'Inquiétude. (1827-1829)

Op. 21Adagio, Variations et Polonaise, sur un thème favori de Carafa. (1827-1829)

Op. 22Les Matelots. (1827-1829)

Op. 23Thème original. (1827-1829)

Op. 24Variations brillantes sur la barcarolle favorite de la Muette de Portici. (1827-1829)

Op. 25Grandes Variations sur la marche de Moïse. (1829?)

Op. 26Troix Rondeaux pour piano: No.2 (1827-1829)

Op. 27Troix Rondeaux pour piano: No.3 (1827-1829)

Op. 28Variations brillantes sur la romance des Deux Nuits. (1829 or after)

Op. 29Rondino varié. (1829 or after)

Op. 30Sur l'eau qui te balance. (ca. 1829)

Op. 31Aïgues Caoutes. (ca. 1831-1832)

Op. 32Variations brillantes sur la Marche du Tournoi de Robert le Diable. (ca. 1832)

Op. 33Souvenirs de madame Cinti-Damoreau.

Op. 34Fantaisie et Variations sur le trio du Pré aux Clercs. (ca. 1832)

Op. 35Rondo brillant sur La tentation. (ca. 1832)

Op. 36Les Fleurs de Cinti. (1832-1833)

Op. 37Souvenir de Montagnes. (ca. 1833)

Op. 38Mélodies de G. Meyerbeer.

Op. 39Bonheur de se revoir. (ca. 1833-1834)

Op. 40Bravo! Bravo! (ca. 1833-1834)

Op. 41La Folle. (ca. 1835)

Op. 42Grande fantaisie sur La Juive. (ca. 1836)

Op. 43Variations de concert pour piano, sur un thème italien. (ca. 1836-1839)

Op. 44Fantaisie et variations brillantes pour piano, sur les coplets en trio et la sérénade de Marguerite. (ca. 1836-1839)

Op. 45Grande fantaisie sur une mazurka de Chopin. (ca. 1838-1839)

Op. 46Grande Valse. (ca. 1836-1840)

Op. 472 Mélodies.

Op. 48Romance de Guedron.

Op. 49Les Travailleurs français.

Op. 50Fantaisie et variations de concert sur l'air de Marlborough.

Op. 51Divertissement.

Op. 52Grande Valse.

Op. 53Pauvre Jeannette!.

Op. 54Pavane variée.

Op. 55Caprice-valse.

Op. 56Caprice à la hongroise.

Op. 57Variations brillantes sur l'air du Tra la la. (1849)

Op. 58Souvenirs de Normandie. (1855?)

Op. 59Première messe solennelle.

Op. 60Ballade. (1853?)

Op. 61Caprice-Mazurek. (1853)

Op. 62Idylle.

Op. 63Grandes études pour piano en 60 caprices caractéristiques, dans le style libre et dans le style sévère. (1855)

Op. 64Cantilènes concertantes en duo.

Op. 65Grand Caprice concertant sur Robert le Diable.

Op. 66La Brigantine.

Op. 67Le Retour de la Chasse.

Op. 68Grande fantaisie historique sur des airs français des seizième et dix-septième siècles.

Op. 69Grande fantaisie concertante sur la ballade de Preciosa.

Op. 70Trois valses caractéristiques. (1857-1859)

Op. 71Addio. (1859)

Op. 72Boléro. (1859)

Op. 73Eleganza. (1859)

Op. 74Grazia. (1859)

Op. 75Leggerezza. (1859)

Op. 76Prière.

Op. 77Canzonetta.

Op. 78Idylle.

Op. 79Marche hongroise.

Op. 80Berceuse.

Op. 81La Neige des Alpes.

Op. 82Messe du Dumont.

Op. 8324 Transcriptions concertantes. (1861-1874)

Op. 84Romance-étude.

Op. 85Inquiétude.

Op. 86Les Travestissements.

Op. 87Une Chanson d'autrefois.

Op. 88Au bord de la Mer.

Op. 89Les Refrains oubliés. (1861-1867)

Op. 90Trois élévations.

Op. 91Offertoire.

Op. 92Les Blés et Veille de Bataille.

Op. 93Deuxième messe.

Op. 94Entr'acte-Gavotte de Mignon.

Op. 95Le Rappel. (1867)

Op. 96Berceuse sur une mélodie de Frédéric Deschamps. (1867)

Op. 97La Kermesse.

Op. 98Cantate chorale.

Op. 99Sonate élégiaque. (1870)

Op. 100Le Départ des Pèlerins. (1872)

Op. 101Souvenir de la Bastide. (1872)

Op. 102Grand trio.

Op. 10310 Mélodies.

Op. 104Hymne du Matin. (1876?)

Op. 105Hymne de la Nuit. (1876?)

Op. 106Première nocturne.

Op. 107Deuxième nocturne.

Op. 108Helvetia.

Op. 109Humoresque.

Op. 110Marine.

Op. 111Rêve.

Op. 112Scherzo-valse.

Op. 113A la Veillée.

Op. 114Alla Monferine.

Op. 115Sur la Plage.

Op. 116Alla Pollaca.

Op. 117Dans la Forêt.

Op. 118Alla Francesse.

Opus posthumous

Polonaise brillante en si bemol.

Son doux Nom!

La Flûte Enchantée.

Il Trovatore (Miserere)

Il Trovatore (duettino)

Rigoletto.

Le Premier Jour de Bonheur.

La Traviata (largo du finale)

La Reine de Saba.

3 Mélodies célèbres de François Schubert.

Élégie pour piano.

2 Points d'orgue ajoutés au Concerto (No. 17) en mi bemol pour 2 pianos, de Mozart.

Concerto for two pianos.

String Quartet in D major. (1877)

Ave Maria.

Sonate.

Grand Concerto symphonique.

Marche solennelle.

Concertino militaire.

Le même.

Mélodie irlandaise variée.

Corinne.

O Salutaris.

Virgineis titulis.

Andante du premier concerto de Mendelssohn.

Adagio du concerto en si mineur, Op. 89, de Hummel.

Troisième nocturne.

L'enfant.

References

  1. Entry at gw.geneanet.org
  2. Marmontel, Antoine François (1878). Les pianistes célèbres (in French).
  3. Méreaux, Amédée. "Les Clavecinistes de 1637 à 1790 (mentioned on page 101)" (PDF) (in French).
  4. Additional notes at musimem.com (in French)
  5. "Les Lefroid de Méreaux sont une famille d'artistes et de musiciens dont deux générations au moins s'illustrèrent à Paris" (in French). Mereaux.pagesperso-orange.fr. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  6. Méreaux, Amédée (1878). Varietés littéraires et musicales (in French). Calmann Lévy.
  7. Abel-François Villemain was noted in Marmontel's biography of Méreaux, and he worked at the Lycée Charlemagne as an assistant. He gained a prize for an eloge in 1812, so it could be concluded that the piano competition Méreaux participated in was held in 1812.
  8. Interview with Marc-André Hamelin; retrieved 27 March 2017.
  9. Piano Rarities Vol.2, Cyprien Katsaris.
  10. "Amédée Méreaux - Unknown French composer reviving thread. - Piano World Piano & Digital Piano Forums". Pianoworld.com. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
  11. "Tardieu de Malleville, Charlotte - Sophie Drinker Institut". www.sophie-drinker-institut.de. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
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