Joseph-Nicolas Lefroid de Méreaux (22 June 1767 – 6 February 1838)[1] was a French composer born in Paris and composed works for piano and organ – among his piano works, also sonatas.[2] He was the son of Nicolas-Jean Lefroid de Méreaux and father of Jean-Amédée Lefroid de Méreaux.
Career
editThroughout his life, Joseph-Nicolas was not particularly known as a composer, but rather as a keyboard player, and mostly composed for the piano. He played organ at Champ de Mars, where the famous Fête de la Fédération on 14 July 1790 was held at.[2] Afterwards, he became professor at the L'école royale de chant of the Conservatoire de Paris, which grew attached to the many likings of King Louis XVI at the time.[2] Since then, he was employed as organist and pianist at the protestant temple of the Oratoire du Louvre in Paris despite being a catholic.
Joseph-Nicolas married Marie Angélique-Félicité Blondel (1774-1840) on 17 August 1801 in Paris[3] and – only for the crowning of Napoleon Bonaparte – composed a cantata with orchestra three years later, which was performed in the temple of the very Paris oratory he worked at.[2]
His marriage brought along not only Amédée Méreaux, but also Louise-Eugénie Lefroid de Méreaux (1808-1892).[1] Joseph-Nicolas left an unfinished manuscript of “Grand methods for piano” behind and taught many distinguished students.
He died on the 6th February 1838 in Paris.
References
edit- ^ a b Additional notes at musimem.com (in French)
- ^ a b c d Fétis, François Joseph (1864). Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique par F.J. Fétis: 6 (in French). Firmin Didot.
- ^ Entry at gw.geneanet.org (in French)
Note
editThe name is always confused with Jean-Nicolas, which is wrong.
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