Adrien de La Fage
Encyclopedia
Juste-Adrien-Lenoir de La Fage (28 March 1801 - 8 March 1862) was a French
composer
and musicologist.
La Fage was born in Paris
. He became a choirboy at the Saint-Philippe du Roule in 1807 and received his early musical education there. His family initially wanted him to become a Catholic priest and for a time he attended the seminary at the Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet
.
La Fage eventually entered the Paris Conservatoire where he was a pupil of Alexandre-Étienne Choron
and François-Louis Perne
in the subjects of harmony, counterpoint, and music history. In 1828 he was awarded a grant by Charles X of France
which enabled him to pursue further studies with Giuseppe Baini
in Italy. He also spent some time working for the House of Medici in Florence for whom he composed and presented the opera
I Creditori at the Villa Medici
in 1829.
In 1830 La Fage returned to Paris to become the choir master at the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
. He returned to Italy in 1833 where he remained for three years. While in Italy his wife and son died of illness. However, his time in Italy was productive as he wrote Essais de diphtérographie musicale (published posthumously in 1864), a major work on the history and theory of ancient music. In 1836 he returned to France where he worked as a teacher and musicologist. He made several further trips to Italy, as well as to Germany, England and Spain, during which he studied and copied many manuscripts. He contributed articles to several musical journals and published several more books, of which his Histoire générale de la musique et de la danse (General history of music and dance) in three volumes was his most important work. He died in Paris.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and musicologist.
La Fage was born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He became a choirboy at the Saint-Philippe du Roule in 1807 and received his early musical education there. His family initially wanted him to become a Catholic priest and for a time he attended the seminary at the Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet
Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet
Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet is a Roman Catholic church in the centre of Paris, France located in the 5th arrondissement. In 1977 it was occupied by traditionalist Society of St...
.
La Fage eventually entered the Paris Conservatoire where he was a pupil of Alexandre-Étienne Choron
Alexandre-Étienne Choron
Alexandre-Étienne Choron for a short time directed the Paris Opera. He played an essential role in France in making a clear distinction between sacred and secular music, and was one of the originators of French interest in musicology.- Biography :Choron studied mathematics at the collège de Juilly...
and François-Louis Perne
François-Louis Perne
François-Louis Perne , was a French composer and musicographer.He is known both for his writings on the history of music, and also for being a director of the Paris Conservatoire....
in the subjects of harmony, counterpoint, and music history. In 1828 he was awarded a grant by Charles X of France
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
which enabled him to pursue further studies with Giuseppe Baini
Giuseppe Baini
Giuseppe Baini was an Italian priest, music critic, and composer of church music.He was born at Rome. He was instructed in composition by his uncle, Lorenzo Baini, and afterwards by G. Jannaconi...
in Italy. He also spent some time working for the House of Medici in Florence for whom he composed and presented the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
I Creditori at the Villa Medici
Villa Medici
The Villa Medici is a mannerist villa and an architectural complex with a garden contiguous with the larger Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in Rome, Italy. The Villa Medici, founded by Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and now property of the French...
in 1829.
In 1830 La Fage returned to Paris to become the choir master at the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is a church in Paris, France, located on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in the Ve arrondissement, near the Panthéon. It contains the shrine of St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris....
. He returned to Italy in 1833 where he remained for three years. While in Italy his wife and son died of illness. However, his time in Italy was productive as he wrote Essais de diphtérographie musicale (published posthumously in 1864), a major work on the history and theory of ancient music. In 1836 he returned to France where he worked as a teacher and musicologist. He made several further trips to Italy, as well as to Germany, England and Spain, during which he studied and copied many manuscripts. He contributed articles to several musical journals and published several more books, of which his Histoire générale de la musique et de la danse (General history of music and dance) in three volumes was his most important work. He died in Paris.