François Becomes

François Devienne (Joinville, January 31st 1759 - Charenton, September 5th 1803) was a French type-setter, called the “French Mozart”.

Biography

François Devienne is the last of the fourteen children of a manufacturer of saddles. He comes quickly into contact with the music since, after having learned in an early way several instruments with his older brother, he becomes Enfant of chorus in his birthplace.

This musical approach enables him to postulate thereafter in various Parisian whole as soloist and member of orchestras and, better still, it enters in 1780 at the Cardinal of Rohan. He plays there of the flute (which Felix Rault taught to him), of the bassoon (he becomes, in 1788, Bassoniste with the Théâtre of Mister then to the opera of Paris in 1793). In parallel, it composes.

It also occupies a post of sergeant to the orchestra of the military guard. He writes, within the framework of his functions which consist in learning the music with children from soldiers, a Méthode of theoretical and practical flute (1793). In its " private school of musique" , renamed by the Revolution Conservatory National institute of Music then of Paris in 1795, it occupies the post of professor of flute. It also joined the freemasons and the orchestra in the Concerts of the Olympic Cabin.

Years 1790 are favourable with its career besides, at least with its fame of musician since it composes for this period some appreciated operas of which one which will bring success to him, the Visitandines (1792).

September 5th, 1803, Devienne dies in a sanatorium with Charenton, close to Paris, probably because of overwork.

Work

Becomes is called the Mozart French because it was, with a margin of a few years, the exact contemporary of the original. It left many compositions for flute which more or less left the lapse of memory thanks to the work of the French flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal in the years 1960 which made known it flutists but, however, it is still too often unknown general public.

External bonds

Biography of François Devienne (from where this article was drawn)
Devienne is quoted as type-setter maconnic

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