Nicolas Bernier

Nicolas Bernier is a French type-setter born the June 28th 1664 in the Mantes-on-Seine (current Mantes-the-Pretty) and died the September 5th 1734 with Paris.

Biography

Wire of Rémy Bernier and Marguerite Bauly, it is with the control of the cathedral of its birthplace that the Nicolas young person begins his studies. He also follows teaching choral of that of Evreux near. Although the Actual position of the Music of the King of 1773 gives a report on studies with Antonio Caldara (1670-1736) in Italy we did not preserve a more tangible proof of a voyage in addition to-mounts.

Bernier seems however to be arrived at Paris not very front 1692, date on which it places street Tiquetonne, (in current the 2nd district of Paris) and there teaches the Clavecin. According to Evrard Titon of Tillet, " it made there in little time of great progress, which gave him in the continuation of the Guards of greatest consideration, of which Mr. the Duke of Orleans, grandson of France, wanted to be number " well;

The following year, in 1693, it fails the contest opening the doors of choirmaster of the cathedral of Rouen vis-a-vis Jean-François Lalouette (1651-1728) raises and secretary of Lully. September 17th 1694, it is comforted nevertheless by taking down the direction of the control of the cathedral of Chartres then, on March 18th 1698 that of the Église Saint-Germain-the Auxerrois in Paris.

October 21st 1700, one of its Te Deum is played successfully in front of the king with the Château of Fontainebleau. According to the Mercury of France of April 1701, Bernier gave again work with Saint-Germain-the Auxerrois, carried out " by a great number of voices, which were well assisted by the kindness of a very-large number of instrumens . "

It launches out then in the publication of small Motet S, kind which it will control with brilliance.

The dedication of its first book of 1703 watch which it was already attached to the royal family since it offers the high patronage of the young person duke of Burgundy:

" Monseigneur,

I am not enough bold to undertake to make here your Praise, I feel that it is a thing infinitely with the top of moy. Toutte Europe conoist enough which are your virtues, and nobody is not unaware of that you walk to great steps on the traces of your ayeuls. Whole France sçait that the Following the example of of Louis large the, and Monseigneur Daufin, a deep piety united with a burning zeal for the vraye Religion, does one of your most expensive care, and those which have the honor to approach you feel the every day the effects of the size of your Heart, and of the generosity of your heart. It is pourquoy, Monseigneur, I garderay a respectful silence on touttes these Eminent virtues in fear of be able to them Elever as far as they deserve it. I contenteray to only publish itself by very that you have dicernement perfect for all beautiful arts, and particularly for the Music which you conoissez toutte delicacy and toutte the force of the harmony, which of made you one of your more pleasant recreations, in the intervals that you conceal with your serious occupations, and that finally you acordez a so singular protection with the maistres in this Art, that animate them to you to go there more perfect to like to you. They are these reasons, Monseigneur, who determined me to compose these Mottets to put them at the day, and who made me take freedom to present them to you, more especially as they lock up only pious things which relate to the divine worship. I too happy estimeray, Monseigneur, if you have kindness to approve them, and so in the moments of your leisure, you condescend jetter above some favorable glances. It is the grace which requires of you that which will be toutte its life, with a deep respect,

Monseigneur ,

very humble, very obeying and very subjected Vostre servant, Bernier."

A few years later, in 1713, its second opus betrays his relations with powerful the Famille of Noailles, which gave great figures to the military capacity, political and monk with the France, which confirms once more Titon of Tillet: " Mr. the Duke of Noailles, today Marshal of France, also gave famous brands of his protection to this Musicien." In fact, it acts here of Anne Jules de Noailles, count d' Ayen:

" has Monseigneur the Duke of Noailles, Pair of France, Grand of Spain, Chevalier of the Golden Fleece; First Captain of the Bodyguards of Roy, Lieutenant-General of the Armies of his Majesty, Governor of the Provinces of Berry and Roussillon, Count d' Ayen, of Mouchy, &c.

Monseigneur ,

I ay felt the effects of the protection of Your Size in as well of different occasions, as I then to retain more a long time the respectful silence which prevented me until now from publishing in all France the graces of which me filled you. It is with you, Monseigneur, has who I owe all bontez them that had for moy Feu Monseigneur the Marshal your Famous Father, whose memory will be always expensive to people of good, and of which I conserveray the memory all my life. It is with Your size that I am indebted favor of His Eminence Mgr. the Cardinal of Noailles whose piety and virtues are the example of the ornament of the Clergy. It is with you of a word that I must the honor make sing in front of more Grand Roy of the World; honor, which is all the more sensitive for me as my little of merit me in éloigneroit without the support of V.G. As it is of It that I hold all these differens advantages, it is quite right that I give him a mark, foible with the truth but sincere, of my reconnoissance and of my perfect dévoüemt. By offering this second Book of Mottets to him. The favorable reception that Your Size always made with my works, makes me hope that She will want to have for that cy well same indulgence that She had for the others. Sometimes after that I estimeray my work well reward, so in the hours of his leisure, It condescend to honor it with his glances. This seroit icy the place, Monseigneur, or I devrois to publish the heroic virtues of V.G. on all this intrepid heat that made paroitre in so many occasions, and lastly in the catch of Girone. This seroit icy or it seroit allowed to me to rent with justice the piety, the nobility of soul and the magnificence which are so familiar for you and which are the prerogatives of your famous family. But, Monseigneur, it does not belong to a genius as limited as mine to speak In praise of V.G. One needs a feather more delicate as mine to write on a subject so raised. I borneray thus with the admiration of all your brilliant qualitez myself, and penetrated that I am of veneration and reconnoissance, I cesseray never my to say and be with all the possible respect, Monseigneur ,

Of Your size, the very humble one, very obeying and very obliged servant, NR. Bernier."

April 5th, 1705, Bernier succeeds then Marc-Antoine Charpentier as Master of music of the the Ste Chapelle of Paris with the support of the Régent. At that time, Lecerf of Viéville, in its Speech on the music of Church , spoke already, on several occasions, of a " Bernier" abbot; from where confusion on state be-saying the ecclesiastical of the musician. With his continuation, in 1910, Michel Brenet, thought that Bernier " had probably taken the minor orders ". Actually, it had, by way of derogation extraordinary of the Régent, the right to carry the collet and to occupy a load which usually fell on a single person harborant the habit… Titon of Tillet specifies whereas " the Prince obtained Chapter, that it conserveroit his place, provided that his wife habiteroit not in the house intended for the Master of Music; single example, this place being able to be filled only by one man in the celibacy with the Ecclésiastique" dress; .

Its activity within the Palate intense, is illustrated by the publication of its two books of Motet S saw we it. June 20th 1712, whereas it remains " in Paris Court of the Palate " , it is known that he contacts marriage with Marie-Catherine Marais, the girl of the famous gambist Marin Marais and Miss Damicourt. Besides Parain of Pelagie Marsh, Bernier seems to attend the family for a certain time since married lived with his/her parents on the parish Saint-Germain-the Auxerrois, street Bertin-White beet.

In 1715, Bernier takes part in the entertainments given by the duchess of Maine in her Château of Seals: they are famous the Nuits of Seals , kind of circling festivals accommodating many type-setters like Mouret or Boismortier.

In 1723 the education of the pages of the royal Chapelle is entrusted to him and it receives by addition one of the three districts of under-Master of music of the royal Chapelle jointly held by Michel-Richard de Lalande, Charles Hubert Gervais and André Campra.

In order to succeed Lalande (which had just died), as charged with education with pages with Vault royal (station which it will preserve until in 1733), Nicolas Bernier resigns of its post office in the Ste Chapelle on November 18th 1726, in favor of one of its élèvres François of the Cross, which will make besides publish in 1741 (on a purely posthumous basis) three motets new of his Master, accompanied as of his. The inventory after-death of Bernier mentioned " indeed; partitions and parts drawn with the hand of thirty six motets handwritten from the dud composition. late for the use of the Vault of the roy " ; layers which it bequeathed by will with the Cross: " I bequeath and give to aforesaid Sieur of the Cross all the engraved boards of my first and my second work of motets and the boards of the third that javois started which did not esté not stamped yet ". The work is dedicated to Massire Nicolas of Vichy-Chamron…

Nicolas Bernier is buried in the Église Saint-Jean-the-Round.

“ Bernier, if advisable by its science and the great number of pupils who left with his hands, composed of very-beautiful motets remarkable, especially by the excellent runnings away which are there” acknowledged us Pierre-Louis d' Aquin of Castle-Lyon in its Lettres on the famous men (1754, p.94).

Music

After Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Bernier is probably the French type-setter who best assimilated the Italian style. Its motets constitutes a perfect synthesis of the French and Italian tastes, but where its compatriots imitate the Italian style after a fashion, the artist offers a model to be followed. The same will apply a little later to Hasse which controlled the Neapolitan style best that one did not do it with the foot of Vesuvius!

The genius of Bernier is expressed at the same time by its harmonic invention , its rhythmic direction and its contrapuntic science . Movements runnings away such as Principes populorum (Omnes Gentes) carry the signature of one of the very large French Masters of the counterpoint.

Nicolas Bernier found in small the motet a place of privileged expression and asserts himself like the largest Master of the kind. Appeared in 1703, its First Book attested from the start a control époustouflante. The quality first of its small motets is to offer a construction exceeding the framework fixed by its predecessors. Moreover, it prints a theatricalness with the speech which results in the presence of several récitatifs, sometimes three by motet. In the First (1695) and Second Books (1700) of Andre Campra, one found none of it. Only Marc-Antoine Charpentier before Bernier and François Couperin among his contemporaries (the Three Lessons of Darkness go back to 1714) can support the comparison.

Some as of its small motets obey a cyclic form, the first movement being repeated at the end of each other part. Others are designed in order to be connected without any interruption. A change occurs in addition between the Premier and the Second Book : in this last, the form appears fuller and the writing plus virtuoso, especially for the instrumental parts.

Published works

1703 : MOTETS to one, two, and three votes with Symphony and without Symphonie twenty six DEDICATE has Monseigneur the duke of Burgundy Composez/By Mr. Bernier. Maistre de Musique of Roy in the co. Vault of the Palate cy in front of maistre of Music of German Saint Auxerois Première Works HAS PARIS In the Author in the Court of the Palate to the Control/1703 [[motet] S]

v. 1703 : Cantatas françoises or chamber music to voice alone with symphony and without symphony with the low continuous one. FIRST BOOK. Engraved per H. of Baussen. Paris, Foucault

" v. 1703 " : Cantatas françoises or chamber music to voice alone and two with symphony and without symphony with the low continuous one. SECOND BOOK. Engraved per H. of Baussen. The Words are of Mr. Fuzellier. Paris, Foucault

" v. 1703 " : Cantatas françoises or chamber music to voice alone and two with symphony and without symphony with the low continuous one. THIRD BOOK. Engraved by Paulo Angeli. Paris, Foucault

" v. 1703 " : Cantatas françoises or chamber music to voice alone and two with symphony and without symphony with the low continuous one. FOURTH BOOK. Paris, Foucault

" v. 1703 " : NYMPHS OF DIANE. Francoise cantata with two low-continuous votes and it. Paris, Foucault

April. 1706 : " One cannot prevent aimer" in Collection of serious airs and with drinking various authors, Paris, Ballard.

March. 1711 : " Drive out the ennuy which you possede" in Collection of serious airs and with drinking various authors, Paris, Ballard.

1713 : MOTETS to one, two, and three votes with Symphony and without Symphonie DEDICATE HAS MONSEIGNEUR the DUKE OF NOAILLES Composez BY Mr. BERNIER. Master of Music of Roy in the co. Vault of the Palate the SECOND WORK HAS PARIS, In the Author in the Court of the Palate to the Control 1713 [[motet] S]

1715 : The NIGHTS OF SEALS, concerts of room or cantatas françoises with several voices of manner of entertainment, meslez of airs of violin and other symphonies with the low continuous one. FIFTH BOOK. Engraved by F. of Plessy. Paris, Foucault, 1715.

1718 : Cantatas françoises or chamber music to voice alone with symphony and without symphony with thecontinuous one. SIXTH BOOK. The Words are of Mr. Thibault. F. of Plessy grav. Paris, Foucault 1718.

1723 : Cantatas françoises or chamber music to voice alone with symphony and without symphony with thecontinuous one. SEVENTH BOOK. Engraved by L. Hoots. Paris, Boivin, 1718

Handwritten works

Lessons of darkness (Lyon, bibl. Municip.) + large motets Cantata Domino & Cum invocarem .
Large motets (Paris, BNF): Benedic animated mea dedicated to the king; Lauda animated mea Dominum ; Miserere mei Due quoniam ; Venite exultemus ; Beatus vir ; Confitebor tibi Dominates ; Deus noster refugium ; Lauda Jerusalem ; Laudate Dominum .
Chants of the offices of various new Saints compose in full-song by the sior Bernier lost).
Principles of composition (Even, BNF).

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