André Cardinal Destouches facts for kids
André Cardinal Destouches (sometimes called des Touches) was a famous French composer. He was born on April 6, 1672, and passed away on February 7, 1749. He is best known for his opéra-ballet called Les élémens. An opéra-ballet is a special kind of show that combines opera (singing and acting) with ballet (dancing).
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About André Cardinal Destouches
André Cardinal was born in Paris. His father, Étienne Cardinal, was a wealthy merchant. André was educated by Jesuits, who are members of a Catholic religious order.
Early Life and Adventures
When André was young, he went on an exciting two-year trip to Siam (now Thailand). He traveled with a Jesuit priest named Father Guy Tachard. They left in January 1687 and even spent some time at the Cape of Good Hope before arriving in Siam in September.
After returning to France in September 1688, André spent several months at a special academy. In 1692, he joined the army. While serving, he took part in a battle in Namur. It was during his time in the army, when he wasn't fighting, that he discovered his talent for music.
Becoming a Composer
In August 1694, André's father passed away. To honor his father's title, "Seigneur des Touches et de Guilleville," André added "Destouches" to his name. In 1696, he left the army to focus completely on his musical dreams.
Destouches' opera Issé was performed for King Louis XIV in 1697. The King was very impressed! He said he enjoyed Destouches' music as much as that of the famous composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. A few weeks later, the opera was performed again at the Opéra and was a big success. The next year, Destouches even had dinner with famous writers like Boileau and Racine.
Important Roles and Later Life
Destouches wrote many successful operas. He also started working well with a writer named Pierre-Charles Roy. Because of his talent, King Louis XIV gave Destouches an important job in 1713. He was made inspector general of the Académie Royale de Musique, which was a major music institution. He earned a good salary for this role.
Later, in 1725, King Louis XV gave him even more important positions. Destouches became the superintendent of chamber music for the King's court and then the Director of the Académie. During this time, Destouches was able to buy land near Paris.
The young King Louis XV himself danced in Destouches' ballet Les élémens in 1721. Years later, in 1744, the older Destouches led the musicians for a masked ball held by the King's daughters. Destouches also performed his religious music, like De Profundis (1725) and a large choir piece called O dulcis Jesu (1728), at public concerts in Paris. Queen Maria Leszczyńska even asked him to bring back a concert series at the Tuileries palace. After another famous composer, Michel Richard Delalande, died in 1726, Destouches took charge of the King's music.
In 1724, he married Anne-Antoinette de Reynold de la Ferrière. André Cardinal Destouches was buried in the crypt of Saint-Roch church in Paris.
Main Works
Here are some of André Cardinal Destouches' important musical works:
- Issé (a pastorale héroïque, a type of heroic opera) (1697)
- Amadis de Grèce (a tragédie en musique, a musical tragedy) (1699)
- Marthésie (a tragédie en musique) (1699)
- Omphale (a tragédie en musique) (1701)
- Le carnaval et la folie (a comédie-ballet, a comedy with ballet) (1704)
- Callirhoé (a tragédie en musique) (1712)
- Télémaque (a tragédie en musique) (1714)
- Oenone (cantata, a piece for voices and instruments) (1716)
- Sémiramis (a tragédie en musique) (1718)
- Les élémens (an opéra-ballet), created with Delalande (1721)
- Les stratagèmes de l'amour (a ballet) (1726)
See Also
In Spanish: André Cardinal Destouches para niños
