Eugène Louis-Marie Jancourt facts for kids

Eugène Jancourt (born December 15, 1815 – died January 29, 1901) was a talented French musician. He was a bassoon player, a composer, and a teacher. Jancourt taught at the famous Paris Conservatoire. He is best known for his teaching books and for making the "Buffet" style bassoon better. Many experts believe he was one of the most important bassoonists of the 1800s. He worked alongside another great bassoonist, Julius Weissenborn.

Life and Music Career

Eugène Jancourt was born in Château-Thierry, France, on December 15, 1815. He grew up in a musical family. He started learning the flute at age eight. As a child, he also learned to play the violin and clarinet. He then switched to the bassoon. He loved the bassoon's unique sound and character.

Jancourt was very good at the bassoon. At age nineteen, he was accepted into the Paris Conservatoire. His teacher, François René Gebauer, even gave him a new bassoon. Jancourt's old one was in very bad shape. In only his second year, he won the Conservatoire competition.

After graduating in 1837, Jancourt played music all over Paris. He performed in many concerts. Soon, he became the main bassoonist for the l’Orchestre de l’Opéra-Comique. People said his playing was very pure and charming. It sounded like a human voice, not funny or strange.

Around this time, Jancourt started writing music for the bassoon. Back then, the bassoon was not usually a solo instrument. Between 1843 and 1869, he held many important music jobs. He was the main bassoonist at the Théâtre Italien. He also joined the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire. He stayed a member for 30 years.

Jancourt also traveled and performed in London, Italy, and other parts of France. But he always stayed close to Paris. In the 1840s, he became a very busy composer. He wrote many beautiful bassoon pieces. People still enjoy playing them today.

His last performance was in 1877 in Angers, France. After his performing career, Jancourt became a famous teacher. He taught at the Paris Conservatoire starting in 1875. He stayed there until 1891. Even after retiring, he kept working to improve the bassoon. Eugène Jancourt passed away on January 29, 1901, at 85 years old.

Improving the Bassoon

While teaching, Jancourt spent time making the bassoon better. He wanted it to be a more reliable instrument for solo performances. He worked with other experts like Louis Auguste Buffet, Frédéric Triébert, and Pierre Goumas. Together, they made important changes to the French bassoon. Some of these improvements are still used today.

Key Changes to the Bassoon

• They changed old key saddles to rod keys and pillars. This made the keys stronger.
• They added a "whisper key." This made it easier to play low notes softly.
• They replaced some keys with ring mechanisms. These rings were triggered by fingers. This made notes more secure and in tune. It also meant players didn't have to move their fingers as much.
• They rebuilt the bassoon with 22 keys. They also used a more exact measurement for the instrument's inside tube, called the "bore." This helped create the best sound. They also added 22 new trills.
• The French bassoon used a smaller bore. This helped higher notes sound better. This gave French composers more freedom. Famous composers like Maurice Ravel, Henri Tomasi, André Jolivet, and Alexandre Tansman used this improved bassoon.

Jancourt and his colleagues officially published their changes. They put them in Jancourt's book, Etude du Basson perfectionné à anneaux mobiles, plateau et 22 Clés comprenant des Exercices pour l’emploi des nouvelles Clés, Op. 58. These changes helped create the modern French bassoon. Today, the Jancourt-Buffet system bassoon is mostly used in France.

Jancourt as a Teacher

Besides being a great performer, Jancourt became a very active composer for the bassoon. He published 119 works. He also wrote many method and technique books. These books helped people learn to play the bassoon as a solo instrument.

His most famous teaching book was the Grande methode theorique et pratique, Op. 15. This book helped make him the top bassoon teacher of his time. His works include many bassoon concert pieces and study books. They show how much the bassoon can do.

This book is still one of the most complete bassoon guides ever written. It teaches important skills like tone, vibrato, and basic technique. Jancourt was also known for changing other pieces of music to fit the bassoon. For example, he took a theme from Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. He then used it to create a piece for bassoon and piano. His Grande methode is still used by bassoon students today.