Jean-Baptiste Volumier facts for kids

Jean-Baptiste Volumier (born around 1670, died 1728) was a famous musician from the 1700s. He was a talented violin player, a composer (someone who writes music), and a concertmaster. A concertmaster is the leader of an orchestra's violin section and helps the conductor.

Early Life and Career

Jean-Baptiste Volumier was born around 1670. He might have been born in a part of what is now Belgium, called Spanish Flanders. As a young man, he studied music in Paris, France. He learned the popular French style of music, which he used in his playing and composing.

In 1692, Volumier moved to Berlin, Germany. He got a job as a violinist in the court orchestra of the Electorate of Brandenburg. He quickly became the court concertmaster, which meant he was in charge of the music for ballets and dances. He wrote songs (called arias) and dance music for the crown prince's wedding in 1706. Sadly, none of the music he wrote during this time has survived. In 1708, he left his job in Berlin after an argument.

Leading the Dresden Orchestra

In 1709, Volumier became the concertmaster at the royal court in Dresden, Germany. This was a very important position. He used the French music style to make the Dresden orchestra one of the best in Europe. Famous musicians like Veracini and Pisendel joined the orchestra under his leadership.

Over time, Volumier became very good at mixing different music styles. He combined the French and Italian styles with some German elements. This new sound became known as the "mixed" or "German" style. A famous flutist named Quantz once wrote that he had never heard a better orchestra than the Dresden orchestra when Volumier was leading it.

Trip to Cremona

In 1715, the Saxon king-elector, Augustus the Strong, sent Volumier on a special trip. Volumier went to Cremona, Italy, for several months. His job was to check on the making of twelve violins that the king had ordered from the famous violin maker Antonio Stradivarius.

Friendship with Bach

While in Dresden, Volumier became good friends with the famous composer Bach. In 1717, a French musician named Louis Marchand visited Dresden. The king was very impressed with Marchand and offered him a job at the court.

Volumier thought this might cause problems, so he arranged a keyboard contest between Marchand and his friend Bach. However, Marchand got nervous about competing with Bach. Early on the morning of the contest, he secretly left Dresden and never came back! Marchand's sudden departure helped Bach's position at the court. This story was first told by an organist named Jakob Adlung. Adlung also wrote that Bach respected Marchand's skills as a musician.

Later Years and Death

Augustus the Strong, the elector of Saxony (where Dresden is), was also the king of Poland for many years. Volumier sometimes traveled with the king to his court in Warsaw, Poland.

It was during one of these trips to Warsaw that Volumier became ill. After he returned to Dresden, Pisendel often had to take over his duties because Volumier was too sick to work. Jean-Baptiste Volumier died in October 1728. Two years later, his wife began receiving a regular pension (money paid to her) from the court.

Compositions

Volumier wrote a lot of ballet music and many pieces for the violin. Sadly, almost all of his music was destroyed in a fire in 1760. This happened when the city of Dresden was under attack by a Prussian army led by Frederick the Great.

See also

In Spanish: Juan Bautista Volumier para niños