Surname
Caignet
Given Name
Denis
Role
Composer
Musician
Active period
circa 1587 - 1625
Biography
Voir Dictionnaire
VCaignet, Denis
(b ?Picardy, d Paris, Nov 1625). French composer and instrumentalist. When he was very young (according to the preface of his 1597 book of Airs) he entered the service of Nicolas Le Gendre, the seigneur de Villeroy, later becoming master of the music in the household chapel. Caignet won a prize at the Evreux music festival in 1587 with a song entitled Las je ne voyrrai plus (see E.C. Teviotdale, CMc, lii, 1993, pp.7–26). Contact with printers led to a wider distribution of his music (which was probably otherwise circulated privately in the Villeroy household and allied establishments during the 1580s and early 1590s). Four of his polyphonic chansons were included in Phalèse's Le rossignol musical (RISM 159710), while in the same year Le Roy & Ballard published a book of Airs de court (for four to six voices) devoted exclusively to his music. The harmonic idiom of the airs, it has been suggested, shows close alignment with the often striking juxtapositions found in the monodic airs of the 17th century. Caignet's other principal interest was the Psalter: his Cinquante pseaumes de David (for four, five, six and eight voices; based on Desportes' translations of those texts) was issued by the Ballard firm in 1607, and bears a dedication to the son of Nicolas de Villeroy, his long-standing patron. Here, in addition to touches of chromaticism, is a rhythmic profile that emulates Baïf's metrical principles of the vers mesurés. Neither of these stylistic traits is heard in the Huguenot Psalter.
By 1614 Caignet was listed as ‘joueur de violle’ in the royal household of King Louis XIII, a position he seems to have kept until his death. He also maintained close relations with Ballard, who reprinted his psalm settings up until his death in 1625; the last of these editions (printed in the final year of Caignet's life) included arrangements of these works for lute. He had two sons (each named Gabriel) who were also employed as musicians in the royal household during the 1630s.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
MGG1 (F. Lesure)
F. Lesure and G. Thibault: Bibliographie des éditions d'Adrian Le Roy et Robert Ballard, 1551–1598 (Paris, 1955), 246
M. Jurgens: Documents du minutier central concernant l'histoire de la musique (1600–1650) (Paris, 1966–74)
G. Durosoir: L'air de cour en France: 1571–1655 (Liège, 1991)
PAUL-ANDRÉ GAILLARD/RICHARD FREEDMAN
VCaignet, Denis
(b ?Picardy, d Paris, Nov 1625). French composer and instrumentalist. When he was very young (according to the preface of his 1597 book of Airs) he entered the service of Nicolas Le Gendre, the seigneur de Villeroy, later becoming master of the music in the household chapel. Caignet won a prize at the Evreux music festival in 1587 with a song entitled Las je ne voyrrai plus (see E.C. Teviotdale, CMc, lii, 1993, pp.7–26). Contact with printers led to a wider distribution of his music (which was probably otherwise circulated privately in the Villeroy household and allied establishments during the 1580s and early 1590s). Four of his polyphonic chansons were included in Phalèse's Le rossignol musical (RISM 159710), while in the same year Le Roy & Ballard published a book of Airs de court (for four to six voices) devoted exclusively to his music. The harmonic idiom of the airs, it has been suggested, shows close alignment with the often striking juxtapositions found in the monodic airs of the 17th century. Caignet's other principal interest was the Psalter: his Cinquante pseaumes de David (for four, five, six and eight voices; based on Desportes' translations of those texts) was issued by the Ballard firm in 1607, and bears a dedication to the son of Nicolas de Villeroy, his long-standing patron. Here, in addition to touches of chromaticism, is a rhythmic profile that emulates Baïf's metrical principles of the vers mesurés. Neither of these stylistic traits is heard in the Huguenot Psalter.
By 1614 Caignet was listed as ‘joueur de violle’ in the royal household of King Louis XIII, a position he seems to have kept until his death. He also maintained close relations with Ballard, who reprinted his psalm settings up until his death in 1625; the last of these editions (printed in the final year of Caignet's life) included arrangements of these works for lute. He had two sons (each named Gabriel) who were also employed as musicians in the royal household during the 1630s.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
MGG1 (F. Lesure)
F. Lesure and G. Thibault: Bibliographie des éditions d'Adrian Le Roy et Robert Ballard, 1551–1598 (Paris, 1955), 246
M. Jurgens: Documents du minutier central concernant l'histoire de la musique (1600–1650) (Paris, 1966–74)
G. Durosoir: L'air de cour en France: 1571–1655 (Liège, 1991)
PAUL-ANDRÉ GAILLARD/RICHARD FREEDMAN