Nicolas-Marie d'Alayrac (French:[nikolamaridalerak];bapt. 13 June 1753 – 26 November 1809), nicknamed theMusician poet,[1] more commonlyNicolas Dalayrac, was a French composer of theClassical period. Intended for a military career, he made the acquaintance of many musicians in the Parisiansalons, which convinced him of his true vocation.
Among his most popular works,Nina, or The Woman Crazed with Love (1786), which tackles the theme of madness and arouses real enthusiasm during its creation, premiered on 23 November at theStroganov Palace.[2]The Two Little Savoyards (1789), which deals with the rapprochement of social classes, a theme bearing the ideals of theFrench Revolution, Camille ou le Souterrain (1791), judged as his best production or even Léon ou le Château de Monténéro (1798) who by hisleitmotifs announces a new genre. If he forges an international reputation, he remains nevertheless less known in the lyrical field thanAndré Grétry.
His first compositions were violin duos, string trios and quartets. He published them under a pseudonym with Italian consonance. The quartets were very successful, and the true identity of their author was eventually discovered. According toRené-Charles Guilbert de Pixérécourt, he was initiated intoFreemasonry and was a member of theMasonic lodge of «The Nine Sisters». In 1778 he composed the music for the reception ofVoltaire, and of the party in honor ofBenjamin Franklin at the home ofAnne-Catherine de Ligniville Helvétius. Dalayrac actively participated in the development ofcopyright.
« Alayrac parrain », signature of the future composer, eight years old[b]
Nicolas-Marie d'Alayrac was born inMuret on 8 April 1753,[3] into anoble family of Sir Jean d'Alayrac, adviser to the king in the election ofComminges and his wife Marie Cluzel.[4] Baptized five days later, Nicolas Alayrac is the oldest of five children. He was the first of four children, including two sisters who died at a young age, he was sent to the bar, and went to study in Toulouse.[4]
Although trained as a lawyer, he was encouraged by his father to abandon his career and follow his passion for music. He married the actress Gilberte Pétronille Sallarde. After theFrench Revolution he changed his name from the aristocratic d'Alayrac to Dalayrac. In 1804, he received theLégion d'honneur. He died inParis, aged 56.
Les deux petits Savoyards (1789), libretto by Benoît-Joseph Marsollier des Vivetières, first performance by Les Comédiens ordinaires du Roi, 14 January 1789.
^Ruotte 1801. This black and white lithograph represents Nicolas Dalayrac without Legion of Honor. There are copies, colored or not, anachronistic overloaded with the port of the Legion of Honor (received only in 1804). It is
dated 1801 according to the work that Dalayrac writes as he poses: [Duo of] House for Sale (1800).
— Drawn by Césarine de C. engraved by L. C. Ruotte (1801).
^ Alayrac is the name of his grandfather and father according to the latter's marriage certificate. Ce père est dénommé pour la seule fois par le curé sur l'acte de baptême de son fils Nicolas, mais il signe et fera de même pour ses quatre autres enfants (à noter que des particules sont apposées par d'autres signataires).(Parish of Taur 1761, p. 222) Le musicien lui-même, parrain d'une de ses sœurs, Blaize, signe (Muret 1761, p. 212)
Dermoncourt, Bertrand (2012-10-18).L'univers de l'opéra (in French). Groupe Robert Laffont.ISBN978-2-221-13404-7.
Douladoure, Louis (1873).Mémoires de l'Académie des sciences, inscriptions et belles-lettres de Toulouse (in French). Toulouse:French Academy of Sciences. p. 367.
Jagemann, Karoline (2004).Selbstinszenierungen im klassischen Weimar: Autobiographie, Kritiken, Huldigungen [Self-promotion in classic Weimar: autobiography, reviews, homage] (in German). Wallstein Verlag.ISBN978-3-89244-743-6.
Longley, David (2014-07-30).The Longman companion to imperial Russia, 1689–1917. Oxon [England]: Routledge. p. 134.ISBN978-1-315-84021-5.
%2c_in_the_title_r%25C3%25B4le_of_Nina_(Scene_V).jpg)
