Leclair notes

http://imslp.org/wiki/Duos_for_2_Violins_(Leclair,_Jean-Marie)

Duos for violins op.3 and op.12 (checking years of publication)

Biographical paragraph :
-18th century French triumvirat Guillemain, Guignon, Leclair (also Mondonville?!?)
Particularities : Guignon in prison during his youth (was too shy to play in public-was it he or
Guillemain : to be checked)
Guillemain committed suicide (highly endebted)
Leclair was killed

Guignon and Leclair did not go along well when they were in charge of the orchestra in
Versailles-Leclair quitted

French versus Italian (styles) and the violin in France :

The « querelle » between French and Italian style (to be elaborated since it will play a role when
commenting the collections directly) did not hinder Leclair to go to Italy in order to study with
Giovanni Battista Somis. So Italian techniques (both composition and playing) found its way to
Paris. (mentioning Hotteterre who already a generation earlier had visited Corelli in Rome/also
refering to Lully, who was of Italian birth before he went to France –creating French national
music…).

24 violons du Roy : difference in bowing between French (fast bowings) and Italian style (slow
bowings) and music making (Italy : slow mouvements very slow, fast mv very fast) versus French
in the middle of the road.
Question : how many Italian elements did Leclair integrate in his playing style. We will never
know, but the music is Italianate enough to assume that he mastered both playing styles eqully
well.

Contemporary painting showing Leclair shows him with the engraving of the op.3 set, his most
popular publication.
(paragraph on French printing culture and the royal « privilège »/people like Hotteterre and de
Boismortier who sell their own music at their own place)

Question : When Leclair had such a hard time with a fellow like Guignon-who would he play
these pieces with?
Answer : Since he published them, they were destined for amateurs-which proves the high
standard of contemporary amateur violin playing.

Musical interest :
Leclair seemed to have been interested in making the inaudible audible in a fascinating way :
The absence of a bassline would not be an obstacle but would be at the origine of using his
imagination in order to pretend a bassline with violins.
The two duo partners are of absolutely equal importance.
Double stops and witty use of registers reinforce the illusion of more than 2 instruments playing.
In particular the techniques of Italian sequencing of motives and the virtuosic approach of
Italian concerto style were of interest for Leclair. He duly incorporated both into his duo
collections op.3 and op.12.

Describing of and comparing between op. 3 and op.12

Comparing the differences between op.3 and op.12 and pointing out some particular
mouvements with particular techniques or musical features (double stops, ornament figures,
imitation, French versus Italian syle)
What kind of difference can be observed between the 2 collections?

Summary and outlook :

Contribution of Leclair to music history (the sub-culture of duo playing in particular) and the
history of violin playing.
The influence of these collections on other composers.
Later examples of high caliber duos (Mozart : violin/viola etc.)

Finale :
If only he would not have been killed, because he might have come up with even more stuff.