Beauvarlet-Charpentier, Jean-Jacques
Beauvarlet-Charpentier, Jean-Jacques
Beauvarlet-Charpentier, Jean-Jacques, famous French organist; b. Abbeville, June 28, 1734; d. Paris, May 6, 1794. His father was organist of the Hospice de la Charité in Lyons; his mother was the singer Marie Birol, who appeared on the stage under the name Marie Beauvarlet- Charpentier. He succeeded his father as organist in Lyons; from 1763 to 1771 he made appearances there at the Académie des Beaux Arts. He first played in Paris at a Concert Spirituel in 1759; in 1771 he was called to Paris as organist of the Royal Abbey of St. Victor. In 1772 he became organist at St. Paul, and also at St. Eloi des Orfèvres (from 1777) and Notre Dame (from 1783; with three other organists). He was also a composer, but his music attracted little notice. His son, Jacques-Marie Beauvarlet-Charpentier (b. Lyons, July 3, 1766; d. Paris, Sept. 7, 1834), was also an organist and composer.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire