Clicquot

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Clicquot

Clicquot, family of French organ builders:

(1)Robert Clicquot ; b. Rheims, c. 1645; d. Paris, July 21, 1719. He began his career working with his brother-in-law, the organ builder Etienne Enocq, in Rheims. He later worked with Enocq in Paris, where he became facteur d’orgues du Roy, a title retained by his family. Upon Enocq’s death in 1682, he pursued his activities independently until joining in partnership with Alexandre Thierry. Upon the latter’s death in 1699, Clicquot became the principal organ builder in Paris. Among his most important organs were those for Rouen Cathedral (1689), the collegiate church of St. Quentin (1703), and the great chapel of Versailles (1710–11). His two sons were also organ builders:

(2)Jean Baptiste Clicquot ; b. Rheims, Nov. 3, 1678; d. Paris, March 16, 1746. He learned his profession from his father, and then was a partner of Alexandre Thierry.

(3)Louis-Alexandre Clicquot ; b. Paris, c. 1684; d. there, Jan. 25, 1760. He served as facteur d’orgues du Roy, and was later joined by his son, (4)François-HenriClicquot.

(4)François-Henri Clicquot, the most celebrated member of the family; b. Paris, 1732; d. there, May 24, 1790. He worked with his father from 1751, and was responsible for completing the outstanding organ at St. Roch in Paris. Upon his father’s death in 1760, he took control of the family enterprise and gained a foremost reputation as a master organ builder and restorer. Among his notable achievements were the completion of the organ of St. Louis in Versailles and the construction of the organ at St. Sulpice in Paris. He wrote a treatise which was completed by his son, Claude François Clicquot (b. Paris, 1762; d. there, March 29, 1801), who also was an organ builder and restorer. The treatise was publ. in a facsimile ed. by J. Martinod as Théorie pratique de la facture d’orgues (Kassel, 1969).