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FRANCOIS-JOSEPH GOSSEC (1734 - 1829)
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Gossec was born on January 17th 1734 in Vergnies, which is in the Lower Netherlands (today Belgium)
province of Hainault. He was out of a Walloon peasant family.
Aged six, hed was sent to the collegiate church at Walcourt, near Charleroi. And soon after he became
a singer in the chapel of St. Aldegonde in Maubeuge. While in Maubeuge, Gossec joined the chapel of St. Pierre and studied violin,
harpsichord and various music disciplines with Jean Vanderleben. In 1749 he joined the Notre-Dame in Antwerp as chorister,
continuing his musical studies with André-Joseph Blavier.
In 1751 he went to Paris and joined the private orchestra of 'fermier-général' Le Riche de la
Pouplinière as a violinist. At that time the orchestra was led by Rameau. In 1756 Gossec himself rose to the position of
director. In 1762 Gossec became director of the private theatre of Louis-Joseph de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, at Chantilly where he
remained for the next eight years.
In 1769 Gossec founded 'The Concert des Amateurs', Which soon became renown as one of Europe’s finest
orchestras. In 1773 Gossec assumed joint directorship of the Concert Spirituel, remaining there until 1777.
In the 1780s Gossec was connected with the opera, resigning in 1789 to take up the post as co-director
of 'Corps de musique de la garde nationale'. In 1795 the 'Conservatoire national supérieur de musique' was founded, and Gossec
appointed professor of composition. In 1804 he was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur.
Francois-Joseph Gossec died on February 16th 1829 in Passy near Paris. Having resigned from the
conservatoire in 1816, he spent the rest of his life in relative obscurity.
Gossec is best known for his more than fifty symphonies. But he also composed more than thirty works
for the stage, choral works, chamber music and a huge body of 'Revolutionary music'.
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