Racquet Charles, *1597 Paris, †1 January 1664 Paris, French organist and composer. He came from a family of renowned Parisian organists; he studied under his father, Balthazar, and then likely spent time in the Netherlands, from where he brought back numerous awards and medals. From 1618 until the end of his life, he served as organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He also served as organist at the court of Queen Marie de Médici. M. Mersenne (Harmonie universelle, Paris 1636–37) and J.B. de Laborde (Essai sur la musique ancienne et moderne, Paris 1780) considered Racquet to be the most outstanding organist and contrapuntist of his era.
Of Racquet’s works, only Douze versets de psaume en duo, included in M. Mersenne’s Harmonie universelle, and the extensive, virtuosic Fantaisie in a manuscript copy of Harmonie universelle have survived (both works published by J. Bonfils, L’Organiste Liturgique XXIX–XXX, Paris 1960–61). The virtuosity and contrapuntal imagination demonstrate great skill in both performance and composition. Five arrangements of organ works for carillon, preserved in a manuscript at the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris, are also attributed to Racquet.
Literature: A. Tessier Une pièce d’orgue de Charles Racquet et le Mersenne de la Bibliothèque des Minimes de Paris, “Revue de Musicologie” XI, 1929; F.P. Goy Une source inattendue pour l’oeuvre d’un des Racquet, “Revue de Musicologie” LXXX, 1994.
