Rigel, Henri Joseph
Rigel, Riegel Henri Jean, *15 May 1770 Paris, †16 December 1852 Abbeville, French pianist and composer, son of Henri Joseph. Initially, his father taught him to play the piano and composition, and in 1784 began his studies at the École Royale de Chant in Paris. From 1787, his works were performed as part of the Concert Spirituel; between 1795 and 1797, he was a professor at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1798, he travelled to Egypt with Napoleon Bonaparte, becoming a member of the Institute of Sciences and Arts in Cairo and musical director of the French theatre there. In 1800 he returned to France and gained a reputation as one of the most distinguished piano teachers (after 1835, C. Franck was his pupil for a short time); he was awarded the title of pianiste de la musique particulière de l’Empereur et Roi by Napoleon. He also performed as an accompanist and conductor. In 1816 he became a member of the Société Académique des Enfants d’Apollon, in 1820 its commissioner, and in 1825 its president.
Many of the works from Henri Jean Rigel’s prolific and varied compositional output have been lost; the press of the time reported on their numerous performances, mostly at concerts organised by the Société Académique des Enfants d’Apollon and as part of the Concert Spirituel. Some compositions (e.g. 3 sonates de différens genres, Op. 2) display pre-Romantic features, characterised by bold harmony, shifting moods and a loosening of strict classical formal structures.
Literature: A.-E.-M. Grétry Mémoires ou Essai sur la musique, Paris 1797; G. de Saint-Foix Les premiers pianistes Parisiens. III. [Henri Joseph] Rigel, “La Revue Musicale” V, 1923–24; R. Sondheimer Henri Joseph Rigel, “The Music Review” XVII, 1956; W.S. Newman The Sonata in the Classic Era, Chapel Hill 1963, 2nd edition revised 1972; E. Wellesz, F.W. Sternfeld The Early Symphony, in: The New Oxford History of Music, vol. 7: The Age of Enlightenment 1745–1790, eds. E. Wellesz and F. Sternfeld, London 1973.
Instrumental:
orchestral:
Simphonie à 15, manuscript
Piano Concerto No. 1 Op. 4, Paris ca. 1795
Piano Concerto No. 2, Paris 1804
Piano Concerto No. 3 Op. 12, Paris 1804
Piano Concerto No. 4 Op. 28, Paris 1813
Ouverture à grand orchestre, performed in Paris 1822
Ouverture pastorale, performed in Paris 1828, pub. Paris n.d.
Ouverture pour orchestre, performed in Paris 1830
L’héroïque, grande ouverture, performed in Paris 1845
Grande ouverture in D major, Paris n.d.
chamber:
Quintetto, performed in Paris 1826
Grand quintetto Op. 49, for 2 violins, a viola, a cello and a double bass, Paris ca. 1830
Quintetto in E-flat major, performed in Paris 1839
Grand et brillant quintette for piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass, Paris n.d.
Quatuor Op. 50, for piano, violin, viola and cello, Paris n.d.
Trio (…) sur l’air ancien “Petits oiseaux” for harp, piano and violin, performed in Paris 1831
Trios for harp, piano and violin, Paris, n.d.
3 sonates Op. 1, for piano with violin accompaniment ad libitum, Paris 1794
Pot-pourri varié… Op. 35, for piano and harp, Paris ca. 1820
Sonates Op. 7 for piano and violin, Paris n.d.
Sonates Op. 19 for piano and violin, Paris n.d.
Divertimento for 2 harps, Paris n.d.
piano:
3 sonates de différens genres Op. 2, pub. in: Magazin de musique à l’usage des fêtes nationales, ca. 1795
3 sonates Op. 3, Paris n.d.
Nouveau mélange varié Op. 16, Paris n.d.
2 grandes sonates Op. 17, Paris n.d.
Rondo brillant Op. 45, Paris n.d., probably the version titled Rondeau for piano with flute, 2 violins, violas, cellos and a double bass accompaniment (ad libitum), Leipzig 1830
Grand morceau pattetico et brillant for four hands, Op. 48, Paris ca. 1835
Duo for four hands, Paris n.d.
Duo for 2 pianos, Paris n.d.
arrangements for piano of overtures by E. N. Méhul and F.-J. Gossec, works by N. M. Dalayrac, and revolutionary hymns
Vocal-instrumental:
Duo, text by Vacherot, performed in Paris 1788
Ode contre les émigrés, text by Crassous, pub. in: Magazin de musique à l’usage des fêtes nationales, 1794
scènes françaises – Gédéon, Judith, Le retour de Tobie, performed in Paris 1787–1791
funeral cantata commemorating J.-F. Le Sueur, performed in Abbeville 1846
l numerous romances for voice accompanied by piano or harp, published individually or in collections, including:
Petits oiseaux, text by Ch.-L. Balzac, Paris ca. 1799
La leçon de la rose, Paris 1807
L’amitié, Paris 1812
La jeune Hortense, Paris 1812
Regrets de l’absence, Paris 1812
Au Zéphir, Paris 1813
Le bouquet, Paris 1814
Stage:
comic operas:
Les deux meuniers, in 1 act, libretto by Ch.-L. Balzac, staged in Cairo 1799
Le duel nocturne, in 1 act, libretto by C. de Longchamps, staged in Paris 1805