- Symphonies pour les Soupers du Roy is a series of orchestral suites composed for the suppers of the King of France (first Louis XIV, then Louis XV). The composition and curation of music for all occasions at Versailles fell under Delalande’s duties as superintendent of royal chamber music.
- Delalande served the court of Versailles for 43 years, until his death in 1726.1
- For historical context, the king’s suppers were somewhat ritualistic and open to the public, who would shuffle by as the king and his family ate. Given the formality of the event, it makes sense that the king would want ever-changing table music as an accompaniment to the “performance.” The music helped uphold the spectacle of the royal court and justify the king’s position of power.
- The first published catalog of Delalande’s table music from 1703 consists of 10 suites, and more were published after the composer’s death. In total, there are ~300 movements in existence today.2
Sources
- James R. Anthony and Lionel Sawkins, “Lalande [La Lande, Delalande], Michel-Richard de,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed November 27, 2023, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000015860.
- Notes in accomplaying booklet, Symphonies pour les Soupers du Roy performed by the Elbipolis Barockorchester Hamburg conducted by Jürgen Gross, Challenge Classics 72664, 2015, compact disc.
Cut IDs
25784 25785 25786