Antoine Forqueray was born on September 1672 and died on June 28, 1745. He was a French composer and an expert musician who played the viola da gamba.

Forqueray was born in Paris. He was the first in a family of composers that included his sons, Jean-Baptiste (born 1699 and died 1782) and Nicolas Gilles (born 1703 and died 1761), as well as his brother Michel (born 1681 and died 1757).

Career at Versailles

Forqueray's great talent as a musician allowed him to play for Louis XIV when he was only ten years old. The king was very impressed and paid for Forqueray's music lessons. Seven years later, in 1689, Louis XIV gave Forqueray a special job called musicien ordinaire of La chambre du Roy, a position Forqueray kept for the rest of his life. To earn extra money, he also taught private lessons to members of the royal family and nobles. Later in Louis XIV's life, Mme de Maintenon added more performances to the usual concerts at Versailles. She organized daily music shows in her apartment, featuring musicians such as Robert de Visée (guitar), René Descoteaux (flute), Jean-Baptiste Buterne (harpsichord), and Forqueray.

Distinctive style

At the time of Forqueray's appointment, the most famous viol player at court was Marin Marais, known for his sweet and gentle musical style. Forqueray, however, became famous for his dramatic, bold, and intense style. Hubert Le Blanc compared Marais to an angel and Forqueray to the devil. The Mercure de France in 1738 criticized Antoine and his son Jean-Baptiste-Antoine for writing music "so difficult that only he and his son can play them well."

Forqueray's unique style was so notable that three of his contemporaries—Jean-Philippe Rameau, François Couperin, and Jacques Duphly—each composed a piece called "La Forqueray" to honor him.

Family and later years

In 1697, Forqueray married Henriette-Angélique Houssou, the daughter of a church organist. His wife often played the harpsichord with him during his performances. Their marriage was reportedly difficult, and after several short separations, they officially ended their marriage in 1710. His relationship with his son, Jean Baptiste, was also troubled. Forqueray had his son imprisoned in 1719 and sent him away using a legal document called a lettre de cachet in 1725.

In 1730, Forqueray retired to Mantes-la-Jolie, a town near Paris, where he continued to receive his salary. He died there in 1745.

Jean Baptiste published his father’s music for the viola da gamba in 1747, two years after Forqueray’s death. This collection also included versions for the harpsichord. Although a notice about Forqueray’s death mentioned that around 300 of his compositions remained at the time, only 32 pieces from his son’s publication are known to exist today.

Selected recordings

Pieces for Harpsichord, performed by Blandine Rannou on the harpsichord. 2-CD set by Zig-Zag Territoires (2007). Diapason d'Or award.

• Works for Harpsichord by Yannick Le Gaillard, Mandala (1994)
• The complete collection of Pieces for Harpsichord by Blandine Rannou, 2-CD set by Zig-Zag Territoires (recorded in 2007, released in 2008). Diapason d'Or award.
• Works for Harpsichord by Michael Borgstede, 2-CD set by Brilliant Classics (2011). Diapason d'Or award.
• Antoine & Jean-Baptiste Forqueray: ou les tourments de l'âme, performed by Michèle Dévérité, Kaori Uemura, Ryo Terakado, Ricardo Rodriguez, Robert Kohnen, [PIAS] CD by Harmonia Mundi (2018).
• Suite in E Minor, À Deux Violes Esgales, performed by Jonathan Dunford (viola da gamba), Sylvia Abramowicz (viola da gamba), Nanja Breedjijk (triple harp), Daphni Kokkoni (harpsichord), CD by AS Musique (ASM003, 2007).