La Borde or Laborde, Jean-Benjamin(-François) de

La Borde or Laborde, Jean-Benjamin(-François) de, French violinist, writer on music, and composer; b. Paris, Sept. 5, 1734; d. there (guillotined), July 22, 1794. He was born into an aristocratic family, and received training in violin from Dauvergne and in composition from Rameau. While still young, he became a member of the Compagnie des Fermiers-Généreaux. In 1762 he entered the service of Louis XV, becoming his close friend and a premier valet de chambre. Following the king’s death in 1774, he fell in and out of favor at the court. With the coming of the Revolution, he settled in Rouen only to be tracked down, sent back to Paris, and executed. He composed many stage works, mostly opéras-comiques, and brought out collections of chansons. He also designed a clavecin chromatique with 21 notes to the octave. His interest in early music resulted in his most notable work, the extensive Essai sur la musique ancienne et moderne (4 vols., Paris, 1780). This work remains valuable for its entries on 17^th and 18^th century musicians. His other writings included Mémoires historiques sur Raoul de Coucy [with] receuil de ses chansons en vieux langage, avec la traduction et l’ancienne musique (Paris, 1781) and Mémoires sur les proportions musicales, le genre énarmonique…avec une lettre de l’auteur de l’Essai à M. l’Abbé Roussier (Paris, 1781).

Bibliography

C. Mellinet, Notice sur J.-B.d. L.B. (Nantes, 1839); J. Warmoes, L’exemplaire de V “Essai sur la musique ancienne et moderne” de J.-B.d. L. annoté part Grétry (diss., Univ. of Louvain, 1956).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire