A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Leroy, Adrien

by George Grove

LEROY, or LE ROY, Adrien, was a singer, lute player, and composer, but will be remembered as one of the most celebrated music printers of the 16th century, when printers were also publishers. Of the reasons of his taking to printing we have no account. He worked with the types of Le Bé (cut in 1540), as Attaignant had done before him with those of Hautin. Fétis states that he worked by himself for some time, but cites no evidence. In 1551 Le Roy married the sister of R. Ballard, who was already occupying himself with music printing, and was attached to the court; they joined partnership and obtained a patent, dated Feb. 16, 1552, as sole printers of music to Henri II. In 1571 he received Orlando Lasso as his guest, and published a volume of 'moduli' for him, with a dedication to Charles IX, which has already been quoted in this volume. [See p. 98a ]. Leroy's name disappears from the publications of the firm in 1589, and it may thus far be inferred that he died then. His Instruction-book for the Lute, 1557, was translated into English in two different versions, one by Alford, London 1568, and one by 'F. K. Gentleman' (Ib. 1574). A second work of his was a short and easy instruction-book for the 'Guiterne,' or guitar (1578); and a third is a book of 'airs de cour' for the lute 1571, in the dedication of which he says that such airs were formerly known as 'voix^[1] de ville.' Besides these the firm published, between 1551 and 1568, 20 books of 'Chansons' for 4 voices.

[ G. ]

1. May this not be the origin of Vaudeville, a piece made up of current airs?