A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Perrin, Pierre

by Gustave Chouquet

PERRIN, Pierre, called 'l'Abbe' Perrin,' though he was neither ordained nor held a benefice, was born at Lyons about 1616, and died in Paris 1676. He succeeded Voiture as 'introducteur des Ambassadeurs' to Gaston Duke of Orleans, a post which brought him into relations with several great personages, including Mazarin, who became his patron, and the musician Cambert, for whom he wrote the words of 'La Pastorale,' 5 acts, produced first at Issy (1659), and then at Vincennes before the king. After the deaths' of Gaston d'Orléans and Mazarin, Perrin was reduced to living upon his wits; and fancied himself on the sure road to fortune when he obtained from Louis XIV the privilege of founding an Académie de Musique (Nov. 10, 1668), and letters patent securing him the management of the theatre (June 28, 1669). Unfortunately the management of an opera requires capital, and the Abbé Perrin was a poor poet in all senses of the word. His partners quarrelled among themselves, and in spite of the success of Cambert's 'Pomone' (March 19, 1671) he was compelled to resign his privilege just as his 'Ariane' was about to be produced. The patent, revoked on the 30th of March, 1672, was transferred to Lully, who came out of the transaction with anything but clean hands. Perrin's 'Œuvres de Poésie (Paris, 1661, 3 vols.) contain, besides his operas, translations—of the Æneid amongst others—and 'Jeux de poésie sur divers insectes,' the least bad perhaps of all his verses, which even in that licentious day drew forth the rebukes of Boileau and Saint Evremond, and are now quite unreadable.

[ G. C. ]