A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Roi des Violons

by Gustave Chouquet

ROI DES VIOLONS—'King of the violins'—a title of great interest as illustrating the struggle between Art and Authority. On Sept. 14, 1321, the ménestriers or fiddlers of France formed themselves into a regular corporation, with a code of laws in 11 sections, which was presented to the Prevôt of Paris, and by him registered at the Châtelet. The Confraternity, founded by 37 jongleurs and jongleresses, whose names have been preserved, prospered so far as in 1330 to purchase a site and erect on it a hospital for poor musicians. The building was begun in 1331, finished in 1335, and dedicated to St. Julien and St. Genest. The superior of this 'Confrérie of St. Julien des ménétriers' was styled 'king,' and the following were 'Rois des ménétriers' in the 14th century:—Robert Caveron, 1338; Copin du Brequin, 1349; Jean Caumez, 1387; and Jehan Portevin, 1392.

In 1407 the musicians, vocal and instrumental, separated themselves from the mountebanks and tumblers who had been associated with them by the statutes of 1321. The new constitution received the sanction of Charles VI., April 24, 1407, and it was enacted that no musician might teach, or exercise his profession, without having passed an examination, and been declared suffisant by the 'Roi des ménestrels' or his deputies. These statutes continued in force down to the middle of the 17th century. History however tells but little about the new corporation. The only 'rois' whose names have been preserved in the charters are—Jehan Boissard, called Verdelet, 1420; Jehan Facien, the elder, and Claude de Bouchardon, oboes in the band of Henri III, 1575; Claude Nyon, 1590; Claude Nyon, called Lafont, 1600; François Rishomme, 1615; and Louis Constantin, 'roi' from 1624 to 1655. Constantin, who died in Paris 1657, was a distinguished artist, violinist to Louis XIII., and composer of pieces for strings in 5 and 6 parts, several of which are preserved in the valuable collection already named under Philidor.

In 1514 the title was changed to 'roi des ménestrels du royaume.' All provincial musicians were compelled to acknowledge the authority of the corporation in Paris, and in the 16th century branches were established in the principal towns of France under the title of 'Confrérie de St. Julien des ménétriers.' In Oct. 1658, Louis XIV. confirmed Constantin's successor, Guillaume Dumanoir I., in the post of 'Roi des violons, maîtres a danser, et joueurs d' instruments tant haut que bas,' ordaining at the same time that the 'Roi des violons' should have the sole privilege of conferring the mastership of the art throughout the kingdom; that no one should be admitted thereto without serving an apprenticeship of 4 years, and paying 60 livres to the 'roi,' and 10 livres to the masters of the Confrérie; the masters themselves paying an annual sum of 30 sous to the corporation, with a further commission to the 'roi' for each pupil. The masters alone were privileged to play in taverns and other public places, and in case this rule were infringed, the 'roi' could send the offender to prison and destroy his instruments. This formidable monopoly extended even to the King's band, the famous '24 violons,' who were admitted to office by the 'roi' alone on payment of his fee. [See Vingt quatre Violons.]

So jealously did Guillaume Dumanoir I. guard his rights, that in 1662 he commenced an action against 13 dancing-masters, who, with the view of throwing off the yoke of the corporation, had obtained from Louis XIV. permission to found an 'Académie de danse.' The struggle gave rise to various pamphlets,^[1] and Dumanoir was beaten at all points. He bequeathed a difficult task to his son Michel Guillaume Dumanoir II., who succeeded him as 'roi' in 1668, and endeavoured to enforce his supremacy on the instrumentalists of the Académie de Musique, but, as might have been expected, was overmatched by Lully. After his difficulties with the director of the Opéra, Dumanoir II., like his father, came into collision with the dancing-masters. In 1691 a royal proclamation was issued by which the elective committee was abolished, and its place filled by hereditary officials, aided by four others appointed by purchase. Against this decree the corporation and the 13 members of the Académie de danse protested, but the Treasury was in want of funds, and declined to refund the purchase money. Finding himself unequal to such assaults Dumanoir resigned in 1693, and died in Paris in 1697. He delegated his powers to the privileged committee of 1691, and thus threw on them the onus of supporting the claims of the Confrérie over the clavecinists and organists of the kingdom; a parliamentary decree of 1695, however, set free the composers and professors of music from all dependence on the corporation of the ménétriers. This struggle was several times renewed. When Pierre Guignon (born 1702, died 1775), a good violinist, and a member of the King's chamber-music, and of the Chapel Royal, attempted to reconstitute the Confrérie on a better footing, it became evident that the musicians as a body were determined to throw off the yoke of the association. Guignon was appointed 'Roi des violons' by letters patent, June 15, 1741, was installed in 1742, and in 1747 endeavoured to enforce certain new enactments, but a parliamentary decree of May 30, 1750, put an end to his pretended authority over clavecinists, organists, and other serious musicians. The corporation was maintained, but its head was obliged to be content with the title of 'Roi et maître des ménétriers, joueurs d'instruments tant haut que bas, et hautbois, et communauté des maîtres à danser.' Roi Guignon still preserved the right of conferring on provincial musicians the title of 'lieutenants généraux et particuliers' to the 'roi des violons,' but even this was abrogated by a decree of the Conseil d'Etat, Feb. 13, 1773. The last 'roi des violons' at once resigned, and in the following month his office was abolished by an edict of the King dated from Versailles.

This hasty sketch of a difficult subject may be supplemented by consulting the following works: 'Abrégé historique de la Ménestrandie' (Versailles, 1774, 12mo); 'Statuts et réglements des maîtres de danse et joueurs d'instruments … registrés au Parlement le 22 Aout 1659' (Paris, 1753) 'Recueil d'édits, arrêts du Conseil du roi, lettres patentes, … en faveur des musiciens du Royaume' (Ballard, 1774, 8vo); and 'Les Instruments à archet' by A. Vidal (i. and ii. Paris, 1876, 77; 4to), which last contains nearly all the necessary information.

[ G. C. ]

1. Of these the principal are 'Etablissement de l'Académie royale de dance [sic] en la ville de Paris, avec un discours Académique pour prouver que la dance, dans sa plus noble partie, n'a pas besoin des instruments de musique, et qu'elle est en tout absolument indépendante du violon' (Paris, 1663, 4to), and 'Le mariage de la musique et de la dance, contenant la réponce [sic] au livre des treize prétendus académicians touchants ces deux arts' (Paris, 1664, 12mo).