Claude-Jean-François Despréaux Explained

Claude-Jean-François Despréaux was a French musician and revolutionary, born in the 1740s and died in Paris on 11 August 1794.

Biography

The son of Jean-François Despréaux, oboist of the Académie royale de musique who retired in 1767, and Marie-Anne d'Arras, Louis-Félix's older brother (1746-1813) and Jean-Étienne Despréaux, Despréaux made his debut in 1759 as violinist. After he became head of the concertmasters in 1771, he retired in 1782.^{[1] [2]}

A pensioner of the Republic, he was a civil commissioner and a member of the popular society of the, and juror at the Revolutionary Tribunal in 1793.^{[3] [1] [2] [4]}

Desperate following the Fall of Maximilien Robespierre, he committed suicide with a shotgun in his apartment, at 20 rue du Sentier, on 24 thermidor an II (11 August 1794).^{[1] [2] [4] [5]}

He is the author of several sonatas for violin and harpsichord.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Book: Wilhelm Adolf Schmidt. Tableaux de la Révolution Française publiés sur les papiers inédits du département de la police secrète de Paris. 2. Leipzig. Veit. 1869. 226.
2. Book: François-Joseph Fétis. Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique. 3 : « Désargus - Gibbons ». Firmin Didot et Cie. 1877. 6. 9781421200934.
3. Book: Albert Soboul, Raymonde Monnier. Répertoire du personnel sectionnaire parisien en l'an II. Publications de la Sorbonne. 1985. 159. 9782859440770.
4. Book: Castil-Blaze. L'Académie impériale de musique. 2. Castil-Blaze. 1855. 46.
5. Book: Alphonse Aulard. Paris pendant la réaction thermidorienne et sous le Directoire : recueil de documents pour l'histoire de l'esprit public à Paris. I : « Du 10 thermidor an II au 21 prairial an III ». Paris. L.Cerf. 1898. 24.