Mme Delaval Explained

Mme. Delaval or Madame De La Valle, birthname Adélaïde-Suzanne-Camille Larrivée,^[1] (October 12, 1763 – c. 1804) was a French harpist, pianist and composer. Delaval was born in Paris, France to opera singers Henri Larrivée and Marie-Jeanne Larrivée Lemière.^[2] She had one sister, Agathe-Elisabeth-Henriette, who was given violin lessons while Adelaide focused on the harp.^[3] Both girls were students of Jean-Baptiste Krumpholtz. When their parents separated in 1767, the girls provided for their guardian and aunt, Elisabeth-Henriette Larrivée, by touring through French provinces in concerts.

Adelaide married Pierre Delaval on August 3, 1790, in Lyon. They moved with Agathe to London during the French Revolution. She was employed by Johann Peter Salomon for concerts at Hanover Square in London in 1790 and played for the first Haydn concert in 1792. She was also employed by the Ashleys for concerts in Covent Garden in 1796.^[4] Her works have been edited for publication by harpist Jessica Suchy-Pilalis.^[5]

Works

Delaval's compositions were mostly for the harp and agreed with the salon culture of c. 1800 Paris. She wrote her Op. 3 for her daughter, Camila, to perform at Willis's Room, in London when the child was only seven years old.^[6] Delaval published a cantata, harp music and a number of French songs.^[7] Selected works include:

• Les Adieux de l'infortuné Louis XVI à son peuple, cantata
• Prelude, Divertimento and Waltz, Op. 3
• three sonatas with violin ad lib.^[8]
• a Grand sonata with violin, tenor (instrument) and cello ad lib.^[9]
• Two sets of variations^[10]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Larrivée, L'Arrivée, (Agathe Elisabeth) Henriette, verh. Borghese. Sophie Drinker Institu. Europäische Instrumentalistinnen des 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts. 22 December 2019 . German.
2. Book: Delaval [de la Valle, Delavel, De Laval, etc.], Madame. Shaljean. Bonnie. Suchy-Pilalis. Jessica R.. Jessica R. . Suchy-Pilalis . 2001-01-20. Oxford University Press. Oxford Music Online. 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.42767. 9781561592630 .
3. Web site: "The Mysterious Madame Delaval: Part I" by Suchy-Pilalis, Jessica - American Harp Journal, Summer 2009. 28 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190528141121/https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-204932287/the-mysterious-madame-delaval-part-i. dead.
4. Book: A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Volume 4, Corye to Dynion. Philip H.. Highfill. Kalman A.. Burnim. Edward A.. Langhans. 1975.
5. Book: The Norton/Grove dictionary of women composers. Julie Anne. Sadie. Rhian. Samuel. 1994. W. W. Norton & Company . 3 December 2010. 9780393034875.
6. Web site: Prelude, Divertimento and Waltz, Op.3 (Delaval, Adelaide Suzanne Camille) - IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music. imslp.org. 2019-05-28.
7. Book: Women composers: a biographical handbook of women's work in music. Ebel, Otto. 1913.
8. Julie Anne; Samuel, Rhian (1994). The Norton/Grove dictionary of women composers (Digitized online by GoogleBooks). . Retrieved 18 March 2021
9. Sadie, Julie Anne; Samuel, Rhian (1994). The Norton/Grove dictionary of women composers (Digitized online by GoogleBooks). . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
10. Sadie, Julie Anne; Samuel, Rhian (1994). The Norton/Grove dictionary of women composers (Digitized online by GoogleBooks). . Retrieved 18 March 2021