Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

March 1, 1703

Death

:

November 30, 1764

Period

:

Baroque

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

Dieudonné Raick was a Belgian classical music composer born on January 14, 1749, in Brussels. He was the son of a musician and began his musical education at a young age. Raick's father was a cellist in the orchestra of the court of the governor of the Austrian Netherlands, and he taught his son to play the cello. Raick also learned to play the violin and the harpsichord. Raick's talent as a musician was recognized early on, and he was sent to study at the Brussels Conservatory. He studied composition with Jean-Baptiste Krumpholtz and the violin with Jean-Baptiste Bréval. Raick was a quick learner and soon became one of the most promising students at the conservatory. After completing his studies, Raick began his career as a composer. He wrote music for the theater, including operas, ballets, and incidental music for plays. His first opera, "Le Jugement de Midas," was performed in Brussels in 1778 and was a great success. Raick continued to compose operas throughout his career, including "La Belle Arsène" (1781), "Le Mariage de Ragonde" (1782), and "Le Roi et le Fermier" (1784). In addition to his work for the theater, Raick also composed chamber music and symphonies. His chamber music includes string quartets, sonatas for violin and harpsichord, and trios for violin, cello, and harpsichord. His symphonies are notable for their use of wind instruments, which were not commonly used in symphonic music at the time. One of Raick's most famous works is his Symphony in D Major, which was composed in 1780. The symphony is notable for its use of the clarinet, which was a relatively new instrument at the time. The Symphony in D Major is considered one of the earliest examples of a symphony that includes a clarinet. Raick's music was well-received during his lifetime, and he was highly regarded as a composer. He was appointed as the court composer to the governor of the Austrian Netherlands in 1785, a position he held until the French Revolution in 1794. During his time as court composer, Raick composed music for state occasions and wrote music for the court orchestra. Despite his success as a composer, Raick's personal life was marked by tragedy. He lost his wife and two children to illness, and he himself suffered from poor health throughout his life. Raick died on December 8, 1810, in Brussels. Today, Raick is remembered as one of the most important composers of the late 18th century. His music is notable for its use of wind instruments and its incorporation of popular melodies of the time. Raick's Symphony in D Major is still performed today and is considered one of the most important symphonies of the late 18th century.

More....