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Cover page of the guitar method published in 1820 by J. Meissonnier

Jean-Racine Meissonnier (1794 – 19 August 1856), also called Meissonnier Jeune, was a French classical guitarist, musical arranger and composer, as well as an important music publisher.^[1]

Life

Born in Marseille, Meissonnier learned the guitar from his elder brother, Jean-Antoine Meissonnier (1783–1857), himself a guitarist and publisher.^[2] After he moved to the capital, he taught the instrument for a long time, before taking over the business of a music merchant, Corbaux, at 28 rue Dauphine in Paris.^[2]

He arranged many pieces, especially opera pieces, for the guitar. He also composed arias that have become classics, some of which have been published: Three Duets for guitar and violin; Three Rondeaux; Airs connus pour guitare seule, Opp. 2 and 4; Airs d'opéra variés; Contredanses. He also wrote two guitar methods.

Meissonnier invested a lot in his publishing activity, like his brother for whom he is sometimes mistaken (Fétis notes^[2] that Whistling confuses them in his general catalogue of printed music). From 1821 onwards, he was found in Paris (rue Dauphine) under the name "J. Meissonnier" until 1840, then as "Meissonnier Jeune" from 1841 to 1845, then "J. Meissonnier et fils" or "J. Meissonnier fils" from 1845 to 1860 (his son Édouard having entered the business and "made a considerable fortune" there according to Fétis.^[2]) In 1860, the Meissonnier estate was transferred to the publisher E. Gérard et C^ie.^[3]

Works

Books

J. Meissonnier (1830). Méthode de guitare ou lyre (in French). Paris: J. Meissonnier. p. 99.
J. Meissonnier (1860). Méthode complète pour la guitare, contenant cent morceaux choisis et classés progressivement (in French). Bordeaux: Philibert.

Arrangements (online)

Amédé[e] de Beauplan (text), Meissonnier jeune (guitar arrangement) (1820). Dormez donc mes chères amours. Romance à une ou deux voix (in French). Paris: S. Gaveaux. p. 3.
Amédé[e] de Beauplan (text), Gluck (music), Berton fils (voice arrangement), Meissonnier jeune (guitar arrangement) (1820). L'Anglaise en diligence (in French). Paris: J. Meissonnier. p. 2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Sylvain Blot (text), Édouard Bruguière (music), Meissonnier jeune (guitar arrangement) (1820). L'ami Charlot (in French). Lyon: Arnaud. p. 3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Paulin Saint-Elme Champ (text), Édouard Bruguière (music), Meissonnier jeune (guitar arrangement) (1820). Adieux d'Isaure à la brigantine : romance (in French). Paris: J. Meissonnier. p. 3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Antoine Romagnesi (music), Meissonnier jeune (guitar arrangement) (1820). L'amante aveugle : romance (in French). Paris: Meissonnier Jeune. p. 3.
Antoine Romagnesi (music), Meissonnier jeune (guitar arrangement) (1820). Duo, tiré d'un opéra inédit (in French). Paris: Bressler. p. 2.
M. Millevoye (text), Georges-Joseph-Laurent Lambert (music), Meissonnier jeune (guitar arrangement) (1820). L'amour vrai : romance (in French). Paris: S. Gaveaux. p. 2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Eugène Scribe et Melesville (text), Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (music), Meissonnier jeune (guitar arrangement) (1825). Concert à la Cour. One-act (Opéra comique). Includes: N°2. Comme il me lançait une œillade (2 p. n. ch.) – N°5. Le charlatan (4 p.) (in French). Paris: Frère. p. 4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Joseph Meissonnier. Andante Affettuoso (PDF) (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-27. Retrieved 2018-09-21.

Arrangements (others)

Trois Duos, for guitar and violin (Paris: Hanry)
Trois Rondeaux (Paris: Hanry)
Airs connus pour guitare seule, Opp. 2 and 4 (Paris: Ph. Petit)
Airs d'opéra variés (Paris: Hanry, Dufaut et Dubois)
Contredanses (Paris: Hanry, Dufaut et Dubois)

References

^ Anik Devriès & François Lesure, Dictionnaire des éditeurs de musique français, vol. 2: De 1820 à 1914 (Geneva: Minkoff, 1988), p. 310–317.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Fétis, François-Joseph. Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique. Paris : Firmin Didot. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
^ "J. Meissonnier - IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music". imslp.org. Retrieved 21 September 2018.