Michel Mazuel

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Michel Mazuel (1603 - 24th October 1676 in Paris) was the most famous of a family of musicians stretching back to the 16th Century. Although he was also a cousin and exact contemporary of Moliere, little is known of his early life beyond the fact that he studied composition with the organist of Notre-Dame or Saint-Leu. In 1695, his name is cited in a pamphlet condemning the "communaute des anciens jongleurs et Menestriers de Paris1191• Early in his career, he collaborated in the production of numerous ballets during the reign of Louis XIV. Same of them from Volume 4 of the Philidor Collection are "Festes de Bacchus" (1651), "Dereglement des Passions" (1652), and "Nopces de Pelee et Thetis" (1654). His fame and reputation lasted until 1690 when the king's librarian, Andre Philidor, wrote in the preface of Volume 4 of the Collection, commenting an the greatness of musicians of the past, that very few musicians of later times excepting Lully have equalled the good taste of men like "Mollier, Mazuel et Verpre1192• The king created a new position for Mazuel, that of "Compositeur de la musique des vingt-quatre violons de la chambre1193• However, this position lasted for only about one year. With the advent of Lully as court composer in 1653, Mazuel, like many others, was eclipsed. He remained at court, playing in the "Grande Bande" from 1643 to the time of his replacement an 16 February 1674 by Pierre Huguenet94• He retired to the harne of his son-in-law, Guillaume Lelievre, where

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