The chapelle royale (chapel royal) was the musical establishment attached to the royal chapel of the French kings. The term may also be applied to the chapel buildings, the Chapelle royale de Versailles.
The establishment included a choir, organist and instrumentalists and was separate from the musique du chambre which performed secular music.
Maîtres and sous-maîtres of the Chapelle Royale
During the reign of Louis XII (1498–1515)
In 1511 Louis XII decided the responsibilities of the treasurer of the Sainte-Chapelle and the master of the chapelle royale.[1] The death, and sumptuous 40-day funeral of Louis' wife, Anne of Brittany in 1514 marks the origin of a unified chapelle royale combining the chapels of both Louis and Anne. Though at Anne's funeral the two chapels sang separately for the last time. Louis' Chapelle du Roi led by Antoine de Févin, included Johannes Prioris, Costanzo Festa, and Antoine de Longueval but not Jean Braconnier (died 1512). Anne's Chapelle de la Reine led by Antoine Divitis included Jean Mouton, Jean Richafort, Claudin de Sermisy, and Pierre Moulu.
François I (1515–1547)
- François I inherited all 29 singers of the combined chapels of Louis and Anne. Claudin de Sermisy, who was earlier noted as clerc musicien of the Sainte-Chapelle in 1508, and in 1515 as a member of the Chapelle Royale under Louis II, from 1532 became sous-maître of the chapelle of François I.
Henri II (1547–1559), François II (1559–1560)
Charles IX (1560–1574), Henri III (1574–1589), Henri IV, Bourbon (1589–1610)
Henri IV was the king whom legend tells said "Paris is worth a Mass."
During the reign of Louis XIII (1610–1643)
During the reign of Louis XIV (1643–1715) "The Sun King"
On the 1683 retirement of Henry Du Mont and Pierre Robert the position of maître of the chapelle was divided into four positions:
Louis XV (1715–1774)
- Charles-Hubert Gervais (1671–1744), In 1721 named one of four sous-maîtres
- André Campra (1660–1744), sous-maître from 1721
- Nicolas Bernier (1664–1734), sous-maître from 1721
- Anne Danican Philidor (1681–1728) sous-maître from 1723
- Henry Madin (1698–1748), sous-maître from 1736
- Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville (1711–1772), maître de musique de la chapelle du roi. Acquired the reversion of André Campra's post in 1740, he acceded to the position itself on 4 March 1744 on the death of Charles-Hubert Gervais. But since he was not permitted to publish the motets he composed for the chapel, he resigned from the post in 1758.[6]
1761 Four posts reduced to two.
During the reign of Louis XVI (1774–1792)
Chapelle de l'Empereur (1804–1814)
Louis XVIII (1815–1824), Charles X (1824–1830), Louis XIX (1830), Henry V (1830)
Louis Philippe I (1830–1848), Second Empire (1852–1870)