Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers

Full biography Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers

Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers was a French composer, organist, and music theorist who was born in Paris around 1632. He was a prolific composer and is credited with writing numerous pieces of organ music, motets, masses, and songs, as well as several treatises on music theory.

Nivers served as the organist at a number of churches in Paris, including Saint-Sulpice and Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs, and was appointed as the director of music at the Maison royale de Saint-Louis, a school for noble girls, in 1664. During his time there, he composed a significant amount of music for the school's choir and helped to establish the institution's reputation as a center of musical excellence.

In addition to his compositions, Nivers was also a noted music theorist and wrote several treatises on music theory, including "Traité de l'harmonie" and "Règles du plain-chant". He was a proponent of the principles of Counter-Reformation-era Catholic church music and advocated for the use of polyphonic music in the church.

Nivers' influence on French Baroque music cannot be overstated. He was a key figure in the development of the French organ tradition, and his works helped to shape the style and form of Baroque church music in France. His Livre d'orgue, published in 1665, is considered an important early example of French organ music.

Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers died in Paris on November 13, 1714, at the age of 82. Despite being a prominent figure in his time, much of his music has been lost, and he remains a relatively obscure figure in the history of Baroque music. Nevertheless, his contributions to French Baroque music are widely recognized, and his music continues to be studied and performed today.