Jean-Marie Leclair's Influence On Music

When thinking of composers of the Baroque period, many people immediately think of J.S Bach, G.F. Handel, and maybe Antonio Vivaldi. Although there are many, many more, these are a few of who are considered to be ‘dominant figures’ of the Baroque era- to have made a bigger influence on music that is still heard, used, and studied today. But, like I said, there are many more composers that are considered ‘lesser figures’ of the Baroque era. Felice Anerio, Johann Friedrich Fasch, and Jean-Marie Leclair- these, of course being considered as composers that didn’t leave as lasting of an impression on music as the few named before. How do we know for sure that these ‘lesser figures’ didn’t contribute as well as the others? I know that all of the composers have done something that is lasting, like writing more music, or changing an idea that others have stemmed off …show more content…
Most of it is researchers’ or critiques opinions. Maybe we don’t have enough evidence to support everyone’s belief. In this paper, I would like to try. Jean-Marie Leclair, for example, has lived a life as one of the most traveled composers of the Baroque era. Being recognized for resurrecting the virtuosic technique of the violin for others to learn, Leclair was able to show difficulty and originality of the education of the instrument. He also stressed the belief that performing music should be a direct representation of the composer and his intentions, which is a subject continued by many. By using his biography, performance reviews, and online articles, I will argue that, despite the strong comparison between Leclair and stronger figures such as Bach, French Baroque composer Jean-Marie Leclair was musically sophisticated enough to become his own dominant figure of 18th century French