Hotteterre, Premiere Suite
Jacques-Martin Hotteterre [“Le Romain”] (1674-1763) belonged to an imminent French family of woodwind instrument makers. Five generations of instrument makers began with Loys de Haulteterre, a wood turner who died c. 1620-25. His great grandson, Jacque-Martin, became the most famous member of the family.
Scholars speculate that Jacques-Martin acquired his nickname “Le Romain” after spending time in Italy as a young man. There is also speculation that he entered the Grand Hautbois as early as 1692, but the first definitive evidence of his membership in that ensemble dates from 1708 when he is listed as a bassoonist. The Grand Hautbois was established by King Louis XIII as a prestigious wind ensemble of 12 players that performed at various ceremonies at court. It continued through the long reign of Louis XIV (r. 1654-1715), and many from the Hotteterre family were included in its ranks.
The Grand Hautbois featured the newest woodwind instruments, and the Hotteterres contributed significantly to the development of modern woodwinds, e.g. the refinement of the shawm into the oboe and the curtal into the bassoon.
The term “Hautbois” is derived from the French haut (high) and bois (wood) and generally refers to members of the oboe family. Pronounced “oh-bwah,” the French continue to use the term, and the English “oboe” is clearly derived from it.
While also an instrument maker, Jacques-Martin was better known as a composer and much sought-after teacher. His 1707 treatise Principes de la flûte traversière was the first treatise on flute playing ever published and remains an important resource, particularly in understanding the stylistic nuances of the French Baroque. He published a second major treatise in 1719, L’art de préluder sur la flûte traversière, that serves in part as a guide for the important skill of improvising preludes as an introduction to Baroque suites.
If the titles of the individual movements in this video seem out of character, that’s because the movements are mislabeled. The second movement in the video is actually the Passacaille, not the Allemande. From there the movements are in the correct order, from the Allemande as number 3 and ending with the Gigue.