Philippe-François Véras

Philippe-François Véras was a French composer, organist and harpsichordist active in Lille about 1740.

Veras was organist at the Saint-Maurice church in Lille, and published a small collection of harpsichord works in 1740. A small amount of biographical information can be gleaned from this 1740 publication, as it plainly states he was employed there. As was typical of harpsichord works of this period, the pieces are organized in "Ordres" (a free-form suite of compositions containing descriptive, picturesque titles) in a manner similar to François Couperin before him. The music of Véras suggests he was influenced by Italian styles: the melodic contours and harmonic language of his works show a substantial stylistic affinity with the sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti. The third movement of his first "ordre" is entitled "La volliante, dans le goût italien" (La volliante, in the Italian taste/manner). A facsimile edition of these works was published in 1982 by Minkoff (Genève), ISBN 2-8266-0792-8.

The following is a list of these pieces:

Pièces de Clavecin - Premier Livre (1740)

• Premier ordre in G/g
  • Badine 1 & 2
  • Les Brunes
  • La Vollinate dans le goût italien
  • Les Bergères 1e & 2e partie
  • Tambourin 1 & 2
  • Tambourin 3 (1er Menuet)
  • Tambourin 4 (2e Menuet)
• Deuxième ordre in C/c
  • La Divertissante
  • Le Cocquelet
  • La Duchesse
  • La Galante
  • Sarabande
  • Tambourin 1 & 2
• Troisième ordre in a/A
  • Le Rédiculle
  • La Fidèle
  • La Légère
  • Tambourin 1 & 2
  • La Belle
  • Les Sauvages: Menuet 1 & 2
• Quatrième Ordre in D/d
  • La Rinate, rondeau
  • La Milordine
  • Rigaudon 1 & 2
  • La Belle jolée, rondeau
  • La Ginguette

See also

• French baroque harpsichordists