Destouches, André-Cardinal

Destouches, André-Cardinal (1672, Paris; 1749, Paris), composer, was an adventurer rather than a musician in his youth when he went to Siam with Father Tachard, S.J. Only 16 years old at the time of this excursion, Destouches forgot his promise to Father Tachard that he would become a Jesuit and joined the second company of royal musketeers on his return from Asia in 1692. He was present at the siege of Namur. Later he took music lessons from Campra, with whose aid he wrote Issé for…