Lalande, Michel-Richard de
(1657–1726)> COMPOSER
Lalande, Michel-Richard de (15 December 1657, Paris; 18 June 1726, Versailles), composer, was the 15th child of an impoverished tailor, but he rose to become superintendent of music for Louis XIV and Louis XV. He started his long career as a choirboy in the church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, where he learned music under Chaperon. He proved to be an energetic and able student; he taught himself the violin, bass viol, and harpsichord. He lost his voice eventually at the age of 15, but one of…