Jean-Amédée Lefroid de Méreaux (18 September 1802 – 25 April 1874) was a French composer, pianist, piano teacher, musicologist and music critic.
His father, Joseph-Nicolas Lefroid de Méreaux, composed for the piano and organ, whilst his grandfather, Nicolas-Jean Lefroid de Méreaux, mainly composed operas.
[1] According to Antoine François Marmontel, Méreaux's father was "a professor of good merit, in ongoing relationships with all the musical celebrities at the time".
If this wasn't the case, they also wouldn't have connections to aristocracy, since a handful of Méreaux's early works are dedicated to noblemen and baronesses, which creates room for the possibility that Méreaux himself performed for aristocrats at a young age.
His family was in possession of a large collection of 17th century music as well, which was passed down from his grandfather.
[3] Jean-Amédée Lefroid de Méreaux was born as son and first child of Joseph-Nicolas Lefroid de Méreaux and Marie Angélique-Félicité Blondel (1774-1840), daughter of the lawyer Jean Blondel (1733-1810),[4] on 18 September in Paris.
His grandfather, Nicolas-Jean Lefroid de Méreaux (1745–1797), was a composer of operas and oratorios.
[5] Méreaux's parents - especially his mother - wanted him to pursue a career in advocacy, so he received a very careful education at a young age, while learning to play piano from his father.
Louise-Eugénie Lefroid de Méreaux (1808-1892), his sister, was born 6 years after him, on 28 February 1808.
[6] At the age of ten, Méreaux took harmony lessons from Anton Reicha.
When Méreaux was barely 14 years of age, his father let his first works to be published, most-likely through his connections as a musician.
[2] His compositions are known for their immense difficulty – Marc-André Hamelin considered them more difficult than those of Charles-Valentin Alkan.
24, has passages where the pianist's two hands cross over each other simultaneously every quaver, at the speed of = 100.
Although his works are considered by some, including Hamelin, to be unmusical,[8] this view is not held by everyone.
63 études were included in piano collections edited by Isidor Philipp, and there is a street in Rouen named after him.
5 – Variations sur un thème favori de Hændel: «God Save The Queen» Op.
8 – Rondo sur la valse de Robin des Bois.
11 – Fantaisie et variations sur une canzonetta italienne de Righini.
21 – Adagio, Variations et Polonaise, sur un thème favori de Carafa.
25 – Grandes Variations sur la marche de Moïse.
28 – Variations brillantes sur la romance des Deux Nuits.
32 – Variations brillantes sur la Marche du Tournoi de Robert le Diable.
34 – Fantaisie et Variations sur le trio du Pré aux Clercs.
43 – Variations de concert pour piano, sur un thème italien.
44 – Fantaisie et variations brillantes pour piano, sur les coplets en trio et la sérénade de Marguerite.
45 – Grande fantaisie sur une mazurka de Chopin.
65 – Grand Caprice concertant sur Robert le Diable.
69 – Grande fantaisie concertante sur la ballade de Preciosa.
96 – Berceuse sur une mélodie de Frédéric Deschamps.
17) en mi bemol pour 2 pianos, de Mozart.