He was born Michel Pignolet in Andelot, Haute-Marne, France, and only later added "Montéclair" (the name of a fortress in his home town) to his name.
All the time Montéclair must have worked as a music teacher of high regard: among his pupils were the daughters of his colleague François Couperin.
The collection was expressly intended as a pedagogical tool to teach French style, and for this reason the music is underlaid with the text.
He opened a music shop in 1721, retired from teaching in 1735, and gave up his position in the opera orchestra shortly before his death.
Montéclair was not greatly productive as a composer, but was an innovator in orchestration who had a significant influence on the development of the art form.