Philippe-Jacques Meyer

Philippe-Jacques Meyer (1732–1820)^[1][a] was a French harpist and composer. He was born in Strasbourg, studied theology as well as music and gave his first solo concert in Paris in 1761.^[2] He was primarily active as a teacher and composer. He traveled extensively between London, Paris and Strasbourg and settled in London in 1784^[2][3] where he used an anglicised form of his name, Philip James Meyer.^[1]

Meyer's 1763 Essai sur la vraie manière de jouer de la harpe is a historical survey of the harp and of harp music and one of the first pedagogical harp treatises. Meyer himself was one of the first to perform on the then-new pedal harp in Paris, in 1765, and the first to perform on one in London, during his first visit in 1772.^[1]

He married in Strasbourg in 1768, and had 2 sons – one also named Philip James – who were both also performers on and composers for the harp.^[1]

Treatises and compositions

• 1763 Essai sur la vraie manière de jouer de la harpe, avec une méthode de l'accorder, op. 1
• 1774 Nouvelle pour apprendre a jouer de la harpe avec la manière de l'accorder, op. 9
• Divertimenti for Flute, Harp and Violin
• Divertimenti for Harp and Violin, Op.2
• 12 English Songs
• Fantasie and Larghetto with Variations
• Favorite Airs with Variations for Harp and Piano
• 4 Favorite Airs with Variations for the Harp
• 6 Harp Sonatas, Op.3
• Mozart's 'Forget Me Not' and 2 Waltzes
• 4 Original Lessons for the Harp
• Rondo on The Italian Monfrina
• Theme and Scotch Air with Variations
• Variations on a Menuet by Exaudet
• Variations on Robin Adair
• Variations on The Bush aboon Traquair
• Variations on Ye Banks and Braes o' Bonny Doon

Notes

a. ^{^} His dates are sometimes given as 1737–1819, but contemporary newspapers clearly report his death as occurring on 17 January 1820, in his 88th year.