Jean-Baptiste Barrière

Jean Barrière
(b Bordeaux, 2 May 1707; d Paris, 6 June 1747). French composer and cellist. He probably lived in Bordeaux since at his death he was cited as a ‘négociant de la ville de Bordeaux’, and after his death a privilege was granted to a ‘Sr Francois Barrière, prestre prébendier de l'église de Bordeaux, pour des Sonates et autres ouvrages de musique instrumentale du feu Jean Barrière’.

In 1730 he lived in Paris as a Musicien ordinaire de notre Académie Royale de Musique. In 1733 he was granted a privilege for six years to publish ‘plusieurs Sonates et autres ouvrages de musique instrumentale’. According to Fétis, he went to Rome in 1736 to study with the famous Italian cellist Francesco Alborea, called Francischello. He remained in Italy for three years, but probably did not study with Francischello, who was employed by the court in Vienna from 1726 until his death in 1739. Barrière returned to Paris in 1739 and continued composing for the cello: ‘Le Sieur Barrière, de retour d'Italie à Paris, vient de faire graver son troisième livre de Sonates pour le Violoncelle’ (Mercure de France, November 1739). In 1739 his privilege was renewed for 12 years, and during that time he published his last three books – one each for cello, pardessus de viole and harpsichord.