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Henri de LŽEnclos
b ?Touraine 1592/93 - d 1649
French lutenist and composer. He was probably a gentleman.
He became skilled in arms and horsemanship as well as at music and played the lute.
As an officer he was attached to the household of the Duke of Elbeuf and later to that
of the Marshal of S Luc. Following his conversion to the ranks of the freethinkers
he soon came to scorn music.
In 1632 he killed a nobleman of the royal household in a duel and was
obliged to go into exile. Mersenne spoke highly of him as a lutenist and ranked him
equal to the Gaultiers and Blancrocher.
Ennemond Gaultier was his friend and composed Tombeau de LŽEnclos in his memory.
There are pieces by him in Lord Herbert of CherburyŽs Lutebook (GB-Cfm) and in
L. de Moy: Le petit bouquet de frise orientale (MS dated 1631, D-ROu).
He also contributed to the lost Suittes faciles pour une flute ou un violon et basse
continue (Amsterdam 1703).
His daughter was Ninon de lŽEnclos, celebrated leader of Parisian society to whom he taught singing
and the lute.
Joel Dugot