Le Mercure galant, October 1687 Dedié à Monseigneur Le Dauphin - Donneau de Visé, Jean 1638-1710 (Paris De Luyne Girard Guerout, 1687)
The Mercure de France was originally a French gazette and literary magazine first published in the 17th century, but after several incarnations has evolved as a publisher, and is now part of the Éditions Gallimard publishing group. It was published under the title Mercure galant & Nouveau Mercure galant, and changed to Mercure de France in 1724. The magazine's goal was to inform elegant society about life in the court and intellectual/artistic debates; the gazette (which appeared irregularly) featured poems, anecdotes, news (marriages, gossip), theatre and art reviews, songs, and fashion reviews, and it became fashionable (and sometimes scandalous) to be mentioned in its pages. Publication stopped in 1674, but began again as a monthly with the name Nouveau Mercure galant in 1677. The periodical eventually became a financial success and it brought Donneau de Visé comfortable revenues. The Mercure de France became the uncontested arbiter of French arts and humanities, and it has been called the most important literary journal in prerevolutionary France.
Keywords: 17th Century (1601-1700); Music criticism; Journalism; Literature; France; boekprijs; muziek (algemeen); noël; concerten; diminuties; tombeau/mausoleum; Versailles; vuurwerk; Raguenet; koor/orkestbezetting; koor/orkestopstelling; Lebègue; Lodewijk XIV; Gautier; hongersnood; inquisitie; Staging; Nederland en kolonies; Petit; Te Deum