Did Royer invent Heavy Metal?

a) I thought he invented the Thigh Master.
b) You’re sadly misinformed, heavy metals were formed in the Earth’s crust over millions of years.
c) Who’s Royer?

Who indeed? He’s hardly a household name in the world of commonly known composers today but in his day he was a successful composer that held prestigious positions including having the position as Music Director of the King’s Chamber in France.

Let’s start at the beginning. Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer lived from 1705 to 1755, was a French composer who taught music to Louis XV’s daughters, composed operas for the Paris Opera and was the director of Paris’s prestigious Concert Spirituel. That much you can find on Wikipedia but it won’t enlighten you on how innovative his music was, in particular one extraordinary piece called, “Le Vertigo”. This is where the heavy metal part comes in, it’s a bold claim to be sure and can easily be contested but it has fire and passion. In fact it’s a mini tour-de-force, let your ears be the judge?

It’s a mystery that his keyboard pieces aren’t performed much these days. It seems that he is in the shadow of Rameau, who is rightfully considered to be one of the most important French composers. However, Royer still deserves to be listened to too.

Le Vertigo forms one part of his “Pièces de Clavecin” published in 1746. It contains 14 individual pieces, it was his sole work for the keyboard and it’s a masterpiece. It sparkles with the intensity and fury of “Le Vertigo” to the tenderness of “La Zaïde”

I hope I can at least play a small role in bringing to light the incredible music of Royer, who I think deserves more attention than he has been given.

Which brings us back to the original question of whether he created heavy metal? Probably not but when I listen to “Le Vertigo” it’s sure hard not to think of Black Sabbath.