Ignace Joseph Pleyel (French: [plɛjɛl]; German: [ˈplaɪl̩]; 18 June 1757 – 14 November 1831) was an Austrian-Frenchcomposer and piano builder.[1]
Pleyel was born in Ruppersthal in Austria in a family of a schoolmaster Martin Pleyl.[2] In 1772 he became a student of Joseph Haydn.
In 1783 Pleyel moved to Strasbourg to work with Franz Xaver Richter, the maître de chapelle at the Strasbourg Cathedral.[3] In 1788 Pleyel married Françoise-Gabrielle Lefebvre and had four children with her. In 1797 he started a business as a music publisher ("Maison Pleyel") in Paris.[4] The company published about 4,000 works during 39 years.
Pleyel composed more than 40 symphonies, 70 string quartets, several operas, piano solo pieces and chamber music.[5] He also was a founder of a piano firm Pleyel et Cie that was continued by Pleyel's son Camille. The firm provided pianos for Frédéric Chopin. The composer was very fond of Pleyel's instruments.[6] In 2009 a replica of the 1830 model of Pleyel's piano was built. Now it is in the collection of Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw.[7] It was also used in the 1st International Chopin Piano Competition on Period Instruments.