Pieter (Pierre) van Maldere (1729-1768) was educated as a violinist and composer, probably by the directors of the Brussels court chapel, Jean-Joseph Fiocco and Henri-Jacques de Croes. From 1749 he was a violinist at the court of governor of the Low Countries, Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine. From 1751 to 1753, Van Maldere was director of the Philarmonick Concerts in Dublin, where William Manwaring published, in December 1752, the Six Trios for 2 Fiddles and thorough Bass composed by Sieur Van Maldere.
Van Maldere played in the Paris Concert Spirituel in August 1754. He accompanied the prince on his many travels, to France (Paris), Bohemia (Prague) and Austria (Vienna), where his two first comic operas were performed in Schönbrunn: Le Déguisement pastoral (1756) en Les Amours champêtres (1758). Van Maldere also played for the empress Maria Theresia in Vienna. His works were known to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn. Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf notes him as one of the most important virtuosos of his time.
Back in Brussels, Van Maldere composed a number of operas and over 40 symphonies, overtures and sonatas. In 1758, he was promoted valet de chambre to the prince. From 1763 to 1767, he was co-director of the Grand Théâtre (Muntschouwburg, Théâtre de la Monnaie), a period which ended in a financial fiasco. Ignaz Vitzthumb (1724-1816) was the conductor of the Muntschouwburg in those years. Among Van Maldere's students at the court chapel were the violinist Joseph Gehot (1756-1795) and the clarinetist Amand Vanderhagen (1753-1822). After his death, his brother succeeded him as first violinist of the court chapel.
Van Maldere's music was published in London, Paris and Brussels (as is clear from the thematic catalogue), and performed at many European courts.
As his Flemish name confounded many music scribes, many variants are found in the sources, including Vanmaltre, Van Maltere, Vanmonder, van Maldern, Wan Maldere, Wanmalder, Vam Maldere, Maldera, even Vand'Elmar.
While Van Maldere's chamber music shows late baroque characteristics and Corelli's influence, his violin sonatas and symphonies testify to the formation of the early classical 'Viennese' symphony. Most of the symphonies are in three parts, and contain elements as thematic contrast or modulating development. The second movement sometimes is a binary song form, the final occasionally a rondo form. A number of works have the 'classical' four movements.
Van Maldere's works circulated throughout Europa in manuscript parts as well as in print. According to RISM (Répertoire International de Sources Musicales), manuscripts of his works are found in 21 libraries in 10 different countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA). Van Maldere's compositions were printed by publishers in Londeon, Paris, Dublin and Brussels; even after his death reprints were issued, such as the Six favourite overtures in 8 parts, opus 4 (Londen, ca.1770).
A popular vocal composition to music by Van Maldere was 'Ach wiederholt mir Jesu Leiden', an arrangement of the Grave from his Symphony op.4 nr. 5, for two sopranos, strings and bass (one source has two flutes added).
A number of his works were attributed to other composers, such as Joseph Haydn, and Josef Mysliviček, whose Symphony in C turned out to be Van Maldere's Op.4 no. 2.
