L’ Entretien des Dieux
Conversation of the French masters
L’Entretien des Dieux – the title of our programme, taken from Chambonnières’ pavane, describes on many levels the presented collection of French Baroque masterpieces. In the Tombeaux, composers engage in a dialogue with their masters, paying them homage within musical portraits. D’Anglebert imitates ornamentation of Chambonnières. Marais highlights the viola da gamba’s ability to convey extreme emotion, so characteristic for Sainte- Colombe’s music. In Forqueray’s works, by contrast, the dialogue takes on a less obliging tone, with the characters portrayed in a humorous and even – as in the case of La Couperin – slightly caricatured manner.
As well as attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation between the French gods of the Baroque, the presented repertoire reveals a dialogue of musical genres and formal solutions, from dances and illustrative pieces to quasi-improvisational and recitative Tombeaux. Among this extraordinary diversity, our artistic dialog sings a paean to French music.
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Marin Marais (1656-1728)
Troisième Suite in F Major
(Quatrième Livre de Pièces de Viole, 1717)
Marin Marais
Tombeau pour Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe
(Deuxième Livre de Pièces de Viole,1701)
Jacques Champion de Chambonnières (1601/2-1672)
Pavane L’ Entretien des Dieux*
(Les Pièces de Clavessin, Livre 1, 1670)
Jean-Baptiste Forqueray (1699-1782)
La Du Vaucel
(Pièces de viole, 1747)
Jean-Henri d’Anglebert (1629–1691)
Tombeau de Mr. de Chambonnières*
(Pièces de clavecin, 1689)
Monsieur De Machy (fl. 1655-1700)
Chaconne in G Major**
(Pieces de Violle, 1747)
Antoine Forqueray (1672-1745)
La Couperin
(Pièces de viole, 1747)
Frnçoise Couperin (1668-1733)
Premiere Suite in E Minor
(Pièces de Violes, 1728)
duration: 70 min.
* harpsichord solo ** viola da gamba solo