With the generous support of the GRoW Annenberg Foundation, Institut Français and Centre national de la musique.
Michel Lambert (1610-1696)
Air de cour « Iris n’est plus » (1689) Air de cour « Jugez de ma douleur » (1689) Air de cour « Rochers vous êtes sourds » (ca. 1692) Air de cour « Vous ne sauriez mes yeux » (1689)
Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)
Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, LWV 43 (1670) Ritournelle italienne « Di rigori armata il seno » (acte V, 4e entrée) Isis, LWV 54 (1677) « Terminez mes tourments » (acte V scène 1) Air italien, LWV 76/3 (1695) « Scocca pur tutti tuoi strali » Ballet royal des Amours déguisés, LWV 21 (1664) Récit italien d’Armide « Ah Rinaldo ! dove sei ? », (8e entrée)
Michel Pignolet de Montéclair (1667-1737) La Bergère, cantate (1728)
François Couperin (1668-1733) La Steinkerque, sonate en trio (ca. 1692)
Michel Pignolet de Montéclair (1667-1737) Le retour de la Paix, cantate (ca. 1709)
CAST
Ambroisine Bré, Mezzo-soprano
Gilone Gaubert, Violin Benjamin Chénier, Violin Emmanuel Jacques, Cello
Christophe Rousset, direction & harpsichord
“Playing French music, if it’s never done enough in Europe, it’s even rarer in the United States. So it’s an excellent opportunity and a great tour, which will end in Montreal, Canada, before returning to France. We’re putting together a very coherent programme. We start with Lambert, Lully’s father-in-law, then some Montéclair, who in the 18th century was one of the finest exponents of French cantatas, and finally Couperin, who is very dear to my heart, and whose works I have performed almost in their entirety. He’s a composer who’s been with me since the beginning of my career, as he is still with me today. I’m joined on this tour by the mezzo soprano Ambroisine Bré, whose diction and technique are perfect for this kind of pro- gramme in ’Lullist’ French. We’ve recorded a lot of Lully together. I’m also lucky enough to be accompanied by my faithful princi- pals, Gilone Gaubert on violin and Emmanuel Jacques on cello. Last but not least, Benjamin Chénier also accompanies us.”
– Christophe Rousset
