Les Arts Florissants has done more than any other early music ensemble to spark interest in 17th-century French vocal and instrumental music, written by composers such as François Couperin and Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The celebrated French ensemble, directed by William Christie, will perform music by these composers and others when they come to the U.S. during their North American tour early next year.
Les Arts Florissants will present the first concert of their tour at Lincoln Center in New York on April 23, featuring the Orchestra of Les Arts Florissants and six vocal soloists from Le Jardin des Voix, the Academy for young singers launched in 2002 by the ensemble.
Every two years, the vocalists in this program demonstrate their mastery of the repertoire in performances at major concert halls around the world. Le Jardin des Voix is dedicated to selecting works that show each individual voice to its best advantage, giving audience members the opportunity to hear the early music stars of tomorrow performing hidden gems of the Baroque repertoire.
The first half of Le Jardin des Voix's 2015 concert program, titled Un jardin à l'Italienne (In an Italian Garden), will showcase madrigals and Italian arias from Stradella, Vivaldi and Handel, while the second half will present a play within a play to music by Cimarosa, Galuppi and Piccini. Christie will conduct the Orchestra of Les Arts Florissants and co-direct the Academy with Paul Agnew in this semi-staged concert.
The North American tour continues to six more cities in Canada and the U.S.: Montreal (April 25), Quebec City (April 26), Miami (April 29), Berkeley (May 1), Santa Barbara (May 5), and Los Angeles' Disney Hall (May 6.) The ensemble will perform a different program for these concerts--Airs sérieux et à boire (Serious airs and drinking songs).
These songs of love, loss, and licentiousness belong to a genre known as air de cour. The simple music dates back to the 17th century and was meant to be sung by laborers and ladies' maids alike. Michel Lambert--Lully's father-in-law--was one of the form's most illustrious champions and much of his work will be heard in these concerts, along with songs by Couperin, Charpentier, Joseph Chabanceau de la Barre, and the rarely-heard Honoré d'Ambruys.
Les Arts Florissants will record the program "Serious airs and drinking songs" for release on the ensemble's own label, Les éditions Arts Florissants, in March 2015.
For more information about Les Arts Florissants' 2014-15 season, please visit www.arts-florissants.com.
