Les Harlequins
17th century ›air de cour‹ program

It was at the turn of the Renaissance and the Baroque that the polyphonic song which sublimated the poetry of Ronsard and DuBellay under the reign of the last Valois, gives way to the air de cour at the beginning of the 17th century. The intermingling of voices in polyphonic settings gradually evolves into a monody accompanied by a guitar or a lute – harmonic instruments brought back from Italy and Spain in the sandstone of warlike or matrimonial exchanges – and so in their simplest version, entertain the court with only two artists at all times, in all places.
Initiated under Henry IV, the Air de Cour sees its apogee with Louis XIII before disappearing under the Sun King or rather to transmute into airs for French cantatas or tragédies lyriques dear to Louis XIV.

Inspired by the famous entrée that Lully composed for his comédie-ballet Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, L’Éntrée des harlequins, the duo presents a compendium of midd 17th century airs de cour representing each of them a pathetic character from comedia dell’arte, in a ›pathetic‹, or better said, ›vintage‹ style and aesthetic for Lully’s times.

We will find a table of different affects of amorous passions with a pronounced taste for naturalist allusions, as well as a refined musical field for florid vocal and instrumental ornamentation.

Concert Programme

Le melancolique
Constantijn Huygens (1596–1687), Grave tesmoins de mes delices

Le désireux
Michel Lambert (1610–1696), D’un feu secret je me sens consommer

Le rêveur
Robert de Visée (c. 1650/60–c. 1732 ), Suite en Ré Majeur (1686), Prélude · Allemande · Srabande · Chaconne des Arlequins
Joseph Chabanceau de la Barre (1633–1678), J’avois juré de n’aymer plus 1669

L’amourante
Air de cour de Michel Lambert 1660, doubles de Jacques-Martin Hotteterre 1721, L’amour le seul amour

Le plaintif
Robert de Visée (c. 1650/60–c. 1732), Suite en do m., Prélude · Allemande , ‘Tombeau pour mesdemoiselles de Visée’ · Sarabande
Michel Du Buisson (16?¿–1710), Plainte sur la mort de Monsieur Lambert 1696

Le fortuné
M.A. Charpentier (1643–1704), Sans frayeur dans ces bois
Santiago de Murcia (1673–1739), Diferencias sobre Marizapalos
Étienne Moulinié (1599–1676), Por la verde orilla del claro Tormes

Le charmant
Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710), Canarios 1674
Étienne Moulinié (1599–1676), Concert des differents oyseaux