The musicians of Arion Orchestre Baroque don frock coat, jabot and pourpoint for a meal with royalty! In collaboration with the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles, Arion’s new album \u2014 based on the program of their eponymous concert nominated for the Prix Opus 2021-2022 \u2014 transports us to the courts of Louis XIV and Louis XV, from Versailles to Fontainebleau, in the pomp of royal festivities and the music that accompanied them. Presented on the album are Michel-Richard Delalande, Andr\u00e9 Cardinal Destouches Fran\u00e7ois-Colin de Blamont, Jean-Philippe Rameau and Fran\u00e7ois Franc\u0153ur, composers who held various official positions at the French court, with an assemblage of works taken from their collections of dance suites, \u201cop\u00e9ra-ballet\u201d and \u201ccom\u00e9die-ballet\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Typical in form, each excerpt begins with an \u201cOverture\u201d characterized by a dotted rhythm that lends it a noble character. Subsequent excerpts alternate between slow, moderate and lively dances. Thus, after Delalande’s solemn ouverture, the excerpts from his Recueil d’airs<\/em> take us on an energetic and festive musical journey, echoed in Destouches’ Carnaval et la Folie<\/em>, where the spirit of festivities and mundane gaiety continues. In contrast, the works of de Blamont and Rameau take us to slower tempi and a slightly more soothing atmosphere, like a dimly lit late evening when the effervescence of banquets fades. A visit to Monseigneur le comte d’Artois\u2019s court to enjoy Fran\u00e7ois Franc\u0153ur’s Symphonie du festin royal<\/em>, with its majestic airs and dances, completes this musical panorama. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As Arion’s music superintendent, Mathieu Lussier perfectly captures and captures the spirit of the times, giving this repertoire the relief it needs. In so doing, he provides an insight into the place of music in the royal and political life of the 18th century, in what is a feast of musical fine cuisine, with tunes that remain glued to our auditory palate and can be consumed without moderation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n