Music for the Sun King

The Most Beautiful Arias and Suites from Ballets for Louis XIV.

J.-B. Lully, A. Campra, A.-C. Destouches

Monday 07.08.2017 | 19:30 Rudolfinum
Dvořák Hall
náměstí Jana Palacha 79/1, Praha 1 - Staré Město, 110 00

Programme

Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687)
Acis et Galatée (Pastorale héroïque)
selection of suites and arias
 
André Cardinal Destouches (1672–1749)
Issé (Pastorale héroïque)
selection of arias and instrumental parts
 
André Campra (1660–1744)
L’Europe galante (Ballet)
selection of arias and instrumental parts
 
On copies of the unique instruments from Louis XIV‘s string orchestra “The 24 Violins of the King”
 
Concert with intermission.

Artists

Jodie Devos – soprano
Patrick Cohën-Akenine – concert master, musical direction
COLLEGIUM MARIANUM – orchestra

Annotation

No French baroque composer will ever feel lonely at the Prague Rudolfinum. While it might seem unlikely, Baroque and France have their permanent representatives in the Neo-Renaissance building. One only has to look up at the roof where Bach, Handel and the opera master Daniel-François-Esprit Auber have defied the Prague weather for almost a century and a half. It is therefore only natural that the 18th Summer Festivities of Early Music should conclude there, with some festive Music for the Sun King.

 

The ensemble in residence, Collegium Marianum, appeared under the guidance of the French concert master Patrick Cohën-Akenine and in a greatly enhanced lie-up. A part of the extended orchestra played on copies of unique string instruments from the Versailles orchestra Vingt-quatre Violons du roi (The 24 Violins of the King) which experienced its greatest glory during the reign of Louis XIV.

 

Together with the outstanding soprano Jodie Devos they performed arias from operas by Lully, Campra, and André Cardinal Destouches. It should not come as a surprise if this extremely rare event happens to be accompanied by extraordinary phenomena; if a statue of Louis XIV appears on the balustrade of the Rudolfinum, for example, or if the Sun rises during the night performance…

Venue

Private: Rudolfinum

Dvořák Hall
náměstí Jana Palacha 79/1, Praha 1 - Staré Město, 110 00

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Partners of the concert

With the kind support of the French Institute and in collaboration with the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles.