A musical portrait of King Louis XIII
« Airs and Suites » from the 17th century
Musical works composed by Chastillon, Chancy, Boesset…
Readings from Tallemant des Réaux’ « Historiettes », and from Saint-Amant’s poems
Performers : Thomas Van Essen , baryton – Ondine Lacorne Hébrard – six-stringed bass viola da gamba, Vincent Maurice , lute & theorbo
” Nothing would calm his mind as much as music would » wrote Jean Héroard, Louis XIII’s doctor, write in his diary. Back in 1641, Louis XIII gives an account of his life saying how music softens his sorrows. He did not merely listen to the artists of his time : he used to play lute, sing, dance, compose, and choregraph dance pieces… We designed our program as a narrative of the King’s inner life, built on Airs de Cour and poems of that period. Though admittedly melancholic, this king is nevertheless impassioned as the airs of Boesset, Moulinié, Chancy reflect with magnified emphasis. A musical portrait of a king lost in the maelstrom of political pressure. “
Script : Thomas Van Essen
Creation : Sunday August 21st 2022, St Victor la Rivière (Puy-de-Dôme) – Musicales du Pays de Couzes
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