Meurtes au Potageur du Roy

Johann Sebastian Bach's profound faith led him to construct a veritable cathedral in which the listener is overwhelmed with feeling. The Saint Matthew Passion is one of the greatest monuments of polychoral composition. The two ensembles respond to and complement one another, adding further emotional weight to the work. It must not be forgotten that throughout Bach's life, while he was writing compositions that corresponded to his professional obligations and his wish to glorify musical instruments, he had been carrying this Passion within himself, thinking about it - and with all his incredible humility - as his greatest work, written at the height of his maturity. It should also be remembered that it was Mendelssohn who resurrected this monumental work almost a century after it was written. Since then it has had an enormous impact throughout the world, including in countries such as Japan, which were not in principle receptive to its strong spiritual message.

In 1789, a performance of "Messiah" that was to have a radical effect on the course of the oratorio's performance history was given in Vienna. Baron Gottfried Van Swieten, who later translated and edited the text for Haydn's "Creation", had, as a diplomat in London during the late 1760s, become an ardent Handelian. Among other Handel scores, he took back to Austria a copy of the first edition of the full score of "Messiah", published by Randall and Abell in 1767. Beginning with "Judas Maccabaeus" in 1779, he introduced works by Handel into the annual oratorio series given for the benefit of the Tonkunstler Society, a Viennese musical charity. In 1789, he presented "Messiah" and, for this Viennese premiere, commissioned Mozart to fill out the accompaniments, largely dispensing with keyboard continuo and replacing the tromba parts practically unplayable for late 18th century trumpeters.

Aujourd’hui Jehan Titelouze fait plus ou moins figure d’australopithèque. Mais il est tout de même le fondateur de la tradition de l’orgue français. Il y a près de 400 ans, un éditeur parisien a publié cette collection de 39 pièces, premier recueil français d’œuvres pour clavier d’un seul et même compositeur. Titelouze explore 12 des plus populaires hymnes de son temps. Dans ces « fugues et ricercars » il développera le langage polyphonique du XVIe siècle en utilisant des dissonances, des accords de septième et le chromatisme laissant ainsi entrevoir les nouveaux chemins que la musique allait prendre.

A Baroque West Side Story, Tancrède tells of the absolute but impossible love between two young people brought together by their passion but separated by their origins. We are in the time of the Crusades: Tancredi is the champion of the Frankish army, and Clorinda the passionaria of the Saracen troops. In the labyrinth of sentiments, sorcerer Isménor's magic wand confuses the issues, luring the two heroes into the enchanted forest to better prepare their downfall. With Tancrède, André Campra (1660-1744) established himself as one of the great opera composers between Lully and Rameau.