Et la fleur vole: Airs à danser & airs de cour circa 1600 (Alpha Collection)

Featuring

François Lazarevitch
Annie Dufresne
Agnès Haack
Brigitte Lazarevic
Sarah Lazarevic
Fanny Leclercq

Hélène Raviart
Mylène Rousseau
Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien
Pierre-Francisque Caroubel
Robert Ballard
Gabriel Bataille
Antoine Boësset
Jehan Planson
Pierre Guédron
André Danican Philidor
Guillaume Tessier
Lambert de Beaulieu
Jacques Mangeant

Did you know?

1/6

Historical Context

Contrary to popular belief, dances like branles, pavans, and galliards were part of the art music repertoire practiced by polite society in the Renaissance, not solely of popular origin.

Instruments

Instruments like the musette and flute, often associated with folk music today, were considered instruments of learned musicians in the 17th and 18th centuries, as described by Praetorius and Mersenne.

Interpretation

The ornamentation in the airs de cour is not meant to showcase the performer's virtuosity but rather to enhance the prosody and meaning of the words, adorning the text and deepening its emotional content.

Composition History

The primary source for the French dance music on this album is Michael Praetorius's Terpsichore, a collection published in 1612 containing over three hundred pieces.

Interpretation

The album features reconstructed 'doubles' (ornamentation of verses) for the airs de cour, which were never written down but are crucial for avoiding repetitiveness and maintaining proper prosody.

Composer's Artistic Vision

François Lazarevitch, the director of Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, intended this album to explore the concept of 'movement' in various forms, including dance and vocal ornamentation.