IDAGIO | l'Esprit Galant - Boësset, Gautier, Pinel, Lambert, et al. 723385243076

Featuring

Johannette Zomer
Fred Jacobs
Antoine Boësset
Ennemond Gaultier
Germain Pinel
Michel Lambert

Nicolas Hotman
Sébastien Le Camus
Robert de Visée
Marc-Antoine Charpentier

Did you know?

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Performer Biography

Soprano Johannette Zomer began her music studies in 1990 after working for several years as a microbiology analyst.

Instruments

The French theorbo, featured on this album, had distinct characteristics like shorter bass strings and a higher rose position, differing from Italian prototypes.

Compositional Technique

The Air sérieux, a short and succinct song form, flourished in the second half of the 17th century, with its poetry generally referred to as 'galanterie'.

Instruments

No large French theorbos have survived, so the instrument used for this recording was created based on iconography and a converted Italian lute.

Performer Biography

Fred Jacobs, the theorbo player, co-founded The Locke Consort, known for its interpretations and recordings of 17th-century English chamber music.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Bénigne de Bacilly, in his 1668 treatise, emphasized the importance of diction in singing, dedicating 186 pages to the subject and using the term 'style galant' for expression and lightness.

Composition History

Michel Lambert, a key composer of the Air sérieux, originally wrote theorbo accompaniments in tablature for his 1660 Airs but published them with a figured bass for practical reasons.