The 'air de cour' genre was internationally successful; for example, Pierre Guédron's 'Est-ce mars' was arranged instrumentally as 'the French tune' and used by Northern European composers like Jacob van Eyck.
Composer Biography
Pierre Guédron, a composer featured on this album, was a singing teacher, composer, and later Surintendant de la musique de la Chambre du roi at the French court, with about 200 of his 'airs de cour' surviving.
Historical Context
This recording focuses on chamber music from the French court at the turn of the 17th century, a period marked by political turbulence including the assassinations of Henry III and Henry IV.
Compositional Technique
The 'air de cour' genre, featured on this album, initially presented as four or five-voice polyphony, but quickly evolved to include solo voice with lute accompaniment or instrumental ensembles.
Composer Biography
Michel Lambert, another composer on this album, was a protégé of powerful figures like Cardinal Richelieu and Gaston, Duke of Orléans, and later became Maître de la musique de la Chambre du roi.
Historical Context
Despite political turmoil, the French court and aristocratic salons experienced an extraordinary artistic boom, leading to the development of the 'air de cour' and a passion for the lute.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The dominant theme of the music and literature at the French court during this period was love, often presented in a refined style influenced by Ovid's elegiac poetry.
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