IDAGIO | Tombeau pour Aliénor (Escaich

Featuring

Héloïse Gaillard
Patricia Petibon
Ensemble Amarillis
Henry Purcell
Thierry Escaich

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Instruments

The recording features a diverse array of period and custom-made instruments, including a sopranino recorder after Denner, a violin inspired by a Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, and a theorbo after Magnus Tieffenbrucker.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Thierry Escaich's Tombeau pour Aliénor is a portrait in seven contrasting tableaux, linked by instrumental interludes, where the soprano voice guides the listener through Olivier Py's poems.

Compositional Technique

Thierry Escaich's Tombeau pour Aliénor integrates fragments of Purcell's Pavane and Chacony, which gradually become more recognizable throughout the work, creating a dialogue between two musical eras.

Composition History

The album features a commissioned work, Tombeau pour Aliénor, by French composer Thierry Escaich, inspired by Eleanor of Aquitaine and her tomb at Fontevraud Abbey.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded in June 2024 at Église Saint-Pierre in Paris, France, with artistic direction, sound engineering, editing, mixing, and mastering handled by Blaise Carpene.

Historical Context

Eleanor of Aquitaine, a key figure inspiring this album, was twice queen—of France and then of England—and a powerful, intelligent woman who supported troubadour poets.