Some Brunettes became part of traditional French songs and continue to inspire artists today, such as Nana Mouskouri's 1978 cover of 'Où êtes-vous allées'.
Interpretation
Les Kapsber'girls aim to update this repertoire for their own time by using similar arrangement techniques as the original publishers, who added "doubles" to complexify melodies.
Historical Context
Brunettes, a sub-category of the Air Sérieux, served as first-class teaching material for apprentice singers or players of melodic instruments, similar to how contemporary music is used today.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Brunettes often feature a rural, bucolic world with shepherds and shepherdesses, reflecting the upper classes' taste for a mythical, pastoral universe.
Performer Biography
Les Kapsber'girls, formed in 2015, is an ensemble of four female musicians: Alice Duport-Percier (soprano), Axelle Verner (mezzo-soprano), Garance Boizot (violas da gamba), and Albane Imbs (plucked string instruments and conducting).
Album & Artwork
The album title, "Vous avez dit Brunettes?", is inspired by a refrain sung by Le Beau berger Tircis to his chère Annette in the very first air of a 1703 collection.
Composition History
The term "Brunette" became common for a genre of strophic chansons that were very popular in the early 18th century, with many composers trying their hand at it.
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