Amarillis
Tuesday July 28th - 11 am and 5 pm / Church of Valloire
Musical promenade: 11 am concert in the church, 12 pm promenade to the Poingt Ravier hamlet, 1 pm picnic on the alp with the musicians, 2:30 pm libre-cours conference by Gaël de Kerret, 4 pm walk back to the church, 5 pm concert in the church of Valloire.
Ladies' Games
by Amarillis, direction Héloïse Gaillard
Amusements and Pleasures
Placed under the sign of entertainment, the morning concert playfully explores the theme of ladies’ games. The titles of the selected works are eloquent: pleasures, amusements, happy hours… As to Les Tours de passe-passe, the piece is an answer to a chaconne by famous guitarist Robert de Visée. The opening piece will be the only sonata for alto recorder composed by Anne Philidor (1712), with a skilfully contrasted architecture combining Italian and French influences.
Let Couperin himself enlighten us on his creative process: “I always had a purpose in mind when composing these pieces; various occasions provided it; thus, the titles reflect the ideas that occurred to me.” Then, let us give in to surprise and seduction with these musical portraits.
A portrait of love
Ritratto del amore: Eager to reconcile French and Italian sensibilities, François Couperin chose an Italian title for his ninth Concert, published in his collection Les Goûts réünis (1724). The pieces chosen all bear titles evocative of their character: Le Charme is thus to be played gracefully, Le Je-ne-sçays-quoy with mischief and L’Enjoüement with intoxicating gaiety… The composer left the choice of instrumentation open, so recorders and oboes will here colour differently each piece. Other pieces by Couperin, taken from his Livres pour clavecin (La Mystérieuse, L’Enchanteresse, La Favorite), as well as works by Duphly (Les Grâces) and Michel de La Barre (L’Inconnue) enrich this poetic, sensual journey, and complete this musical “Carte du Tendre”.
Amarillis
Created by Héloïse Gaillard in 1994, Amarillis is a musical ensemble which brings together exceptional artists around an ambitious project combining baroque music and other artistic disciplines. The ensemble is acclaimed for its extensive discography (24 albums) and its performances in prestigious venues, both in France and abroad (Europe, Latin America, Asia…).
Amarillis explores little-known Baroque repertoires and creates original programmes (Jeux de dames, Amour et mascarade with Patricia Petibon). It also collaborates with other arts (jazz, theatre, dance) and is involved in education, notably through the Académie internationale Les Chants d’Ulysse (2023), co-founded with Patricia Petibon.
Héloïse Gaillard – recorders, baroque oboe and artistic direction
Baroque flautist and oboist Héloïse Gaillard is an internationally renowned soloist. Not only has she recorded 24 albums with Amarillis, she has also taught at various institutions, including the CRR in Aix-en-Provence and the CNSMD in Paris. An Officer of the National Order of Merit, she has been Artistic Director of Cultural Affairs for Saumur Val de Loire since 2021.
Jeanne Jourquin – harpsichord
A harpsichordist, and graduate of the Paris and Amsterdam Conservatoires, Jeanne Jourquin combines artistic practice, musicological research and teaching (CRD in Pantin). She collaborates with numerous reputed ensembles such as Amarillis, Scherzi Musicali (N. Achten), Café Zimmermann (P. Valetti), La Tempête (S.P.Bestion) and others.
Programme
Pieces by Anne Danican Philidor, François Couperin, Robert de Visée, Gaultier de Marseille, Jacques-Martin Hotteterre, Jacques Duphly and Michel de La Barre.
Cast
Héloïse Gaillard, recorders, baroque oboe and artistic direction
Jeanne Jourquin, harpsichord
Amarillis is a state-approved ensemble (DRAC des Pays de la Loire), and receives support from the city of Angers.
Amarillis is a member of the Fevis (Fédération of Specialised Vocal and Instrumental Ensembles) and of Scène Ensemble.