Programmes 2027/2028
I. THE ART OF THE “PARDESSUS DE VIOLE”
Works by Louis de Caix d’Hervelois, Jacques Duphly, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Michel Corrette, Charles Dollé
The pardessus de viole, the smallest member of the large family of violas da gamba, occupies a unique place in French musical history. Its repertoire spans half a century, but the instrument was played for nearly a century, primarily in France. Despite its relatively brief existence, it captured the interest of the greatest violists of its time, inspired renowned composers who dedicated refined works to it, and attracted the attention of the finest
instrument makers, who have bequeathed to us instruments of great beauty.
MÉLISANDE CORRIVEAU PARDESSUS DE VIOLE
OLIVIER FORTIN HARPSICHORD
II. FROM THE THEATER TO THE DRAWING ROOM
This program of transcriptions for two harpsichords, created by Emmanuel Frankenberg and Olivier Fortin based on works by Lully, Anglebert, Marais, Rameau, and Forqueray, is part of the Baroque tradition of adaptation. At a time when the harpsichord played a central role
in Parisian salons, transcription made it possible to bring major orchestral hits to life outside the theater. Taking this practice a step further, the two musicians also reinvent pieces originally written for a single harpsichord by adding a second instrument. This dialogue enriches the textures, timbres, and dynamics, offering a fresh interpretation of this repertoire that is both faithful to the Baroque spirit and open to new forms.
OLIVIER FORTIN AND EMMANUEL FRANKENBERG HARPSICHORDS
III. THE ANGEL AND THE DEVIL
The famous contrast between Marin Marais and Antoine Forqueray, described respectively as “the Angel” and “the Devil,” stems from an account reported by Hubert Le Blanc in his work titled Défense de la basse de viole contre les entreprises du violon et les prétentions du violoncelle (A Defense of the Bass Viol Against the Advances of the Violin and the Pretensions
of the Cello), published in 1740: “The viola da gamba had been favored by King Louis XIV: Père Marais for his pieces, and Père Forqueray for his preludes in the style of the sonata. One was said to play like an Angel, and the other like a Devil.” Together, the music of these two great performers symbolizes two contrasting yet complementary facets of French Baroque music.
MÉLISANDE CORRIVEAU AND MIGUEL BONAL VIOLA DA GAMBA
OLIVIER FORTIN HARPSICHORD
IV. THE GOLDEN HOUR
Works by François Francoeur, Jean-Marie Leclair, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, and Jean-Philippe Rameau
The trio sonatas performed in this program are distinguished by the freedom they afford the two string instruments to engage in dialogue with one another, within a structure that remains flexible, where the bass viol frequently takes on the role of soloist. The selected works also mark a turning point in French musical history, at a time when Italian and French
styles were converging and influencing one another. Lucile Boulanger, recently honored at the 2025 Victoires de la Musique Classique as Instrumental Soloist of the Year, shares this musical exploration here with Simon Pierre on violin and Olivier Fortin on harpsichord.
LUCILE BOULANGER VIOLA DA GAMBA
SIMON PIERRE VIOLIN
OLIVIER FORTIN HARPSICHORD
V. CON DISCREZIONE
Works by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, Johann Jakob Froberger,
and Dietrich Buxtehude
In his treatise Der vollkommene Capellmeister (1739), Johann Mattheson writes: “A musician must understand emotions in order to evoke them.” This thought captures the very essence of Baroque music performance, in which music is not merely an art of technical virtuosity, but above all an art of communicating emotions. The musician is above all a sensitive orator,
capable of modulating nuances with delicacy, of playing con discrezione – with discretion, restraint, and precision – in order to touch the listener in the depths of their being.
LUCILE BOULANGER VIOLA DA GAMBA
SIMON PIERRE VIOLIN
OLIVIER FORTIN HARPSICHORD
VI. SIMPSON: THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR AND THE SEASONS
An English composer and viol player, Christopher Simpson is best known for his treatises on the viola da gamba and his chamber music. The Seasons and the Months is a collection emblematic of his style, showcasing his mastery of counterpoint and ornamentation. Published in 1665, this set of pieces follows the model of Baroque instrumental suites, organized into contrasting movements. Each piece explores a variety of emotions,
musically conveying the moods and characteristics of each season of the year. Far from being a mere description of the weather, The Seasons and the Months is a poetic meditation on the passage of time, in which the harmonic richness and melodic fluidity reveal the full refinement of Simpson’s composition.
CAST 5 INSTRUMENTALISTS
VII. BACH, TELEMANN, AND ALBINONI:
Concertos
J.S. Bach: Violin Concertos in A minor and E major
G.P. Telemann: Viola Concerto in G major
T. Albinoni: Sinfonia a cinque
The renowned Baroque violinist Sophie Gent, who has been performing with the Ensemble Masques for over twenty years, performs Bach’s two violin concertos. Violist Kathleen Kajioka, also a long-time member of the Ensemble, delivers a breathtaking performance of Telemann’s viola concerto. The program is rounded out by sublime Sinfonias, filled with
light and joy, by the Italian composer Tomaso Albinoni. This program was recorded for the Alpha Classics label (released in July 2025).
SOPHIE GENT VIOLIN
KATHLEEN KAJIOKA VIOLA
TOTAL MEMBERS 7 INSTRUMENTALISTS
VIII. HANDEL: WATER MUSIC
Water Music (1717) – Concerti grossi, Op. 6 (2 works)
This program juxtaposes two essential facets of Handel’s orchestral writing: outdoor music intended for celebration, as exemplified by Water Music, and the concertante form of the Concerti grossi, Op. 6, which draws on the Italian tradition. Composed in 1717 for a royal celebration on the Thames, Water Music features short, dance-like movements, adapted to the constraints of outdoor performance on the move. In contrast, the concerti grossi of
the 1730s, following in Corelli’s tradition, are based on the dialogue between the concertino and the ripieno, blending contrapuntal writing with contrasts in texture. The program as a whole thus plays on a balanced alternation between orchestral grandeur and musical focus, revealing the coherence and richness of Handel’s musical language.
CAST 21 PEOPLE
IX. RAMEAU’S DANCE
Rameau’s music continues to surprise us today because of its incredible modernity. Innovative and visionary for his time, Rameau knew how to use bold harmonies and complex structures, which he integrated with dance in the most beautiful way. Olivier Fortin has recreated three instrumental suites based on various works by Rameau (Hippolyte et Aricie, Les Indes Galantes, Dardanus, and Pygmalion), showcasing the genius of this great
French composer.
CAST 11 INSTRUMENTALISTS
X. PERGOLESI: LIVIETTA AND TRACOLLO
Livietta e Tracollo, a comic intermezzo by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi premiered in Naples in 1734, depicts the tricks of the mischievous Livietta as she outwits the thief Tracollo, in a series of disguises and misunderstandings typical of opera buffa. Intended to entertain the audience between acts of a serious opera, this Italian work would, a few years later, contribute to fueling the famous Querelle des Bouffons in Paris. Conceived here for an outdoor production with L’Échappée, the traveling stage of the Ensemble Masques, this production is adapted to a lightweight, mobile format that brings the performance as close as possible to the audience.
It is a co-production of Ensemble Masques and the Clermont-Ferrand Opera; the roles will be performed by the winners of the 2027 edition of the Opera’s singing competition.
CAST 2 SOLOISTS – 4 INSTRUMENTALISTS
XI. BACH, BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
Cantatas BWV 39, BWV 80, and BWV 81
Bach’s cantatas transcend their liturgical context to touch on the universal. BWV 80 impresses with its power and contrapuntal vigor; BWV 81 sets to music the transition from doubt to serenity through striking musical contrasts; and BWV 39 celebrates the spirit of human compassion in a majestic choral fresco. These works give voice to the profound emotions that still resonate within us today: strength, fear, consolation, and solidarity.
CAST 4 SOLOISTS – 12 INSTRUMENTALISTS
XII. HANDEL: ACIS AND GALATEA
Version of Cannons, 1718
Written in 1718 for the Duke of Chandos’s private theater, Acis and Galatea tells the love story between the shepherd Acis and the nymph Galatea, and the wrath of the cyclops Polyphemus, who is also in love with Galatea. Despite its modest scale, this short English-language masque or opera, with its exquisite depiction of the pastoral world and its flow of melodies and inspired characterizations, is one of Handel’s most successful stage works. And, unsurprisingly, it remained the most popular of his works throughout the 18th century.
SOLOISTS - RACHEL REDMOND, HUGO HYMAS AND TOMAS KRAL
CAST 14 PEOPLE
XIII. RAMEAU: PYGMALION
What brings art to life? This question runs through Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Pygmalion, an opera-ballet in which a sculpture takes on flesh and comes to life through the power of the gaze and love. This myth, drawn from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, is brought to life by Rameau’s brilliant music, which he first presented to Parisian audiences in 1748. Following John Blow’s
Venus & Adonis and Handel’s Acis & Galatea, this new operatic production by the Ensemble Masques brings a contemporary dimension to the work, entrusting a circus artist (Cyr wheel) with the sections of the piece intended to be danced.
CAST 7 VOICES (INCLUDING CHOIR AND SOLOISTS) – 16 INSTRUMENTALISTS
XIV. ANDRÉ CAMPRA: IDOMENEO, 1731 VERSION
A co-production with the Dijon Opera Choir
In Idomeneo (1731 version), André Campra sets to music a tragic episode from Greek mythology – one already widely disseminated through literary and operatic tradition – and fully situates it within the aesthetic of late 17thand early 18th-century French lyric tragedy, where the moral greatness of the characters is measured by their capacity for self-sacrifice. Through highly expressive musical composition, Campra highlights the human dimension
of the conflict: emotions, inner turmoil, and the intensity of passions take precedence over martial heroism. Premiered in a context where lyric tragedy was evolving in the wake of Lully, the work attests to Campra’s unique place in the history of French opera. An heir to the Lullyan model yet sensitive to Italian influences, he enriched the dramatic language with greater melodic flexibility and a heightened focus on the expression of emotions.
CAST 5 PRINCIPAL SOLOISTS – 7 MINOR ROLES FROM THE DIJON OPERA CHORUS
21 INSTRUMENTALISTS
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