Programmes 2026/2027
Follow the links under the titles to take you to the programmes on Ensemble Masques website.
I. PROGRAMME - J-P RAMEAU : PYGMALION
What brings art to life ? This is the question that runs through Jean-Philippe Rameau's Pygmalion, an opera-ballet in which sculpture becomes flesh and comes to life under the effect of the gaze and of love. This myth, taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses, is brought to life by the brilliant music of Rameau, who presented the work to a Parisian audience in 1748. Following in the footsteps of John Blow's Venus & Adonis and Handel's Acis & Galatea, this new opera by Ensemble Masques brings a contemporary dimension to the work by entrusting a circus artist with the moments of the work that are intended to be danced. In this new interpretation, the circus artist, who specialises in the Cyr wheel, embodies the statue that comes to life before Pygmalion's eyes, giving his metamorphosis a physical and poetic dimension, extending the momentum of the music and embodying the breath that animates creation.
Pygmalion is considered a perfect example of French opera-ballet, a genre that combines song, dance and orchestral music. First performed at the Royal Academy of Music in Paris in 1748, it illustrates Rameau's excellence in his innovative use of harmony and his ability to express complex emotions through music. The story is based on the myth of Pygmalion from Ovid's Metamorphoses.
CAST - 7 singers & 16 instrumentistes
SOLOISTS (could be changed)
Circassien roue cyr (optional) : Jef Everaert
Pygmalion : Cyril Auvity
La Statue : Hannah Ely
L’Amour : Judith van Wanroij
Céphise : Marie-Frédérique Girod
TECHNICAL INFO - 1 harpsichord a = 400
II. PROGRAMME - G.F. HANDEL : ACIS & GALATEA
TEASER – Click here to watch !
Cannons Version, 1718
”Written in 1718 for the Duke of Chandos’ private theatre, Acis & Galatea tells the story of two lovers — the shepherd Acis and the water nymph Galatea — who must reckon with the anger of the jealous cyclops Polyphemus. A magician of the stage, Handel needs only modest means for his exquisite rendering of the pastoral world. Sung in English, this short opera’s melodic flow and inspired characterizations is one of Handel’s most successful scenic works. And, not surprisingly, it remained one of his most popular works throughout the 18th century.
CAST - 6 singers & 7 instrumentalists
TECHNICAL INFO - 1 harpsichord a = 415
III. PROGRAMME - CONCERTI !
TEASER – Click here to watch!
Sophie Gent, violin.
“The first material circumstance that must be considered in the performance of this type of composition is the number and quality of the instruments that can give the best effect.” Charles Avison, preface to Six Concerto in seven parts, Op.3, 1751. The term “concerto” traditionally refers to a work in which there is a soloist accompanied by an orchestra. However, it is highly probable that musicians of the Baroque period considered the concerto more as a work of chamber music, if we admit that they asked themselves the question.
J.S. BACH Concerto for violin in a minor BWV 1041
T. ALBINONI Sinfonia a cinque no. 3 in A major (Op.2)
G.P. TELEMANN Concerto for violao TWV 51 : G9
T. ALBINONI Sinfonia a cinque no. 1 in G major (Op.2)
J.S. BACH Concerto for violin in E major BWV 1042
CAST - 8 Musicians
IV. PROGRAMME IV – RAMEAU’S DANCE
Suite of instrumental music by J.P. Rameau, based on the “Indes Galantes”, “Hippolyte et Aricie” and “Dardanus”.
Rameau’s music continues to surprise us today with its incredible modernity. An innovator and visionary for his time, Rameau knew how to use bold harmonies and complex structures, which he related to dance in the most beautiful way. His ingenious use of contrasts and textures gives it a captivating timeless relevance.
CAST
2 recorders & 2 oboes & 1 bassoon
2 violins & 2 violas & 1 cello & 1 double bass
1 harpsichord
V. PROGRAMME V - CHRISTOPHER SIMPSON: MONTHS OF THE YEAR AND SEASONS
English composer and gambist, best known for his treatises on the viol and his chamber music. The Seasons and the Months is an emblematic work of his style, illustrating his mastery of counterpoint and ornamentation.
Published in 1665, this set of pieces for viol and continuo follows the model of Baroque instrumental suites, organized in contrasting movements evoking the seasons and months of the year. Each piece explores a variety of affects, musically translating the moods and characteristics of each period of the year. Far from being a mere climatic description, The Seasons and the Months is a poetic meditation on the passage of time, where the harmonic richness and melodic fluidity reveal all the refinement of Simpson’s writing.
CAST
Simon Pierre, violin Mélisande Corriveau & Miguel Bonal, gamba
André Henrich, archiluth
Olivier Fortin, harpsichord
VI. PROGRAMME - THE ANGEL & THE DEVIL
CAST
Melisande Corriveau & Miguel Bonal Asensio, gamba
Olivier Fortin, harpsichord
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