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Le Concert Brisé or Broken Consort : this name defines an ensemble of instruments from different families. This chamber music ensemble was created by William Dongois at the beginning of the 1990’s. The various proposed programs are centered around the cornetto and touch on virtually all the repertoire for this instrument. Using musicology to gain an understanding of the spirit of this music, the ensemble aims to create a framework as favorable as possible to a natural and lively execution.

With a variable number of instrumentists and a singer from two to ten members depending on the program, Le Concert Brisé gathers musicians who have a common musical approach and a similar rapport to historical sources. This common ground constitutes one of the two reference pillars of their interpretation, the other one being the use of improvisation techniques based on jazz and traditional music.

The musicians of Le Concert Brisé have the desire to communicate to the public the pleasure they have in playing this music while taking risks by introducing improvisation whenever possible. In this way they privilege eloquence in performance above a too strict adherence to the musical scores. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 348

In just a few years, Concerto Soave has become a leading reference in the interpretation of Italian music of the Seicento. Born from the meeting of soprano Maria Cristina Kiehr and harpsichordist Jean-Marc Aymes, the ensemble draws together soloists specialised in the 17th century repertoire, essentially Italian. The ensemble takes the form of a Concerto in the historical sense:  « an instrumental jewel case richly coloured (archlute, harp, viola da gamba, violins, harpsichord, organ...) destined to enshrine one or more voices ».

Every concert and recording of Concerto Soave, with L’Empreinte Digitale and now under an exclusive contract with Harmonia Mundi, has been unanimously praised by audiences and critics alike. The ensemble is regularly invited to the most prestigious festivals: Utrecht, Ambronay, Montreux, Bruges, Innsbruck, Nantes (« La Folle Journée »), and performs in major European cities: Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon, London, Brussels, Berlin…as well as in the USA and Canada.

María Cristina Kiehr, soprano
Over a number of years, María Cristina Kiehr has come to be recognised as one of the greatest interpreters of baroque music. She combines suavity of timbre with an accurate respect for text, which she defends with humility and warmth. Perhaps it is her Argentine nationality and her Danish origins which create a magical combination of warm Latin sensuality and great musical and stylistic rigour?

Following study with René Jacobs, she has participated in countless concerts and opera productions with the most renowned conductors (René Jacobs, Philippe Herreweghe, Franz Bruggen, Jordi Savall, Gustav Leonhardt, Nikolaus Harnoncourt...), and with the most prestigious ensembles (Hesperion XXI, Concerto Köln, Ensemble 415, Seminario Musicale, Concerto Vocale, Elyma, La Fenice...). She has travelled around the world (Europe, Japan, Australia, Central and South America..) and has taken part in more than one hundred recordings. Her passion for Italian monody of the 17th Century is fully expressed with Concerto Soave, of which she is co-founder with Jean-Marc Aymes. Maria Cristina Kiehr reveals her talents as a story-teller, careful to express the most minute details of the nuova musica, which makes her not only a singer with a unique timbre, but an accomplished artist.

Jean-Marc Aymes, organ, harpsichord & direction
Jean-Marc Aymes is one of the most brilliant harpsichordists of his generation. He has recorded Girolamo Frescobaldi’s entire music for keyboard, all the volumes of which (Primo Libro delle Toccate and Capricci) have been greeted with critical acclaim in the international specialised press (Diapason d’Or, Joker from Belgian magazine Crescendo, 5 Goldberg…).

Jean-Marc Aymes is the artistic director of Concerto Soave. He founded the group, now considered a reference for the interpretation of early Italian baroque music, with the Argentinian soprano, Maria Cristina Kiehr. Recordings for the Harmonia Mundi label have won a succession of international prizes. He travels the world with Concerto Soave (U.K, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Austria, U.S.A, Canada...) performing in some of the most prestigious early music festivals. He has played with a wide range of early music groups (Janequin, Talens Lyriques, Grande Ecurie, Daedalus, Akademia...) and still performs regularly with the ensemble La Fenice, conducted by his great friend Jean Tubéry, also an Italian music specialist. He has participated in more than sixty recordings and innumerable concerts and radio broadcasts. He is also known for his contributions to the word of contemporary music as a concert and recording artist with Marseille’ ensemble Musicatreize. He is now the artistic director of the “Mars en baroque” festival in Marseille.

Added on: Jan 20, 2011 | Hits: 265

"Doulce Mémoire is synonymous, above all, with energy and team spirit, and with the delight of coming together with the common aim of taking a new look at the sacred and secular music of the Renaissance.

Doulce Mémoire is a close-knit group of instrumentalists and singers who appear regularly together at major international festivals – Innsbruck, Saintes, Bath, Ambronay and Boston, to name but a few – but also in more unusual settings, such as on the esplanade in front of the UGC cinema in the center of Paris, in a restaurant in Portugal, 4000 metres above sea level in the city of Quito in Ecuador, or on a barge (not ideal for stability!) on the lagoon at Tahiti.

Positively averse to boredom, Doulce Mémoire constantly creates new and original performances and takes up all sorts of interesting challenges, such as giving a show on a horse-drawn caravan on tour in 2000, sharing a concert with the great Uzbek singer Munnajat Yulchieva and training amateur choirs or young Indians in Bolivia.

Open to every form of art, Doulce Mémoire has worked with the musicians and dancers of the internationally recognized Han Tang Yuefu company of Taiwan, the Italian dancers of Il Ballarino, the British singers of the Cardinall’s Musick, and with Spanish dancers in an exciting show combining Renaissance music and flamenco.

The humdrum and the monotonous are shunned by Doulce Mémoire, which moves with ease from Renaissance cabaret (La Dive Bouteille) to mystical music fir Holy Week and from the Requiem for the Kings of France to commedia dell’arte in its latest show, Viva Venezia !.

Doulce Mémoire records for Naïve, K 617 and Zig Zag territories. Its recordings have received many awards and distinctions, including Diapason Record of the Year and maximum ratings from Le Monde de la Musique and Télérama." Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 466

"Founded in 1981 in Geneva by Chiara Banchini, and established in Franche Comté, France, since 2001, Ensemble 415 is named after one of the pitches at which baroque music is played. Among the first generation of enthusiastic pioneers were François Fernandez, Enrico Gatti, Emilio Moreno and Fabio Biondi. Twenty years later, Ensemble 415 pursues its career with young violinists gathered in a partnership of soloists. David Plantier, Stéphanie Pfister, Eva Borhi and Leila Schayegh perpetuate the initial enthusiasm of Ensemble 415.

Internationally renowned Ensemble 415 has been invited to the greatest festivals and concert venues. Not only are its concerts and recordings acclaimed by critics and public alike, they also set durable impulses to the development of the perception and the interpretation of musical works from the 17th and 18th century as well as to the broadening of the repertoire proposed to music lovers. ..." Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 13, 2008 | Hits: 416

“In choosing the name Akadêmia, Françoise Laserre gave her approach to music deep roots in a consciously humanistic tradition, inherited from the Platonic garden and the Italian Renaissance. ...

Finally, Akadêmia has an ongoing commitment to the discovery and nurturing of young vocal and instrumental talents through the organisation of professional training programmes which culminiate in a series of concerts.”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 207

“Internationally recognized for the quality of its performances and the originality of its projects, Alla francesca figures among groups who strive to discover and interpret repertoire in the best of conditions. The interpretation, both lively and poetic, is the result of a long process of maturation, research and exchange, a music test of performance practice, with a real sense of collaboration and contact with the public. .. . ”

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Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 304

“Amarillis is now one of Europe's most original Baroque ensembles. The ensemble is well known for its fine sound and excellent instrumental technique. Audiences are always delighted with the ensemble's concerts, which are regularly acclaimed by the national and international press. The group, counselled by Pierre Hantaï, Christophe Rousset and Christophe Coin, has won several competitions : first prize in the York Early Music Competition in 1995, first prize in the FNAPEC 'Musique d'Ensemble' Competition in April 1997, and first prize and the public prize in the Sinfonia Competition (chaired by Gustav Leonhardt) in September 1997. In 1999 the trio was distinguished by the 'Révélations classiques' (Adami).

According to the requirements of the repertoire, the basic nucleus is joined by musicians of recognised talent. Amarillis works regularly with the finest singers of the younger generation, including Patricia Petibon, Sandrine Piau, Stéphanie d'Oustrac, Raffaella Milanesi, Valérie Gabail, Robert Getchell, Arnaud Marzorati, Emiliano Gonzalez-Toro…  “

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Added on: Nov 13, 2011 | Hits: 233

"Founded in 1984 and directed by Jean-Michel Hasler. L’Ensemble baroque de Limoges quickly defines itself as an orchestral point of reference for XVII and XVIII century repertoire. In 1991, Christophe Coin assumes the direction of the EBL. ... "

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Added on: Aug 04, 2008 | Hits: 362

“Founded in 1998 by Michael Brown, the Ensemble Baroque de Toulouse is the result of a long history of passion and friendship. This orchestra of professional musicians met around a common artistic project: the interpretation of early music, from Monteverdi to Haydn. According to the directory, it is joined by Baroque Choir of Toulouse as part of the adventure since its inception over ten years. …”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 306

"Jean-Louis CHARBONNIER, viole de gambe
Paul ROUSSEAU, viole de gambe
Mauricio BURAGLIA, théorbe
Pierre TROCELLIER, clavecin " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 04, 2008 | Hits: 313

“Taking its name to the hero of the Astrée of Honoré d'Urfé, Ensemble Celadon was founded in 1999 on the initiative of tenor Paulin Bündgen to explore the repertoire for the alto voice.

Based in Lyon, Celadon is made up of musicians specializing in music performance called "old" Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque, …“

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 241

"Created in Paris in 1978, the Ensemble Clément Janequin performs sacred and secular vocal music of the Renaissance, from Josquin to Monteverdi. Their inimitable performances of the French 16th century Chanson have revealed what is now appreciated to be one of the Golden Ages in the history of French music, their recordings for harmonia mundi, Les Cris de Paris, Le Chant des Oyseaulx, Fricassée Parisienne and La Chasse being considered as benchmark interpretations. With tremendous appeal to a broad audience, these works by Janequin, Sermisy, Bertrand, Costeley, Lassus, Le Jeune... abound in the stylistic contrasts so dear to the Renaissance: the touching lyricism of the chanson amoureuse, the earthy humour of the chanson rustique that draws upon popular farce, the sounds of war, nature and street cries - a unique marriage of popular and high Renaissance culture. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 313

“Since 1992, a small team of loyal and passionate musicians recreates, around Antoine Guerber, extraordinary music of the period so remote, intriguing, fascinating, which has shaped our culture, our language, our society: the Middle Ages.”

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Added on: Nov 13, 2011 | Hits: 340

“Female vocal ensemble, usually five to ten a cappella singers, Discantus brings the vocal repertoire of the Middle Ages(9th century) to the dawn of the Renaissance, especially sacred music. It has emerged internationally as a reference for this kind of repertoire performed by female voices.” (Google transl.)

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Added on: May 07, 2009 | Hits: 341

“Created in 2005, Entheos, get its name after Plato's who is  thought to have influenced the Renaissance. Entheos means enthusiasm, the force that leads a man to discover, create and share. This is the origin of the abundance of artistic and intellectual renaissance that Ensemble has chosen to relive through concerts and shows.”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 230

"L'Ensemble Gilles Binchois, who will celebrate its 30th year of performance, since its creation in 1979, has explored the large repertoire of the Middle Ages to the vocal repertoire of the Renaissance. ... "

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Added on: Apr 18, 2008 | Hits: 398

“Founded in 2009 by François Joubert-Caillet, L’Achéron is constituted of a variable number of musicians, coming from all around the world, a young generation already performing with renowned ensembles and feeling the need to affirm their artistic personality in a more intimate context.

Focused on Renaissance, baroque and contemporary music, l’Acheron’s interpretation of ancient repertoire is an attempt to bring forth its fundamental characteristics, reinterpreting with the greatest respect original works, being as authentic but also as readable as possible for today’s audience. The marriage between musical research and the live interpretation feed the intellectual and sensorial curiosity of the audience.

L’Acheron is a laboratory for new ideas, concepts and artistic practices: improvisations as well as contemporary music are an integral part of what we hope will be the continually evolving approach of the ensemble.

In Greek mythology, the Acheron is the river of the Underworld on which Charon ferries the souls of the Dead to Hell, the very river Orpheus crosses to look for Eurydice. Nourished by this symbol, l’Acheron is willing to open up a way in between two apparently opposed worlds: the living and the dead, the past and present, ideal and reality.“

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Added on: Nov 16, 2011 | Hits: 339

“ … The Ensemble l’Échelle declares itself partisan of certain Renaissance music, for the profoundly humanist ideas which it expresses. The chamber musicians who make it up seek to pool their musical talent in the search for an appropriate historic verisimilitude. …”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 180

“In mythology, La Fenice - the Phoenix - is a fabulous bird, which was celebrated for consuming itself in flame then rising from its ashes. La Fenice is used here as a symbol of the influence of Italian music in Baroque Europe. It was also the title of a work by Giovanni Martino Cesare, an Italian composer and cornett player who moved north of the Alps in the early 17th century. Today this name has been adopted by a group of musicians, whose common desire is to share their passion for the sumptuous Venetian music of that time and bring out all its extraordinary vitality.

The ensemble's repertoire nevertheless includes works by composers from all over Europe and covers more than two centuries of music; indeed, the cornett was commonly used in the early 16th century by Josquin Desprez and his contemporaries and it was still in use at J.S. Bach's time and Bach himself included it in several of his cantatas.

The cornett can be found alongside the voice in sacred music throughout the Baroque period; it is mentioned in the registers of the Royal Chapel at Versailles until 1733. As for the sound it produces, Mersenne, tells us in his Harmonie universelle (Paris, 1636) that « it is like a sunbeam shining through the shadows or through the darkness when it is heard among the voices in churches, cathedrals or chapels... “

Anxious to respect the original instrumentation, particularly in vocal music, where the instruments shed light on the text through their symbolical import, the ensemble adapts to fit in with each programmes it performs. Coming from all over Europe, the Ensemble’s musicians are all internationally renowned soloists, playing with the best Early music ensembles in the world.

Just after its establishment, the Ensemble La Fenice has won the first prize in two international competitions (Bruges, 1990 and Malmö, 1992). Since then, it has played in the most important festivals in France, Europe and all over the world. La Fenice’s recordings - Opus 111, Virgin Classics, Ricercar - are regularly awarded the most prestigious distinctions (Choc Monde de la Musique, Diapason d'Or, 10/10. Répertoire, 5 Etoiles. Goldberg…).”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 190

Founded by Benjamin Perrot and Florence Bolton, La Rêveuse is a French early music ensemble specializing in XVIIth century music. Visit website for more information.

Added on: Jul 13, 2008 | Hits: 478

“Ensemble created in 2007, led by Damien Pouvreau, "Children of the Court" includes professional musicians who specialize in early music, whose approach is to explore the different facets of their music trade and by partnering with other personalities from the arts and culture (musicians, actors, singers, dancers, visual artists, graphic designers, photographers, writers).”

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Added on: Nov 13, 2011 | Hits: 216

“In 2000, some brilliant instrumentalists French decide to give substance to their spirit of innovation, and create Les Folies Francoise. This group’s mission, led by violinist Patrick Cohën-Akenine, is to revisit the baroque of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in the spirit of freedom, diversity and creativity that inspired the musicians of the Grand Siècle.”

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Added on: Nov 13, 2011 | Hits: 206

"Created in 1996 by Laurence POTTIER, all the musicians Mademoiselle de Guise aim to rediscover the old repertoire from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century in a way educational and entertaining. The ensemble, varying in size from 4 to 40 instrumentalists and singers (or vocal soloists' singers Mlle de Guise ") is made up of musicians from the Paris area who play on instruments used at the time, originals or copies .

In 1999, Les Musiciens Mademoiselle de Guise recorded a disk at Bayard Music, "Christmas for the instrument s", devoted to composers Marc Antoine Charpentier, Michel Richard Delalande, Michel Corrette and Esprit Philippe Chédeville. In 2001, "Croc'Baroque" (Songs for children of the 16, 17 and 18th centuries), an educational disc, is registered in collaboration with a choir of children, Petit chorus of Miss de Guise, at Bayard and distributed by Music Agreement Universal.

Laurence Pottier is an instrumentalist as well as a musicologist. She earned a Masters degree in 1989 at La Sorbonne on "The recorder in Italy in the sixteenth century", and in 1993, a doctorate in musicology: "The repertoire of the recorder in France in the Baroque era. "

She participates in chamber music ensembles or a soloist, where she is interested in the relationship between music and dance ancient and contemporary as well as collaborates with the groups "ChapitreXVI" and "Chorégraphe".

She recorded in 1996 the set of suites of Jacques Hotteterre said "Roman" with Ph.Allain-Dupré, Ph.Pierlot and Y. Uyama-Bouvard (label Naxos). Uyama-Bouvard (label Naxos). Holder of CA she teaches recorder and runs regular courses in France and Brazil.

Laurence Pottier published in "The recorder in the seventeenth century" an article on the iconography of the recorder in France in the seventeenth century, following a lecture at the International Symposium Recorder of Utrecht in 1993. She also published in 1996 in Zurfluh, all three recorder methods in France of the Baroque era (Hotteterre, Freillon-Poncein and Loulié). " (Google translation) Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 31, 2008 | Hits: 350

“… Ensemble Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien explores with the same curiosity of little-known music, such as airs de cour (Et la fleur vole), the former Scottish music (For ever Fortune), brunettes (À l’ombre d’un ormeau) and pages of "grand repertoire "(Lully, Charpentier, Bach, Telemann) in search of natural musical phrasing, instrumental color and spirit of the dance. …”

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Added on: Nov 13, 2011 | Hits: 162

Early music ensemble.

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 470