Itinéraire baroque en Périgord 2025: L’Itinéraire: Les Délices de l’Âme Ensemble Amarine Belladiva (Zuzana Badáová, soprano; Michaela Ambrosi, transverse flute; Barbara Maria Willi, harpsichord). Rauzet Priory, Combiers, France, 02.08.2025
Michel de la Barre Suite IX: Sonata, L’inconnue, Prélude; Vivement.
Jacquet de la Guerre Cantata, Suzanne.
Rameau Pièces de clavecin, 1724: L’entretien des muses
Boismortier Les quatre saisons: Cantata, Le printemps.
Jacques Hottetere le Romain Airs et brunettes (selection)
Of all the venues, this one was the most special. This glorious, high-ceilinged priory (complete with avian inhabitants with whom we peacefully co-existed as they went along with their flip-flappy daily existence) used to house part of the little-known monastic Order of Grandmont, whose members wee known as “Grandmontines”. The order was founded in the eleventh century by Saint Stephen of Muret, and this building dates form the twelfth. It is particularly well lit by natural light, which made it perfect for his little trip through French Baroque music.
We begin with rather an overly complex title: Deuxiéme Livre de pièces pour la flûte travesière avec la basse contnue, IXème Suite en sol Majeur, Sonate, ‘L’inconnue’. Michel de la Barre was highly significant in the French school of flute composition. Probably born around 1675, de la Barre performed in Paris; he was inspired by Marin Marais. The present collection was published in 1710 and ends with the present “sonata” (it has been suggested in full form, it is more like a French Overture with added final chaconne). Corelli is starting to replace Marais as an influence, and with him the Italian style.
It was a pleasure to hear this sonata (sometimes referred to as “No. 9 in G”) performed with such grace by Michaela Ambrosi and Barbara Maria Willi. Although there is no tempo indication for the first movement, it had a sort of stately gait here; the ‘Vivement” that followed bounced along nicely, its rhythms sprung. A great pairing.
Good to see some Jacquet de la Guerre here, the cantata Suzanne, a ‘Cantate française sur des sujets tirés de l’Écritiure’ (first book, 1708). Zuzana Badárová has both purity and strength of voice. Rhythms were crisp in the anacruses of ‘Indiscrete jeunesse’. A solo harpsichord work was balm thereafter: ‘L’entretien des muses’ from the Suite in D, itself from the 1724 Pièces de clavecin.
Wonderful, too, to hear a cantata by Bodin de Boismotier (especially after the ravishing Clérambault the day previously). Vivaldi was not he only composer to write on the four seasons: Boismortier’s set of four cantatas, published around 1724, are scored for soprano,, tenor, bass-baritone and soprano, in that order. The flute joins the fray after the simply gorgeous recitative (perfectly shaped by both composer and, here, Badárová and Willi). The vocal line for the aria, ‘Venez sous ces feuillages’ is quite wide-ranging, and was beautifully done, Ambrosi’s flute a welcome second ‘voice’ and a great complement to Willi’s purity. Finally, songs from Jacques Hotteterre’s Airs et brunettes à 2 et 3 dessus pour les flutes travesières. The most famous is probably the last, ‘Pourquoi doux rossignol,’ which here was the third and final excerpt, and the ideal end, perfectly, as he indicator asks, ‘tendrement’. This is melodic genius, too, on Hotteterre’s part, and the music just opens out like a flower at dawn. It is the transverse flute that garlands ‘L’autre jour,’ the long opening solo superb from Ambrosi, who was so eloquent, too, in ‘Rochers, je ne veux point que votre écho fidèle’.
This concert was an absolute joy; my preferred event of the entire day.
