Les Talens Lyriques

The French musical ensemble Les Talens Lyriques was created in 1991 in Paris, France, by the harpsichordist and orchestral conductor Christophe Rousset. This instrumental and vocal formation derives its name from the subtitle of Les fêtes d'Hébé (1739) an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau.[1]

Description
Christophe Rousset, founder of the ensemble, in 2012

The repertoire of Les Talens Lyriques extends from Monteverdi (L'incoronazione di Poppea, Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria and L'Orfeo), Francesco Cavalli (La Didone and La Calisto) to Handel (Scipione, Riccardo Primo, Rinaldo, Admeto, Giulio Cesare, Serse, Arianna, Tamerlano, Ariodante, Semele and Alcina), taking in on the way Jean-Baptiste Lully (Persée, Roland, Bellérophon, Phaéton, Amadis and Armide), Henri Desmarets (Vénus et Adonis), Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville (Les fêtes de Paphos), Cimarosa (Il Mercato di Malmantile, Il matrimonio segreto), Tommaso Traetta (Antigona and Ippolito ed Aricia), Jommelli (Armida abbandonata), Martin y Soler (La capricciosa corretta, Il Tutore burlato), Mozart (Mitridate, Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Cosi fan tutte), Salieri (La grotta di Trofonio, Les Danaïdes), Rameau (Zoroastre, Castor et Pollux, Les Indes galantes and Platée), Gluck (Bauci e Filemone) and Beethoven, and not forgetting Cherubini (Médée), García (Il Califfo di Bagdad), Berlioz, Massenet and Saint-Saëns.[2]

The revival of such scores has gone hand in hand with close collaboration with stage directors and choreographers such as Pierre Audi, Jean-Marie Villégier, David McVicar, Éric Vigner, Ludovic Lagarde, Mariame Clément, Jean-Pierre Vincent, Macha Makeïeff, Laura Scozzi, Marcial di Fonzo Bo, Claus Guth, Robert Carsen, and David Hermann.

In addition to the lyrical repertoire, the ensemble also explores other musical genres such as the madrigal, cantata, air de cour, symphony, and the vast repertoire of sacred music (masses, motets, oratorios, leçons de Ténèbres and much else), leading Les Talens Lyriques to perform everywhere in the world with forces varying from a handful of musicians to over sixty from all generations.

In 2018–19 Les Talens Lyriques return to their first love, with a season entitled "The Temptation of Italy". Vocality will be celebrated in works ranging from masterpieces by Monteverdi, Purcell, Handel (Agrippina) and Mozart (La Betulia liberata) to rarely heard or unpublished scores by Legrenzi (La divisione del mondo), Salieri (Tarare), Leo, and Porpora.[3] After celebrating Telemann in 2017, the ensemble will be acting as François Couperin’s representative abroad when they take his music to the American continent for the 350th anniversary of the composer’s birth.[4] "Couperin Year" will also be celebrated with recordings: Les Nations and the Concerts Royaux are to be released (in autumn and in December, respectively) on the Aparté label.

The discography of Les Talens Lyriques comprises around forty titles on numerous labels: Erato, Fnac Music, Auvidis, Decca, Naïve, Ambroisie, Virgin Classics and now Aparté. The ensemble is also responsible for the much-acclaimed soundtrack of the film Farinelli (1994).[5]

Since 2007 Les Talens Lyriques have been devoting some of their time to introducing secondary school pupils to the world of music with a programme of workshops and teaching residencies, leading a practical orchestral class and, from 2014, developing new and innovative technological resources designed to help young people discover and appreciate the Baroque repertoire.

The ensemble receives subsidies from the French Ministry of Culture and the City of Paris, and generous support from its Circle of Patrons.

Since 2011 Les Talens Lyriques have been associate artists, in residence at the Singer-Polignac Foundation in Paris. Les Talens Lyriques are founding members of FEVIS and PROFEDIM.

Recordings

Les Talens Lyriques has recorded the following works:[6]

Operas

Vocal

Instrumental

References
  1. "Les Talens Lyriques". fevis.com. FEVIS. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  2. "Les Talens Lyriques". chatelet.com. Théâtre du Châtelet. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  3. Fairman, Richard (28 June 2019). "Salieri: Tarare — Mozart's infamous rival is still less memorable". Financial Times. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  4. Downey, Charles. "Rousset, Les Talens Lyriques capital in Couperin celebration at Library of Congress". washingtonclassicalreview.com. Washington Classical Review. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  5. Melissa U. D. Goldsmith; Paige A. Willson; Anthony J. Fonseca (2016-10-07). The Encyclopedia of Musicians and Bands on Film. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 117. ISBN 978-1-4422-6987-3.
  6. "Discographie - Talens Lyriques - Christophe Rousset". Lestalenslyriques.com. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
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