In conjunction with the CMBV’s project on Lalande’s Symphonies pour les Soupers du Roi, a concert and seminar have been organised to pave the way for research.

The CMBV and its partners, the Lyon and Paris national conservatoires (CNSMD) are running a two part event:

• A concert performed by students from the early music departments at the Lyon and Paris national conservatoires. They will perform excerpts from symphonies for royal suppers ‘au Grand Couvert’ from two key periods in their evolution.
• A research seminar headed by specialists in 17th and 18th century French orchestras will be the first session, focusing on the issue of rewriting the middle parts of the orchestra. With the Grande Pièce Royale as a basis for reflection, as found in its various forms throughout the history of the ‘symphonies’, this seminar will provide a historical and historiographical overview before tackling the evolution of the repertoire, the change from a 5 to a 4 part orchestra, and assessing to what extent and how the music was adapted for performance at the royal suppers.