Programme
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676-1749)
Quand je menais les chevaux boire
Blanche Biche
Me voilà hors du naufrage
French folk and traditional songs
Somewhere between mythological narrative and vaudeville-style parody, the 18th-century French cantata takes centre stage in this programme, presented to mark the graduation recital of Clément Bayet, Chantre at the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles.
In the 18th century, music became increasingly widespread in all spheres of life in the Kingdom of France. Musical entertainment, which had previously been the preserve of the Court and the elite who attended the Opera, flourished through the concert academies and the cantata form, which emerged at the beginning of the century.
Many leading composers of this period embraced this genre to write shorter works intended for small ensembles. Sometimes a miniature opera, sometimes a parodic farce, this versatile musical form became a popular genre that could be heard not only at concerts, but also in private salons and at Parisian fairs.
To explore the two extremes of the genre, this programme features a serious cantata by Louis-Nicolas Clérambault based on the tragic myth of Leander and Hero, followed by a parodic cantata by Nicolas Racot de Grandval that draws on the conventions of vaudeville and farce.
The final part of the concert will be devoted to traditional and popular French songs, rounding off the range of musical styles that were accessible to the general public at that time.
