Playlist audio #16

Known today as chamber music, music of Salons represents both a domestic practice without an audience and a setting where professional and amateur musicians mingle to perform for a select audience. These two practices coexist, sharing the same repertoire. A selection of this repertoire, from the 17^th to the 18^th century, is presented for you to enjoy in this playlist by the teams at the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles !

For a century, Versailles hosts concerts in various locations, primarily in the grand salons of the king and queen. Apartment soirées are held three times a week, from All Saints' Day to Easter. To accommodate the Music of the King, two platforms are set up in the spacious and convenient Salon de Mars, which thus becomes the heart of court life. Most concerts take place here, alternating with balls and receptions. In his later years, the king often listens to his musicians at Trianon. Concerts are also held at Madame de Maintenon's residence and at the duchess of Burgundy's. Music accompanies nearly every meal, with a few soloists from the Chambre playing discreetly near the royal table. In fine weather, the park also hosts royal entertainments.

For the Versailles concerts, poets and musicians create a repertoire of modest dimensions, designed to be performed without costumes or sets. The tone is often pastoral, with royal allegory omnipresent. The king's musicians specialize in this genre, referred to as "idylle," "divertissement," "fête," or "impromptu." Tragedies, pastorals, and ballets are also part of the concerts, but their length requires them to be fragmented over several evenings. Under Louis XV, it was truly under the influence of Marie Leszczynska that salon music continued to develop at court, as seen in the numerous concerts organized around her, which included sonatas, operas, cantatas, and ballets.