L'arte dei piffari

Description

The Renaissance was the stage for a first "golden age" of wind instruments, which played a predominant role in both sacred and secular music. At that time, written music was not yet orchestrated by composers but was performed according to the function of the repertoire and the availability of instrumentalists and singers. It is assumed—perhaps a bit too schematically—that the 16th century was primarily characterized by the use of "consorts" (instrumental ensembles in French). This term refers to ensembles composed solely of instruments from the same family, such as consorts of viols or recorders. It was from the 1580s onwards, mainly in secular music, that string and wind instruments began to mix. This mixed distribution, featuring cornetts and trombones, is what this CD offers us. The recording program covers works from around 1580 to 1700, a period during which these two families of instruments played a particularly important role in giving rise to a multitude of works for this instrumentation. Born in Langres in Champagne-Ardenne, William Dongois studied trumpet in Reims and Paris. He teaches this instrument at the Conservatory while also engaging in orchestral activities at the Grand Théâtre de Reims. During various workshops, he benefits from instrumental teaching from cornettist Jean-Pierre Canihac and from Jordi Savall for ensemble music. He teaches the cornet and improvisation during numerous workshops and master classes for various institutions in France, as well as "Musikhochschulen" in Germany and Austria. Stefan Legée began his musical studies at the conservatory in Reims. He then continued his training at the higher conservatories of Paris and Lyon, where he obtained a first prize in trombone and a certificate of advanced study in sackbut. He developed a particular taste for chamber music and has won several international prizes as a soloist and in brass ensembles. After studying at the Conservatory of Le Mans and then at the CNSM in Paris, and after collaborating with orchestras such as the Opéra de Paris and the Opéra de Lyon, Franck Poitrineau decided to learn to play ancient instruments and went to study the sackbut at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. He performs with many prestigious ensembles with which he has recorded over a hundred discs.