Songs And Dances

Description

Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, already guided by the virtuosic flute of François Lazarevitch, took us on the roads of Ireland and Scotland, notably with High Road to Kilkenny (Alpha 234), a great success in 2016. This time, they venture into England with a program primarily secular, dedicated to Henry Purcell (1659-1695), varying the moods with a mix of instrumental dances and sung airs, featuring English countertenor Tim Mead: “O Solitude,” “What power Art Thou”… While Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien have chosen these famous titles primarily for enjoyment, they also present with this English program a new piece of the puzzle of their map of the United Kingdom. They simultaneously demonstrate – and the atypical colors of the small string ensemble complemented by two flutes, a harp, and a continuo harpsichord/lute highlight this – the musical permeability of Ireland, Scotland, and England. The common thread, dear to Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, is that of popular music embedded within learned music, a blend of origins, practices, and repertoires. One will easily recognize the scotch and irish tunes that Purcell incorporates into his overtures, jigs, hornpipes, or chaconnes. Countertenor Tim Mead punctuates the dances with airs designed for the opera and theater stage, or for chamber music.