LES TALENS LYRIQUES - France

Championing a broad vocal and instrumental repertoire, ranging from early Baroque to the beginnings of Romanticism, the musicians of Les Talens Lyriques aim to throw light on the great masterpieces of musical history, while providing perspective by presenting rarer or little known works that are important as missing links in the European musical heritage. This musicological and editorial work, which contributes to its renown, is a priority for the ensemble.

As well as opera, Les Talens Lyriques explore other musical genres: madrigal, cantata, air de cour, symphonies, and the vast corpus of sacred music (masses, motets, oratorios, Leçons de Ténèbres, and so on). In formations varying from a handful of musicians to more than sixty, representing every generation, they give performances all over the world.

The Ensemble’s rich discography comprises some sixty references on various labels (Erato, Fnac Music, Auvidis, Decca, Naïve, Ambroisie, Virgin Classics, Ediciones Singulares (Palazzetto Bru Zane), Outhere and Aparté). Les Talens Lyriques recorded the famous soundtrack for Gérard Corbiau’s film Farinelli (1994), which sold over a million copies. Released in September 2019, Gounod’s Faust (PBZ) has received numerous awards: Gramophone Choice, Presto Musical editor’s choice, Diapason d’or, Choc Classica 2019… Stefano Landi’s La Morte d’Orfeo, recorded at the Dutch National Opera, was released by Naxos in June 2020.

Friday, December 5, 2025, 8pm – Auditorium du Louvre, Paris, France 

Concert presented as part of the Jacques-Louis David exhibition at the Musée du Louvre.
With the support of the Cercle des mécènes des Talens Lyriques.

Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714–1787)
Orphée et Eurydice (1774)
– Overture
– Dance of the Blessed Spirits and Dance of the Furies 

François-Joseph Gossec (1734–1829)
Symphony in B-flat major, Op. 6 No. 6 

François Devienne (1759–1803)
Symphonie concertante No. 2 in F major, for flute, oboe, horn, and bassoon 

Étienne Nicolas Méhul (1763–1817)
Symphony No. 2 in D major

PERFORMERS 

Les Talens Lyriques
Christophe Rousset, conductor

“The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is a tragic one: bitten by a serpent on her wedding day, Eurydice is torn from life. Orpheus is granted permission by Pluto and Proserpina to bring her back from the Underworld—on one condition: he must never look back. But doubt creeps in; Eurydice, feeling abandoned, reproaches him for his coldness, and the single act of turning toward her seals her fate forever. This drama reminds us that love constantly needs to be renewed and that a single gesture can change everything.” 

“This work forms part of a broader program tracing how emotion in music and the arts evolved on the threshold of the Revolutionary era. From Gluck to Méhul, an entire world is shifting: aristocratic grandeur gives way to ideals of liberty and universality. Music—like the painting of Jacques-Louis David—captures this breath of renewal. This journey through history and human passion extends beyond masterpieces: it also restores to life those ‘lesser masters,’ such as Salieri, whose influence helps us better understand the greats. As in painting, one must sometimes linger over the quieter figures to grasp the full richness of an age.”
— Christophe Rousset