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.

Partnership between Les Talens Lyriques & the École Normale de Musique de Paris 

The École Normale de Musique de Paris and Les Talens Lyriques are launching a new partnership starting with the 2025/2026 season, featuring a series of four Saturday events at the Salle Cortot in Paris. The second concert of the series will take place on Saturday, November 8, at the Salle Cortot, and will be devoted to the “Recitar cantando”. This early Baroque practice, literally “to recite while singing”, lies at the heart of Italian vocal expression at the turn of the 17th century. Blending speech and song, it gave rise to opera and profoundly influenced the relationship between text and music in later vocal art.

Each event consists of a public masterclass led by Christophe Rousset with the singing students of the École Normale, followed by a one-hour commented concert with Les Talens Lyriques. Christophe Rousset will guide the audience through each program, highlighting a particular feature or concept related to the repertoire. 

These concerts, entitled “Once Upon a Time…”, are open to all audiences and aim to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the works performed.

Saturday, October 11, 2025 – Once Upon a Time… the "recitar cantando"
7:00 PM – MASTERCLASS
8:30 PM – CONCERT

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PROGRAMME

L’incoronazione di Poppea (1642)
Ouverture
« Signor, deh non partire »
« Speranza tu mi vai »
« Come dolci signor »
« Signor, signor oggi rinascio »
« Sento un certo »

Settimo libro de madrigali (1619)
« Ohimè, dov’è il mio ben »
« Chiome d’oro »

Il primo Libro (1650)
Sonata Folias echa para mi Señora Doña
Tarolilla de Carallenos
L’Eroica, sonata a tre

Veramonda l’amazzone di Aragona, « Il Delio » (1652)
Sinfonia, Prologo
Sinfonia

Il Ciro (1654)
« O rigor d’iniqua stella »
« Amanti fuggite »
« In mezzo le schiere »
« Ai sospiri d’Arpago »

Apolline & Thaïs Raï-Westphal, sopranos  

Gilone Gaubert,Benjamin Chénier & Roldán Bernabé-Carrión, violins
Emmanuel Jacques, cello
Karl Nyhlin /Yuli Bayeul, lute  

Christophe Rousset, harpsichord, organ & conductor