Marie-Antoinette’s musical salon

Marie-Antoinette’s musical salon

Release Date10 August 2009

Label:Ambroisie

Synopsis

• In this third recording in the Cité de la Musique series, Sandrine Chatron plays the very rare and beautiful 18th-century harp by Sébastien Érard

“Its crystalline sonority, rich in harmonics, its great responsiveness, its flexibility, led me to modify my touch, to lighten my pressure and my articulation, to refine my instrumental gesture. This Érard harp provides eloquent questions about virtuosity and phrasing: it ‘speaks’ so naturally.” – Sandrine Chatron

• The programme recreates the intimate atmosphere of a musical salon at the time of Queen Marie-Antoinette. It includes works by Gluck, Mozart and Gossec, as well as world premiere recordings of compositions by Dauvergne, Saint-George and Krumpholtz.
• The music selected illustrates the diversity of repertory linked with the figure of Queen Marie-Antoinette, a music-lover, performer, inspiration, or patron of the arts. She helped several composers in their careers, including Gluck, her teacher, and Grétry, both of whom are found on this recording with other composers from the time of Marie-Antoinette.
• Included also on this recording are: Stéphanie Paulet (Violin); Isabelle Poulenard (Soprano); Jean-Francois Lombard (Tenor) and Amélie Michel (Tenor)

Listen to excerpts from the release