Le Consort; Saturday, November 4, 2023, 8:00 pm

Le Consort, a leading baroque chamber ensemble co-directed by harpsichordist Justin Taylor and violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte, comprises four young musicians who interpret the sonata repertoire with enthusiasm, sincerity, and modernity. The group’s mission is to bring together compelling musical personalities in the service of chamber music from the repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries. From Corelli to Vivaldi, from Purcell to Couperin, the dialogue between the two violins and the basso continuo displays a wealth of contrasts between vocality, sensuality and virtuosity. Le Consort takes this genre, the quintessence of baroque chamber music, and interprets it with a personal, dynamic, and colorful language.

With a core which has remained constant since their founding in 2016, Le Consort performances approach a level of musical integration typically found in long-standing string quartets. In 2017 they claimed First Prize and the Audience Prize at the Loire Valley International Early Music Competition, chaired by William Christie. Their recordings, including OPUS 1 (featuring the unpublished sonatas of Jean-François Dandrieu), and Specchio Veneziano (trio sonatas of Vivaldi alongside music of his less familiar contemporary, Giovanni Reali), have earned numerous awards and extensive critical acclaim.

In the 2023-24 season, Le Consort will make its North American debut with concerts in cities across the continent, including Montreal, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, Kansas City, Berkeley, La Jolla, Vancouver, and many others.

Théotime Langlois de Swarte, violin; Hanna Salzenstein, cello; Justin Taylor, harpsichord; Sophie de Bardonnèche, violin

The program for this evening is:

A Journey Through Baroque Europe

  • Trio Sonata in G-minor, Op 1, No. 1 Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
  • Violin Sonata Op. 2, No. 1 (Grave) Giovanni Battista Reali (1681-1751)
  • Trio Sonata in C-Major, Op. 4, No. 1 Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
  • Excerpts from “Les Indes galantes” Jean-Philippe Rameau (1883-1764)
  • Trio Sonata in G-minor, Op. 1 Jean-François Dandrieu (1682-1738)
  • Violin Sonata, Op. 5, No. 12, “La Folia” Arcangelo Corelli
  • Violin Sonata in A-Major, op. 1, No. 7 (finale) Francesco Maria Veracini (1690-1768)
  • –Intermission–
  • “The Mad Lover” John Eccles (1668-1735)
  • Sonata of Four Parts in G Minor, Z807 Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
  • Gavotte et ses doubles Jean-Philippe Rameau
  • Trio Sonata in G-Major, BWV 1038 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
  • Andante, BWV 974 Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Trio Sonata in D-minor, Op. 1, No. 12, “Follia”  Antonio Vivaldi
Scroll to Top