CONCERT 

Presented by Concerto da Camera

Associated Project of French May Arts Festival

Special Support from Alliance Française de Hong Kong

The Splendour of French Baroque Music

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Date: 11th June 2024

Venue: Hong Kong City Hall Theatre

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In the 17th century, France, under the rule of Louis XIV, became a powerful country. The Sun King sought to elevate his country’s power and influence not only in politics and economics, but also in the realm of the arts. To establish his authority, he consciously undermined the influence of the prevalent Italian style. Seeing dance as mastery over both body and mind, France embraced it as the ultimate expression of aristocratic refinement. French composers and artists aimed to captivate their audience with a blend of intellectual engagement and sensory experiences, appealing to the senses and the mind. This era witnessed the emergence and solidification of the French cultural identity.

 

France under the rule of Louis XIV embraced dance as the ultimate expression of aristocratic refinement. French composers and artists aimed to stimulate intellectual engagement through sensory experiences, appealing to both the senses and the mind.

 

Many composers from outside of France were influenced by the French style. They adapted French elements such as ballet as well as graceful French-style ornamentation in their works. 

 

Performing music by French court composers such as Jean-Baptiste Lully, Michel-Richard Delalande, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Francois Couperin, Jean-Féry Rebel, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Marin Marais, Jean-Baptiste Forqueray as well as music of non-French Baroque composers such as George Frideric Handel and Johann Jakob Froberger who integrated French elements in their works. Concerto da Camera Baroque Ensemble will collaborate with Pierre-François Dollé, dancer and choreographer, to offer you a feast of French baroque splendour.

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Pierre-François Dollé (France) | Baroque dancer and choreographer ​

Pierre-François Dollé is a dancer, choreographer, pedagogue, and researcher. He was trained at the Cologne University of Music and Dance and holds a French State Diploma in dance teaching. He regularly participates in productions at the Opéra National de Paris such as The Marriage of Figaro and Les Indes Galantes among others. Since 2005, he has specialized in historic dances and is now a busy choreographer, in France and abroad, working for opera productions, plays, and choreographic shows. He has worked with organizations such as l’Eclat des Muses, l’Eventail, Le Poème Harmonique, le Théâtre de l’Incrédule, the Toronto Consort, Zeitentanz, Capella de la Torre, Les Jardins Chorégraphiques, the Cracovia Danza company, and the Boston Early Music Festival. For years, he has collaborated with Les Arts Florissants on many projects, including its 40th anniversary ball at the Philharmonie de Paris.  

Between 2007 and 2020, Dollé was artistic director and choreographer of the Cie Fantaisies Baroques. In 2021, he founded the dance company HéliosKine, which explores a contemporary vision of historical materials. He was a recipient of multiple grants from the Centre National de la Danse for research on the dances of the early 17th century (with Christine Bayle) and on the notebooks of Michel St Léon (with Irène Feste), as well as for the recreation of the Ballet pour Neuf Danseurs (1700), choreographed by Raoul Auger Feuillet. He has taught masterclass, workshops, and courses worldwide in cities such as Boston, Osaka, Krakow, Tokyo, and Vienna.   

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Concerto da Camera Barque Ensemble

Elizabeth Coupe| Soprano

David Tong | Recorder

Agnieszka Mazur | Baroque Oboe & Recorder (Co- Music Director)

Karen Yeung | Baroque Bassoon (Artistic Director)

Hyunjung Choi | Baroque Violin (Co- Music Director)

Gary Ngan | Baroque Violin

Kate Moran | baroque Violin

Shelagh Heath | Baroque Cello

Sonia Lee | Harpsichord (Co- Music Director)

Simon Williams | Percussion

 

Concerto da Camera Baroque Ensemble (Hong Kong) focus on presenting European classical music from the 16th to the 18th century on period instruments. While historically informed practice is the guiding principle in our performance, we look for innovations through tradition to promote early music.

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This project is supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. 

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