Le Poème Harmonique is a musical ensemble founded in 1998 by Vincent Dumestre to recreate and promote

early music Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad musical era for the beginning of Western classic ...

, in particular that of the 17th century. Using rare instruments such as the

theorbo The theorbo is a plucked string instrument of the lute family, with an extended neck and a second pegbox. Like a lute, a theorbo has a curved-back sound box (a hollow box) with a wooden top, typically with a sound hole, and a neck extending out ...

, the

lirone The lirone (or lira da gamba) is the bass member of the ''lira'' family of instruments that was popular in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It is a bowed string instrument with between 9 and 16 gut strings and a fretted neck. When playe ...

, the

tiorbino A tiorbino, a little theorbo (''tiorbo'' in Italian), is a rare stringed instrument, a type of long-necked lute resembling a theorbo but significantly smaller and pitched an octave higher. The tiorbino was created in the late 16th century and was ...

and the arpa tripla, Le Poème Harmonique aims to recapture the poetry of early music, particularly of the late renaissance and early baroque era. The early 17th-century French and Italian

madrigal A madrigal is a form of secular vocal music most typical of the Renaissance music, Renaissance (15th–16th c.) and early Baroque music, Baroque (1600–1750) periods, although revisited by some later European composers. The Polyphony, polyphoni ...

is a special interest. Le Poème Harmonique also teaches singers in collaboration with the ''

Centre de Musique Baroque The Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles (CMBV - ''Centre of Baroque Music Versailles'') is a centre for the study and performance of French Baroque music, based at the Menus-Plaisirs du Roi The Menus-Plaisirs du Roi () was, in the organisation o ...

'' (Center for Baroque Music) at

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

. The group's recordings with the French Alpha record label of Jean-Paul Combet contributed to the critical and commercial establishment of the label, and included the 1st and 100th releases of the label's primary 'Ut Pictura Musica' series.Gramophone: Volume 84, Issues 1010-1013 2006 Alpha the French record label, is celebrating its 100th 'Ut Pictura Musica' release with a recording of vocal and instrumental works by Charles Tessier, performed by Vincent Dumestre's ensemble Le Poeme Harmonique. Le Poème Harmonique

Discography

Emilio de Cavalieri Emilio de' Cavalieri (c. 155011 March 1602), or Emilio dei Cavalieri, the spellings "del" and "Cavaliere" are contemporary typographical errors, was an Italian composer, producer, organist, diplomat, choreographer and dancer at the end of ...

: Lamentationes Hieremiae Prophetae, CD *

Charles Tessier Charles Tessier (ca. 1550 – after 1604) was a French composer and lutenist.Lute Society journal: Volume 20 Lute Society (Great Britain) - 1978 THE LUTE AIRS OF CHARLES TESSIER. FRANK DOBBINS. Although no corroboration has been found for Fetis' ...

: Carnets de Voyage, CD *

Étienne Moulinié Étienne Moulinié (10 October 1599 – 1676) was a French Baroque composer. He was born in Languedoc, and when he was a child he sang at the Narbonne Cathedral. Through the influence of his brother Antoine (died 1655), Moulinié gained an app ...

: L'humaine comédie *

Robert de Visée Robert de Visée (c. 1655 – 1732/1733) was a French lutenist, guitarist, theorbist and viol player at the court of the kings Louis XIV and Louis XV, as well as a singer and composer for lute, theorbo and guitar. Biography Robert de Visée's ...

: Pieces de Theorbe, CD * Bellerofonte Castaldi: Le musiche di Bellerofonte Castaldi *

Domenico Belli Domenico Belli (died May 1627 in Florence) was an Italian composer who worked at the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence from 1610–13. He is most notable for his setting of the ''Pianto d'Orfeo'' (or ''Orfeo dolente'') by the Camerata poet Ga ...

: Il nuovo stile

Guillemette Laurens Guillemette Laurens (born 6 November 1957 in Fontainebleau, France) is a French operatic mezzo-soprano. Guillemette trained at the Academy of Toulouse and debuted as Baba in ''The Rake's Progress'' at Salle Favart. She took part in the premiere ...

* La conversation: Robert de Visée Vincent Dumestre, and poems of

Théophile de Viau Théophile de Viau (159025 September 1626) was a French Baroque poet and dramatist. Life Born at Clairac, near Agen in the Lot-et-Garonne and raised as a Huguenot, Théophile de Viau participated in the Huguenot rebellions in Guyenne from 1 ...

declaimed by

Eugène Green Eugène Green (born 28 June 1947) is a U.S.-born French film-maker and dramatist. He is notable as an educator, training a generation of young actors in the revival of French baroque theatre technique and declamation. Films * 2001 : ''Toutes ...

in Baroque French. * ''Combattimenti!'':

Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is conside ...

Marco Marazzoli Marco Marazzoli (1602? – 26 January 1662) was an Italian priest and Baroque music composer. Early life Born at Parma, Marazzoli received early training as a priest, and was ordained around 1625. He moved to Rome in 1626, and entered the ...

''La Fiera di Farfa'': Alpha 172 *

Pierre Guédron Pierre Guédron (c. 1570 in Châteaudun Châteaudun () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It was the site of the Battle of Châteaudun during the Franco-Prussian War. Ge ...

: Le Consert des Consorts, CD *

Il Fásolo Giovanni Battista Fasolo, O.F.M.Conv (Asti, ca. 1598 Palermo after 1664), was a Franciscan friar, organist and composer. In his middle years Fasolo was primarily known for his 1645 organ annual, which, like ''L'organo suonarino'' of Adriano Banc ...

? * ''Firenze 1616'': '' L'Orfeo Dolente'' by

, Claudio Saracini,

Giulio Caccini Giulio Romolo Caccini (also Giulio Romano) (8 October 1551 – buried 10 December 1618) was an Italian composer, teacher, singer, instrumentalist and writer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was one of the founders of the genre ...

and

Cristofano Malvezzi Cristofano Malvezzi (baptised June 28, 1547 – January 22, 1599) was an Italian organist and composer of the late Renaissance. He was one of the most famous composers in the city of Florence during a time of transition to the Baroque styl ...

* ''Plaisir d'Amour'':

Claire Lefilliâtre Claire Lefilliâtre, in ''le Festin romain'', concert in the cardinal palace in Rome, Prague, 6 August 2013 Claire Lefilliâtre is a contemporary French soprano specialising in Baroque music repertoire. Lefilliâtre collaborates mainly with the ...

, Brice Duisit,

Isabelle Druet Isabelle Druet (born 19 September 1979) is a French operatic coloratura mezzo-soprano who has performed internationally. She began her career as an actress and co-founded a theatre company, La Carotte. She has performed in concert and recorded wi ...

. * ''Love is strange'' - English lute consort music by

Anthony Holborne Anthony ''AntonyHolborne ''Holburne(c. 1545 – 29 November 1602) was a composer of music for lute, cittern, and instrumental consort during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Life An "Anthony Holburne" entered Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1562 ...

Robert Parsons (composer) Robert Parsons (ca. 1535 – January 1571/2) was an English composer of the Tudor period who was active during the reigns of King Edward VI, Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I. He is noted for his compositions of church music. Early lif ...

Thomas Robinson (composer) Thomas Robinson () was an English Renaissance composer and music teacher, who flourished around 1600. He taught and wrote music for lute, cittern, orpharion, bandora, viol, and voice. Biography Very little is known about Robinson's life, but i ...

John Bull (composer) John Bull (1562/63 – 12/13 March 1628) was an English composer, organist, virginalist and organ builder. He was a renowned keyboard performer of the virginalist school and most of his compositions were written for this medium. Life and care ...

John Dowland John Dowland (c. 1563 – buried 20 February 1626) was an English Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep", " Come again", " Flow my tears", " I saw my Lady weepe" ...

John Danyel John Danyel or John Daniel (Baptized 6 November 1564 – c. 1626) was an English lute player and songwriter. He was born in Wellow, Somerset, and was the younger brother of poet Samuel Daniel. His surviving works include "Coy Daphne Fled", about ...

Orlando Gibbons Orlando Gibbons ( bapt. 25 December 1583 – 5 June 1625) was an English composer and keyboard player who was one of the last masters of the English Virginalist School and English Madrigal School. The best known member of a musical fami ...

John Coprario John Coprario (c. 1570 – 1626), also known as Giovanni Coprario or Coperario, was an English composer and viol player. According to later commentators such as John Playford and Roger North, he changed his name from either Cowper or Cooper ...

, John Johnson (composer) and anonymous and traditional. * '' :fr:Aux marches du palais'' Romances & complaintes de la France d'autrefois *

Luis de Briceño Luis de Briceño (also ''Briçeño'', ''Brizeño''; fl. 1610s–1630s) was a Spanish guitarist and music theorist who introduced the Spanish guitar style in France, where previously only the lute was considered a serious plucked instrument. He trav ...

: ''El Fénix de Paris'' *

Antoine Boësset Antoine Boësset, Antoine Boesset or Anthoine de Boesset (1586 – 8 December 1643), sieur de Villedieu, was the superintendent of music at the Ancien Régime French court and a composer of secular music, particularly airs de cour. He and his fath ...

: ''Je meurs sans mourir'' *

Michel Richard Delalande Michel Richard Delalande e Lalande'' (; 15 December 1657 – 18 June 1726) was a French Baroque composer and organist who was in the service of King Louis XIV. He was one of the most important composers of grands motets. He also wrote orche ...

: 3

Leçons de ténèbres Leçons de ténèbres ( 'lessons of darkness'; sometimes spelled Leçons des ténèbres) is a genre of French Baroque music which developed from the polyphonic lamentations settings for the tenebrae service of Renaissance composers such as Sermi ...

, with accompanying CD of

Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet Jacques-Bénigne Lignel Bossuet (; 27 September 1627 – 12 April 1704) was a French bishop and theologian, renowned for his sermons and other addresses. He has been considered by many to be one of the most brilliant orators of all time and a ma ...

's ''Sermon sur la mort'' declaimed by

in Baroque French. *

Daniel Brel Daniel Brel (born 1950 in Égleny) is a French composer, accordionist and bandoneón player. In 1979 at Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques he formed the Contratiempo quartet. He performs on the accordion in recital with singer Arnaud Marzorati. Recordin ...

''Quatre chemins de mélancolie'' Le Poème Harmonique: Daniel Brel (bandoneon), viol consort, Vincent Dumestre (theorbo and direction) * Nova Metamorfosi:

Vincenzo Ruffo Vincenzo Ruffo (c. 1508 – 9 February 1587) was an Italian composer of the Renaissance. He was one of the composers most responsive to the musical reforms suggested by the Council of Trent, especially in his composition of masses, and as suc ...

and Claudio Monteverdi *

Marc-Antoine Charpentier Marc-Antoine Charpentier (; 1643 – 24 February 1704) was a French Baroque composer during the reign of Louis XIV. One of his most famous works is the main theme from the prelude of his ''Te Deum'', ''Marche en rondeau''. This theme is still u ...

, ''Te Deum'' H.146,

Jean-Baptiste Lully Jean-Baptiste Lully ( , , ; born Giovanni Battista Lulli, ; – 22 March 1687) was an Italian-born French composer, guitarist, violinist, and dancer who is considered a master of the French Baroque music style. Best known for his operas ...

, ''Te Deum,'' Le Poème Harmonique &

Capella Cracoviensis Capella Cracoviensis is a period instrument ensemble and a chamber choir based in Kraków, Poland. It was formed in 1970 by composer and music conductor Stanisław Gałoński (b. 1936), its first director and general manager. Capella Cracovie ...

, conducted by Vincent Dumestre. CD Alpha 2013. *

G. B. Pergolesi Giovanni Battista Draghi (; 4 January 1710 – 16 or 17 March 1736), often referred to as Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (), was an Italian Baroque composer, violinist, and organist. His best-known works include his Stabat Mater and the opera '' ...

Stabat Mater The Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Christian hymn to Mary, which portrays her suffering as Jesus Christ's mother during his crucifixion. Its author may be either the Franciscan friar Jacopone da Todi or Pope Innocent III.Sabatier, Paul ''Life o ...

. Patrizia Bovi (soprano), Pino de Vittorio (tenor), Bernard Arrieta (bass). Le Poème Harmonique, Les Pages & Les Chantres de la Chapelle, dir. Olivier Schneebeli DVD *

Cadmus et Hermione ''Cadmus et Hermione'' is a '' tragédie en musique'' in a prologue and five acts by Jean-Baptiste Lully. The French-language libretto is by Philippe Quinault, after Ovid's ''Metamorphoses''. It was first performed on 27 April 1673 by the Paris ...

, DVD * Jean-Baptiste Lully:

Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme ''Le Bourgeois gentilhomme'' (, translated as ''The Bourgeois Gentleman'', ''The Middle-Class Aristocrat'', or ''The Would-Be Noble'') is a five-act '' comédie-ballet'' – a play intermingled with music, dance and singing – written by Molièr ...

, 2 DVDs

References

External links

HomepageGoldberg Magazine
{{France-band-stub Mixed early music groups Musical groups established in 1998