Les Siècles is a French symphony orchestra founded in 2003 by

François-Xavier Roth François-Xavier Paul Roth (born 6 November 1971) is a French conductor, who founded Les Siècles, an orchestra which performs on instruments appropriate to the period of composition of each piece, from the late Baroque and Classical eras to 20t ...

, with ambition to put works from the 17th to 21st centuries into today's perspective. The musicians of the orchestra play each repertoire on the

historical instruments In the historically informed performance movement, musicians perform classical music using restored or replicated versions of the instruments for which it was originally written. Often performances by such musicians are said to be "on authentic ...

appropriate to the time of its creation.

History

Les Siècles perform regularly in Paris (

Opéra Comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular '' opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent (and to a l ...

Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by acoustician Gustave Lyon together with architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed in 1927 by ...

Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a sm ...

Philharmonie de Paris The Philharmonie de Paris () ( en, Paris Philharmonic) is a complex of concert halls in Paris, France. The buildings also house exhibition spaces and rehearsal rooms. The main buildings are all located in the Parc de la Villette at the northeaste ...

), in

La Côte-Saint-André La Côte-Saint-André () is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. Populations Personalities *Hector Berlioz was born here. His birthplace is now a museum: Musée Hector-Berlioz. *Philippe du Contant de la Molette was bor ...

( Aisne department), in Aix-en-Provence, Metz, Caen, Nîmes, Royaumont and international stages, Amsterdam ( Royal Concertgebouw), London (

BBC Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Ha ...

), Bremen, Brussels (Klara Festival), Wiesbaden, Luxembourg, Cologne, Tokyo, Essen. In 2013, the orchestra received exclusive permission from the publisher

Boosey & Hawkes Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and woodwind musical instruments. Formed in 1930 throu ...

to replay ''

The Rite of Spring ''The Rite of Spring''. Full name: ''The Rite of Spring: Pictures from Pagan Russia in Two Parts'' (french: Le Sacre du printemps: tableaux de la Russie païenne en deux parties) (french: Le Sacre du printemps, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral ...

'' as it was heard at the

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while ...

on 29 May 1913. They have given this version several times in concert in France and abroad. This concert series was also recorded with the 1911 version of ''

Petrushka Petrushka ( rus, Петру́шка, p=pʲɪtˈruʂkə, a=Ru-петрушка.ogg) is a stock character of Russian folk puppetry. Italian puppeteers introduced it in the first third of the 19th century. While most core characters came from Ital ...

'', for a record published by Éditions Musicales

Actes Sud Actes Sud is a French publishing house based in Arles. It was founded in 1978 by author Hubert Nyssen. By 2013, the company, then headed by Nyssen's daughter, Françoise Nyssen, had an annual turnover of 60 million euros and 60 staff members. ...

. Their Stravinsky and Debussy records were voted Classical Record of the Year in ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, wh ...

'' and ''Editor’s choice'' in the ''BBC Music Magazine'' & ''Gramophone''. Their Stravinsky record won the prestigious

Edison Klassiek Award The Edison Award is an annual Dutch music prize awarded for outstanding achievements in the music industry. It is comparable to the American Grammy Award. The Edison award itself is a bronze replica of a statuette of Thomas Edison, designed by ...

2012 in the Netherlands, as well as the

Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik The Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik ("German Record Critics' Award") was established in Germany in 1963 by publisher Richard Kaselowsky with the aim of setting the "most rigorous standards for supreme achievement and quality" in the field ...

in Germany. Their recording Bizet-Chabrier was awarded a

Diapason d'Or The Diapason d'Or (French for "Golden Tuning Fork") is a recommendation of outstanding (mostly) classical music recordings given by reviewers of '' Diapason'' magazine in France, broadly equivalent to "Editor's Choice", "Disc of the Month" in the ...

by the magazine of the same name and received five stars in the German magazine . Nine opuses have already been released on their label "Les Siècles Live" in co-publication with Musicales Actes Sud: Berlioz, Saint-Saëns, Matalon, ''

The Firebird ''The Firebird'' (french: L'Oiseau de feu, link=no; russian: Жар-птица, Zhar-ptitsa, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's ...

'', ''The Rite of Spring'' and ''Petrushka'' by Igor Stravinsky, Liszt, Debussy, Dukas. Their recording of Ravel’s ballet ''

Daphnis et Chloé ''Daphnis et Chloé'' is a 1912 ''symphonie chorégraphique'', or choreographic symphony, for orchestra and wordless chorus by Maurice Ravel. It is in three main sections, or ''parties'', and a dozen scenes, most of them dances, and lasts just u ...

'' was issued by

Harmonia Mundi Harmonia Mundi is an independent record label which specializes in classical music, jazz, and world music (on the World Village label). It was founded in France in 1958 and is now a subsidiary of PIAS Entertainment Group. Its Latin name ''h ...

in March 2017. Eager to transmit to the greatest number a passion for classical music, the musicians of the ensemble regularly offer educational activities in schools, hospitals, and prisons. The orchestra is also a partner of the Atelier symphonique départemental de l'Aisne du Jeune Orchestre européen Hector Berlioz and DEMOS (Dispositif d’Éducation musicale et orchestrale à vocation sociale) in Picardy.

Discography

* Bizet / Chabrier (2007):

and "Disc of the Week" (BBC and Classic FM), 5 stars (Magazine Fono Forum): Bizet's '' Symphony in C'' and '' Jeux d'enfants'', Op.22, Chabrier's '' Suite pastorale''. * Chopin - '' Piano Concerto No. 1 and 2''. * Presto, dir. François-Xavier Roth, Mirare (2007) * Bizet - Chabrier, dir. François-Xavier Roth, Mirare (2007) - Diapason Découverte * Berlioz ''

Symphonie fantastique ' (''Fantastical Symphony: Episode in the Life of an Artist … in Five Sections'') Op. 14, is a program symphony written by the French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830. It is an important piece of the early Romantic period. The first performanc ...

'', dir. François-Xavier Roth, Ed. Musicales

, (2010) * Saint-Saëns - ''Concerto pour piano n° 3'' and '' Symphonie n°3 with organ'', dir. François-Xavier Roth -

Jean-François Heisser Jean-François Heisser (born 7 December 1950) is a French classical pianist. Biography Born in Saint-Étienne, Heisser studied piano first with Paul Simonnar in Saint-Étienne, then at the Conservatoire de Paris with Vlado Perlemuter. His vast r ...

, piano - Daniel Roth, organ, Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, (2010) * Matalon4 - ''Trames 2, 4 et 8'', dir. François-Xavier Roth, Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Harmonia Mundi (2011) * Stravinsky - ''

'' (complete ballet 1910). First recording on period instruments - Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, (2011) - Preis der deutschen Schallplatten kritik, Edison Klassiek Prize 2012, Gramophone Choice * Dubois - ''Concerto pour piano'' and ''Ouverture de Frithiof'', Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, (2012) * Liszt - ''

Dante Symphony ''A Symphony to Dante's Divine Comedy'', S.109, or simply the "''Dante Symphony''", is a choral symphony composed by Franz Liszt. Written in the high romantic style, it is based on Dante Alighieri's journey through Hell and Purgatory, as depicte ...

'' & ''Orpheus'', Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, (2012) * Debussy -''

La Mer La Mer may refer to: * ''La mer'' (Debussy), an orchestral composition by Claude Debussy * "La Mer" (song), a 1946 song by Charles Trenet *La Mer (horse) La Mer was a thoroughbred racehorse, who raced from 1976 to 1979. La Mer was sired by Co ...

'' & ''Première Suite d'Orchestre'' (world premiere), Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, (2013) * Dukas - ''

The Sorcerer's Apprentice "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (german: "Der Zauberlehrling", link=no, italic=no) is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in 14 stanzas. Story The poem begins as an old sorcerer departs his workshop, leaving ...

'' / ''Cantate Velleda'' / ''

Polyeucte ''Polyeucte'' is a drama in five acts by French writer Pierre Corneille. It was finished in December 1642 and debuted in October 1643. It is based on the life of the martyr Saint Polyeuctus (Polyeucte).The Rite of Spring ''The Rite of Spring''. Full name: ''The Rite of Spring: Pictures from Pagan Russia in Two Parts'' (french: Le Sacre du printemps: tableaux de la Russie païenne en deux parties) (french: Le Sacre du printemps, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral ...

'' (recreation of the version played on May 29, 1913 / as heard at its 1913 premiere) / ''

'' (1911 version), Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, (2014) * ''France - Espagne'' (Chabrier's ''

España , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

'' / Massenet's ''

Le Cid ''Le Cid'' is a five-act French tragicomedy written by Pierre Corneille, first performed in December 1636 at the Théâtre du Marais in Paris and published the same year. It is based on Guillén de Castro's play ''Las Mocedades del Cid''. Cast ...

'' - ballet / Ravel's ''

Alborada del Gracioso ''Alborada del gracioso'' ("The Jester's Aubade", or other translations: see below) is a short orchestral piece by Maurice Ravel first performed in 1919. It is an orchestrated version of one of the five movements of his piano suite ''Miroirs'', ...

''/ Debussy, ''Iberia'', Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, (2015) * Ravel - ''

'', complete ballet, ed. Harmonia mundi (2017) * Ravel - '' Ma mère l'Oye'', ''

Le Tombeau de Couperin ''Le Tombeau de Couperin'' (''The Couperin's Grave'') is a suite for solo piano by Maurice Ravel, composed between 1914 and 1917. The piece is in six movements, based on those of a traditional Baroque suite. Each movement is dedicated to the m ...

'', '' Shéhérazade'' (overture), Harmonia Mundi (2018) * Fauré - ''Requiem'' version 1893, ed. Aparté (2019) * Mahler - ''Titan,'' ed. Harmonia Mundi (2019) * Berlioz - ''Symphonie Fantastique'', ed. Harmonia Mundi (2019) * Mussorgsky, orch. Ravel - ''

Pictures at an Exhibition ''Pictures at an Exhibition'', french: Tableaux d'une exposition, link=no is a suite of ten piano pieces, plus a recurring, varied Promenade theme, composed by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. The piece is Mussorgsky's most famous pia ...

'' / Ravel - '' La Valse'', Harmonia Mundi (2020) * Saint-Saëns, '' Cello Concerto n°1 & n°2,''

Sol Gabetta Sol Gabetta (born 18 April 1981) is an Argentine cellist. The daughter of Andrés Gabetta and Irène Timacheff-Gabetta, she has French and Russian ancestry. Her brother Andrés is a baroque violinist. Career Gabetta began to learn violin at t ...

, cello, Les Siècles, conductor François-Xavier Roth. Warner (2021) * Ravel - Piano Concertos, Mélodies, Cédric Tiberghien (piano),

Stéphane Degout Stéphane Degout (born 9 June 1975 in Bourg-en-Bresse) is a contemporary French baritone. He grew up in Saint-Jean-de-Niost (Ain) and has been living in Lyon since 1995. Biography Trained at the lycée Saint-Exupéry in Lyon, the Conservatoi ...

(baritone), Harmonia Mundi (2022)

References

External links

Official website

François-Xavier Roth's Official website

Discography
(

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

)
Les Siècles
(Association française des orchestres)
C. Saint-Saëns: Bacchanale - François-Xavier Roth, Les Siècles
(YouTube) {{DEFAULTSORT:Les Siecles French orchestras Musical groups established in 2003