Genre

:

Opera

 

Les Talens Lyriques is a French classical music ensemble that specializes in the performance of Baroque and Classical music. The ensemble was founded in 1991 by the French conductor and harpsichordist Christophe Rousset, who remains its artistic director to this day. Rousset was born in 1961 in Avignon, France, and began studying the harpsichord at the age of seven. He went on to study at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, where he won first prize in harpsichord and basso continuo. He also studied with the renowned harpsichordist Kenneth Gilbert in Canada. After completing his studies, Rousset began performing as a soloist and chamber musician, specializing in Baroque music. In 1987, he founded the ensemble Les Arts Florissants with the American conductor William Christie, which quickly became one of the leading Baroque ensembles in the world. In 1991, Rousset founded Les Talens Lyriques as a smaller, more flexible ensemble that could perform a wider range of repertoire. The ensemble takes its name from the title of an opera by the French Baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau. The core members of Les Talens Lyriques are a group of highly skilled instrumentalists and singers who specialize in Baroque and Classical music. The ensemble performs on period instruments, which are replicas of instruments from the Baroque and Classical eras. Over the years, Les Talens Lyriques has performed at many of the world's leading concert halls and festivals, including the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, the Royal Albert Hall in London, and the Salzburg Festival in Austria. The ensemble has also collaborated with many of the world's leading soloists and conductors, including Cecilia Bartoli, Philippe Jaroussky, and William Christie. One of the highlights of Les Talens Lyriques' career was its performance of Rameau's opera Les Indes galantes at the Opéra National de Paris in 1996. The production, which was directed by the French choreographer and director Jean-Philippe Rameau, was a critical and commercial success, and helped to establish Les Talens Lyriques as one of the leading Baroque ensembles in the world. In addition to its performances, Les Talens Lyriques has also recorded extensively, with over 50 recordings to its name. The ensemble's recordings have received numerous awards and accolades, including the Gramophone Award, the Diapason d'Or, and the Choc du Monde de la Musique. Les Talens Lyriques continues to be one of the leading Baroque ensembles in the world, and its performances and recordings are highly regarded by critics and audiences alike. The ensemble's commitment to historical performance practice and its passion for the music of the Baroque and Classical eras have made it a favorite among lovers of early music.

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