Ensemble Masques
Based in Montreal, Ensemble Masques is a sextet that explores unusual corners of the Baroque repertory. The group has a substantial catalog of recordings on the Alpha label, among others.
Ensemble Masques, sometimes known simply as Masques, was founded in 1996 by keyboardist Olivier Fortin, a Quebec City native and a student of Pierre Hantaï. He remains the group's director, but the group has no conductor, and its musical directions are shaped by the interests of the individual members. The group was named for the masque, a Renaissance and Baroque form of entertainment of English origin that combined singing, dance, poetry, and drama. Masques has six members, who hail from five countries in all: Canada, Australia, Belgium, Finland, and France. In addition to Fortin, they are violinists Sophie Gent and Tuomo Suni, violist Kathleen Kajioka, cellist Mélisande Corriveau, and double bassist and violone player Benoît Vanden Bemden. All have significant careers as ensemble players and soloists, and perform with a variety of other leading historical performance groups in Europe and North America. In 2001, Ensemble Masques made its recording debut on the Dorian label with the album Matthew Locke: Consorts in Two Parts. The group went on to record for Analekta, ATMA Classique, and, as its reputation expanded in Europe, Zig Zag Territoires.
Ensemble Masques performs Baroque music of all kinds, but member curiosity has often led the group into unusual and little-explored repertories and programming ideas, including German music of the 17th century, the philosophical themes of Telemann's music, and the development of the European Grand Tour. In addition to appearing in major North American cities, Ensemble Masques has toured most of western Europe, has appeared in Poland, and is slated to travel to Japan and Finland. The ensemble's recorded repertory includes Bach and Rameau but is as varied as its concert programming, also including such composers as Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, Johann Rosenmüller, and Romanus Weichlein. An album devoted to the latter appeared on the Alpha label in 2015, and since then, Ensemble Masques has recorded for that label. The group issued the album Bach: Ouvertures-Suites in 2022.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Discography
12 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Buxtehude : Abendmusiken
Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier, Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin
Sacred Vocal Music - Released by Alpha Classics on 8 Jun 2018
Gramophone Editor's Choice24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Legrenzi: La morte del cor penitente
Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin, Manuel Nunez-Camelino
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on 2 Jun 2023
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Ouvertures-Suites
Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on 3 Jun 2022
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
A Baroque Odyssey (Telemann, Purcell, Vivaldi, Bach)
Chamber Music - Released by Analekta on 16 Sep 2008
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Concertos for Two Harpsichords
Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin, Emmanuel Frankenberg
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on 24 Jan 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer : Sacro-profanus sonatas
Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin
Chamber Music - Released by Zig-Zag Territoires on 23 Aug 2013
Gramophone Editor's Choice24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Romanus Weichlein : Sonatas Opus 1 (1695)
Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin
Chamber Music - Released by Alpha Classics on 21 Aug 2015
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rosenmüller: Sonate à 2, 3, 4 è 5 stromenti da arco & altri
Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin
Classical - Released by ATMA Classique on 19 Mar 2013
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Le théâtre musical de Telemann
Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin
Chamber Music - Released by Alpha Classics on 28 Oct 2016
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Routes du café
Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on 13 Sep 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rameau: Pieces de clavecin en concerts
Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin
Classical - Released by ATMA Classique on 3 Apr 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rosenmüller: Sonate à 2, 3, 4 è 5 stromenti da arco & altri
Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin
Classical - Released by ATMA Classique on 19 Mar 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo