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Le Concert d'Astrée

The vocal and instrumental ensemble Le Concert d'Astrée was founded by harpsichordist and conductor Emmanuelle Haïm to perform the great vocal works of the Baroque era. The group has recorded for the linked Virgin Classics and Erato labels. Haïm formed Le Concert d'Astrée in the French city of Lille in 2000 with the intention of performing Baroque vocal repertory. The group has emphasized French music, but not to the exclusion of other national traditions. Le Concert d'Astrée is named for the giant pastoral novel L'Astrée by Honoré d'Urfé, completed in 1627 and widely considered the greatest French novel of the 17th century. The group comprises both a choir and an instrumental ensemble, both of them quite large by the standards of the historical performance movement; the choir has about 50 members, and the orchestra has 68. The size can vary according to the needs of the performance, and the group performs chamber music and smaller vocal works in addition to the substantial French court pieces for which the large ensemble is particularly suited. The new group quickly made an impact on the recording scene, backing an all-star group of singers led by soprano Natalie Dessay on the Erato album Handel: Arcadian Duets in 2002. Le Concert d'Astrée has recorded exclusively for that label or for the associated Virgin Classics since then. In 2003, the group won the German recording industry's ECHO Musikpreis for its performance on a recording of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, and also the first of several Victoires de la Musique awards in France. Le Concert d'Astrée is a flexible group that performs in concert, in theatrical productions, and in opera. It has attracted numerous soloists and guest conductors. In addition to concertizing, the group maintains a strong educational function, performing for small audiences around the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The group has also held residencies at the Lille Opera and at the Collège Miriam Makeba in Lille. Le Concert d'Astrée has been featured on some 75 albums, including anthologies, and has been the primary artist on some of them, including a 2023 Erato release of music by André Campra, Jean-Joseph Mondonville, and Jean-Philippe Rameau.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Discography

7 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller

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