Concert 12: The Masters of Notre Dame / Ensemble Correspondances, conducted by Sébastien Daucé / Agapé Festival

The Correspondances Ensemble
Founded in 2009, Correspondances brings together, under the direction of harpsichordist and organist Sébastien Daucé, a troupe of singers and instrumentalists, all specialists in the music of the Grand Siècle. Having become a leading figure in the repertoire of 17th-century French music in just a few years, the ensemble offers both music with sounds that directly resonate with today's listeners and rarer and more original forms. The rediscovery of previously unpublished works and the expression of playing as close as possible to that of the 17th century are at the heart of the ensemble's project. Its long-term research programs have led to moving results, such as the monumental reconstruction of the Coronation of Louis XIV, or the score of the Ballet Royal de la Nuit, thus allowing us to rediscover a major musical moment of the 17th century, which inaugurated the reign of the Sun King.
Sébastien Daucé
Organist and harpsichordist Sébastien Daucé is driven by a desire to bring to life a rich and still little-known repertoire: 17th-century French music. It was during his training at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Lyon that he met the future members of Correspondances. There, he notably benefited from the teachings of Françoise Lengellé and Yves Rechsteiner. Initially sought after as a continuo player and choirmaster (with the Pygmalion Ensemble, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Maîtrise & Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, etc.), he founded the Correspondances Ensemble in Lyon in 2009, bringing together singers and instrumentalists passionate about the sacred French repertoire of the Grand Siècle. With the ensemble, which he directs from the harpsichord or organ, he tours France and the world, and frequently records for radio. Sébastien Daucé and the Correspondances ensemble are in residence at the Caen theatre with which they are developing their first stage projects (Trois Femmes directed by Vincent Huguet in 2016, Le Ballet Royal de la Nuit directed by Francesca Lattuada in November 2017), and associated with the Opera and Chapel of the Château de Versailles and the Louvre Museum.