Music of the French Court to Resound at Bauska Castle
Published: 19.10.2017
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On 21 October at 18:00, the early music ensemble "The Royal Blue" will perform the concert programme “Air de cour”, or “Court Song”, at Bauska Castle. The concert will feature French court airs, or “Air de cour”, performed at the French court from 1550 to 1650 during the reign of King Louis XIII.
Several court airs are also included in the songbook, or tablature book (1632), of the Brandenburg princess Louise Charlotte (Louise Charlotte, 1617–1676). Apparently, after Louise Charlotte’s marriage to Duke Jacob of Courland in Königsberg in 1645, the book travelled with them when they moved to Mitau (now Jelgava), and served Louise Charlotte as a music textbook. It contains songs by various 17th-century French, German and English composers, such as A. Boesset, F. Richard, T. Campian and others. Some of the songs were signed by the princess’s teacher, Walter Rowe (Walter Rowe). The manuscript of the book is currently held in St Petersburg, offering an interesting insight into the teaching and study of music theory at the Brandenburg court in the first half of the 17th century.
The concert will also feature French dance music by Pierre Attaignant (Pierre Attaignant, c. 1494–1551/52) and Claude Gervaise (Claude Gervaise, active in Paris from 1540 to 1560), compiled in collections.
P. Attaignant was the official music publisher and librarian of the French royal court. His publishing house issued dance suites edited and composed by C. Gervaise.
“The Royal Blue” is an early music ensemble comprising four musicians – Aija Veismane/vocals, Anita Romanova/fiddle/violin, Ainārs Paukšēns/viola da gamba and Mārtiņš Garkevičs/vocals/theorbo.
The ensemble “The Royal Blue” takes its name from the royal blue colour, a symbol of luxury, the interplay of dark and light shades, and emotions, with countless hues—much like the music you will hear at the concert. Fiery dance rhythms and bittersweet melodies that were sung, played, danced to and listened to at the French court from the end of the 16th century to the middle of the 17th century.
The theorbo, or chitarrone, is a lute-family instrument used mainly to accompany melodies and solo voices. Its origins can be traced to Italy in the late 16th century.
Tickets can be purchased in advance from Biļešu Paradīze, at the Bauska Castle Museum ticket office, or reserved by calling 63923793 or 63922280, or by email at bauskaspils@bauska.lv. Reserved tickets must be collected no later than 30 minutes before the event.
Ticket price: EUR 7. Further information is available on the website: www.bauskaspils.lv.
