Biography

The French musical ensemble Les Talens Lyriques was created in 1991 in Paris, France, by the harpsichordist and orchestral conductor Christophe Rousset. This instrumental and vocal formation derives its name from the subtitle of Les fêtes d'Hébé (1739) an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau. The repertoire of Les Talens Lyriques extends from Monteverdi (L'incoronazione di Poppea, Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria and L'Orfeo), Francesco Cavalli (La Didone and La Calisto) to Handel (Scipione, Riccardo Primo, Rinaldo, Admeto, Giulio Cesare, Serse, Arianna, Tamerlano, Ariodante, Semele and Alcina), taking in on the way Jean-Baptiste Lully (Persée, Roland, Bellérophon, Phaéton, Isis, Amadis and Armide), Henri Desmarets (Vénus et Adonis), Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville (Les fêtes de Paphos), Cimarosa (Il Mercato di Malmantile, Il matrimonio segreto), Tommaso Traetta (Antigona and Ippolito ed Aricia), Jommelli (Armida abbandonata), Martin y Soler (La capricciosa corretta, Il Tutore burlato), Mozart (Mitridate, Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Cosi fan tutte), Salieri (La grotta di Trofonio, Les Danaïdes), Rameau (Zoroastre, Castor et Pollux, Les Indes galantes and Platée), Gluck (Bauci e Filemone) and Beethoven, and not forgetting Cherubini (Médée), García (Il Califfo di Bagdad), Berlioz, Massenet and Saint-Saëns. The revival of such scores has gone hand in hand with close collaboration with stage directors and choreographers such as Pierre Audi, Jean-Marie Villégier, David McVicar, Éric Vigner, Ludovic Lagarde, Mariame Clément, Jean-Pierre Vincent, Macha Makeïeff, Laura Scozzi, Marcial di Fonzo Bo, Claus Guth, Robert Carsen, and David Hermann. In addition to the lyrical repertoire, the ensemble also explores other musical genres such as the madrigal, cantata, air de cour, symphony, and the vast repertoire of sacred music (masses, motets, oratorios, leçons de Ténèbres and much else), leading Les Talens Lyriques to perform everywhere in the world with forces varying from a handful of musicians to over sixty from all generations. The discography of Les Talens Lyriques comprises around seventy titles on numerous labels: Erato, Fnac Music, Auvidis, Decca, Naïve, Ambroisie, Virgin Classics, Aparté and Outhere. The ensemble is also responsible for the much-acclaimed soundtrack of the film Farinelli (1994). Since 2007 Les Talens Lyriques have been devoting some of their time to introducing secondary school pupils to the world of music with a programme of workshops and teaching residencies, leading a practical orchestral class and, from 2014, developing new and innovative technological resources designed to help young people discover and appreciate the Baroque repertoire. The ensemble receives subsidies from the French Ministry of Culture and the City of Paris, and generous support from its Circle of Patrons. Since 2011 Les Talens Lyriques have been associate artists, in residence at the Singer-Polignac Foundation in Paris. Les Talens Lyriques are founding members of FEVIS and PROFEDIM.