Mezzo-soprano Eva Zaïcik, who has signed up with Alpha for several
recordings, is one of the most prominent vocal artists of her
generation. She was chosen as ‘Révélation lyrique’ at the Victoires de
la Musique Classique 2018, and elected the same year a Laureate of the
prestigious Queen Elizabeth of Belgium Competition. She has participated
in the “Jardin des Voix” of les Arts Florissants under William
Christie, also regularly collaborates with Le Poème Harmonique and
Vincent Dumestre – but her constant accompanist is the harpsichordist
Justin Taylor. Together with two other musician graduates, the
violinists Théotime Langlois de Swarte and Sophie de Bardonnèche, they
have founded Le Consort, to explore both sacred and secular works by
composers such as Charpentier, Campra and Clérambault. For this
recording they are joined by the flautist Anna Besson and gamba player
Lucile Boulanger, both well-known to the Alpha label, as well as Louise
Pierrard (viola da gamba) and Thibault Roussel (theorbo).This recording
is devoted to the Cantatas of Lefebvre, Montéclair, Clérambault and
Courbois, more than half of which have never previously been recorded.
The cantata inspired non-operatic composers to play out the fashionable
narratives of the day on a reduced scale, and in the intimate
surroundings of the salons. It is a subtle genre and a vivid depiction
of the characters.
