Founded in Paris in 1979 by William Christie, Les Arts Florissants revived interest in music of the French Baroque and has since attracted a vast international audience to works overshadowed by centuries of neglect. The ensemble’s critically acclaimed interpretations are influenced by thecolour and nuance of the French language and by the art of rhetoric, revealing the poetic nature of the music it performs.

This programme featuresa selection of Michel Lambert’s sublime airs for the court of Louis XIV together with dramatic and pastoral scenes, including Marc-AntoineCharpentier’s cantata-like ‘Pastorelette’, an innovative blend of Italian and French musical influences.