Marais, Couperin, Forqueray & Bach Voix de la viole

Programme

Marin Marais (1656-1728)

Pièces de viole in G Major, Livre III

Allemande la Magnifique 

Sarabande la Désolée 

Rondeau

Sarabande Grave

Gigue à l’angloise

Chaconne en Rondeau

François Couperin (1668-1733)

Suite in E minor, 

Pièces de viole

Prélude

Allemande 

Courante

Sarabande 

Gavotte 

Gigue

***  

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Excerpts from Well-Tempered Clavier II

Prelude and Fugue in g sharp minor BWV 887 

Prelude and Fugue in B Major BWV 892

Johann Sebastian Bach

Sonata III for obbligato harpsichord and viola da gamba BWV 1029

Vivace

Adagio

Allegro 

Performers

Jérôme Hantaï, viola da gamba

Lillian Gordis, harpsichord

Programme Notes

This programme explores masterpieces of the repertoire for viola da gamba and harpsichord. The first half of the programme is a journey alongside French masters Marin Marais and François Couperin, whose distinctive and innovative languages for the viol revolutionised the instrument, with the harpsichord in an accompanying role. The second half of the programme opens with a harpsichord solo, allowing the instrument to speak alone, with two of the great preludes and fugues from the Well-tempered Clavier II by J.S. Bach. The programme ends with one of Bach’s famous obbligato sonatas for harpsichord and viola da gamba in which both instruments are soloists and dialogue throughout the entire sonata on equal footing, foreshadowing the famous cello sonatas of the 19th century. 

Biographies

Lillian Gordis

Born in 1992 into a family of scholars and mathematicians in Berkeley, California, Lillian Gordis fell in love with the harpsichord at the age of 9 and never looked back. Five years later, Pierre Hantaï discovered her during a tour to the United States, and, captivated by her touch, he encouraged her to move to France for further studies. Lillian moved to Paris at 16, where she was mentored by Hantaï and Bertrand Cuiller. Hailed as a “Martha Argerich of the harpsichord” (ResMusica), Lillian regularly performs as a soloist in festivals across Europe and the United States and plays frequently in a duo with Jérôme Hantaï.  

Her most recent album, a double-disc dedicated to Bach (Paraty Productions, 2022) was awarded a Diapason d’Or and has received praise in the press worldwide (Gramophone, Scherzo, American Record Guide, Fono Forum, Qobuz…). It was a “coup de cœur nouveauté” on France Musique (Relax !, Lionel Esparza) and was also featured on the programme Le Bach du Dimanche (Corinne Schneider).

Her first solo recording, Zones (Paraty Productions, 2019) was entirely dedicated to the sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti. Lillian’s next solo album, a second volume of Bach’s keyboard works, appears in January 2026 for the label Artalinna.

Lillian performs regularly across Europe and the US. Upcoming performances in 2026 include guest-directing the Scottish ensemble Dunedin Consort for a tour in Edinburgh and Glasgow, a duo appearance at the Valletta Festival in Malta and solo recitals in Europe and the United States. Lillian will also perform world-premiere commissions of two works written for her by Nico Muhly and Cashel Day-Lewis as part of her John Bull complete In nomine cycle in Fall 2026. 

Lillian was appointed Eaton Chair of Baroque Music at CU Boulder in Fall 2024, where she teaches harpsichord, directs the Baroque ensemble and curates the Eaton Baroque Series. For the 2023-24 academic year, she served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Harpsichord at Oberlin Conservatory. 

Lillian holds dual nationality with the United States and France and resides in Paris.

Jérôme Hantaï 

Jérôme Hantaï studied the viola da gamba with Wieland Kuijken at the Brussels Conservatory, where he obtained a Premier Prix in 1984. During the same period, he became interested in early keyboard instruments such as the harpsichord, the clavichord and, above all, the fortepiano. He began performing frequently both on the viol and the fortepiano during his studies and collaborated with numerous pioneers of the early music movement, including Sigiswald Kuijken, René Jacobs and Jean-Claude Malgoire. 

Jérôme forms part of the Trio Hantaï with his brothers Marc and Pierre, an ensemble that has gained international recognition. Since 2003, he has directed the viol consort Spes Nostra. In 2018, he formed a duo with the harpsichordist Lillian Gordis. Frequently invited as a soloist, he has performed across Europe and the USA, and tours often in Asia (China, India, Philippines, Taiwan, Cambodia...). 

He has also devoted himself to pedagogy and frequently gives masterclasses in addition to teaching at the CRR de Cergy-Pontoise and CRD de Bourg-la-Reine/Sceaux. His numerous recordings include Beethoven’s songs (Sophie Daneman, Paul Agnew and Peter Harvey), trios by Haydn (Naïve), three volumes of pièces à une et plusieurs violes by Marin Marais (Virgin Veritas), consort music by John Jenkins (Fantazia, Naïve/Ambronay) and Consort Music from the Time of Shakespeare (Musicales Actes-Sud). His recordings have consistently received awards from the press.