Programme

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)

Premier concert

La Coulicam

La Livri

Le Vézinet

Deuxième Concert

La Laborde

La Boucon

L’Agaçante

Premier et Deuxième Menuet en rondeau

Troisième Concert

La Lapoplinière

La Timide

Premier et Deuxième Tambourin en rondeau

Quatrième Concert

La Pantomime

L’indiscrète

La Rameau

Cinquième Concert

Fugue La Forqueray

La Cupis

La Marais

Performers:

Bruno Procopio: harpsichord

Patrick Bismuth: violin

Teodoro Baù: viola da gamba

Programme Notes

Rameau has always been my favourite composer, and the beauty of his works have always animated and inspired me since my childhood. Not only have his harpsichord pieces always interested me, but I have been perhaps even more intrigued by his orchestral and vocal works.

The Pièces de clavecin en concert bring together these two paradigms, that of the virtuoso harpsichord and the opera. Many pieces were transcribed by Rameau for his operas.

The Pieces de clavecin en concert present themselves as something of an isolated island in the vast production of his music. A kind of nostalgic flashback to his first loves, Rameau embeds in these chamber music pieces all of his operatic experience and the full maturity of his style.

In 1741, the publication date of the first edition, Rameau had already composed the quasi-totality of his works for harpsichord, his religious music and his cantatas, 3 tragédies en musique (Hippolyte et Aricie, Castor et Pollux and Dardanus) and two grands ballets (Les Indes Galantes and Les Fêtes d'Hébé) - it is therefore hardly shocking that the Pièces de clavecin en concert are brimming with dramatic intention.

Bruno Procoprio

Biographies

Bruno Procopio: harpsichord

Harpsichordist and conductor Bruno Procopio studied at the Paris Conservatoire and has since built a distinguished international career. Known for his dedication to Baroque repertoire, Procopio collaborates with prestigious ensembles worldwide. He has conducted acclaimed orchestras such as the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Royal Philharmonic of Liège, and Costa Rica National Orchestra. His versatility extends to collaborations with the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie, São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (OSESP), and Chœur et Orchestre Les Siècles, affirming his influence on the global music scene.

In collaboration with Venezuela’s El Sistema, Procopio contributed to establishing the Simón Bolívar Baroque Orchestra, underscoring his commitment to Baroque music. In 2019, he founded the Jeune Orchestre Rameau, an international period-instrument ensemble bringing together 60 musicians from 22 countries. Their debut album was recognized with the Scherzo Magazine Excellence Award in Spain and listed among the best releases of 2022.

A frequent guest at major festivals, Procopio performs at events such as the Edinburgh International Festival and the Festival Internacional Cervantino, and in iconic venues like the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (Paris), Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon), and Sala Nezahualcóyotl (Mexico). His tours across Asia and Latin America bring Baroque music to a diverse audience.

As a recording artist, Procopio has released J.S. Bach’s Partitas, C.P.E. Bach’s Württemberg Sonatas, Pièces de clavecin en concerts by Rameau, and sacred works by Marcos Portugal. His album Rameau in Caracas, recorded with the Simón Bolívar Symphony, received awards including Classica’s CHOC and was named Best Album by Classic FM in London. Procopio also founded the Paraty label, promoting classical music through over 500 albums globally.

Patrick Bismuth: violin

If one word could describe Patrick Bismuth, it would be “versatility.” As a violinist, conductor, composer, linguist, and renowned teacher (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris - CNSMDP & CRR de Paris), Patrick Bismuth diversifies his activities with constant passion and expertise. He views music through the lens of its full historical scope, embracing improvisation, folk music, and gypsy traditions as essential elements alongside the Western classical canon. This eclectic approach allows him to interpret classical, Romantic, and contemporary repertoires in a unique way.

As a violinist, he has recorded some of the most celebrated works: the complete Sonatas and Partitas by J.S. Bach, the Sonatas for Violin and Obligato Harpsichord by J.S. Bach, the Rosary Sonatas by Biber, and the Fourth Book of Sonatas by Jean-Marie Leclair. He is also the founder of the Atlantis Quartet.

As a conductor, Bismuth has directed numerous Baroque operas, including Les Indes Galantes and La Naissance d’Osirisby Jean-Philippe Rameau, Astrée by Pascal Colasse, Julius Caesar by G.F. Handel, and The Coronation of Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi. His work also spans sacred music, such as the Cantatas by J.S. Bach, Telemann’s Brockes Passion, and Spiritual Canticles by Pascal Colasse. In 2017, he premiered an opera-ballet by André Campra with his ensemble, La Tempesta.

As a composer, his works include Babil-Babel (1990), Unnuami (2001), and Takannaaluk, a mythological opera with an Inuktitut libretto inspired by Inuit culture.

Teodoro Baù: viola da gamba

"One to watch" for the Gramophone magazine, Teodoro Baù is a winner of international competitions including MA Festival Bruges (2021) and Bach-Abel Wettbewerb Köthen (2015).

His debut recording, published by Ricercar and containing sonatas by Arcangelo Corelli in an original transcription for viola da gamba, won several prizes and awards including the Diapason d'Or.

Born in Italy, he began his study of viola da gamba with Claudia Pasetto and continued in Basel and Salzburg. Additionally, he studied lute with Massimo Lonardi in Venice and Peter Croton in Basel.

Teodoro lives in Basel, and in recent years has alternated between solo and chamber activity; he is a member of the ensemble "La Fonte Musica" in which he plays the ars subtilior repertoire with the mediaeval viella. He has appeared as a soloist at renowned festivals such as the Bachfest Leipzig, the Schwetzingen Festival, the Tage Alter Musik in Herne, the Festival Oude Muziek in Utrecht, and the MA Festival in Bruges.

In addition to his concert activities, Teodoro Baù teaches viola da gamba at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, the "Bruno Maderna" Conservatory in Cesena, and at the summer courses for early music at Urbino Musica Antica.