The fête galante in Watteau (1684-1721) is very much a musical celebration. With a presence in no less than a third of his pictures, music holds an essential place in the painter’s œuvre. Observed with the precision of a connoisseur, it is firmly rooted in the reality of the concerts of his time, the better to nurture the amorous discourse of the paintings and merge into their mystery. As a poetic element, it enriches the meaning with its allusive power, suggesting a sound-world blending the strains of musette, cornett, violin, guitar, and the human voice. One must first learn to see these sounds before hearing them. • This CD-book, released to coincide with the exhibition ‘Watteau, la leçon de musique’ at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, invites you to listen to the music in Watteau’s work with the help of numerous visual and audio examples.
Works:
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Rameau: Concert No. 1 in C minor
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Rameau: Concert No. 2 in G major
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Rameau: Concert No. 3 in A major
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Scarlatti, A: Il primo omicidio
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Stradella: Fuor della Stigia sponda
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Locatelli: Concerto IX a quattro en Ré majeur
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Marais, M: Suite en mi mineur: VIII. Tombeau pour Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe
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Couperin, F: Deuxième Livre de Pièces de clavecin. Onzième ordre
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Marais, M: Suite en Ré majeur: I. Prélude
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Stradella: Fuor della Stigia sponda
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Corelli: Sonata No. 5 in G Minor