Christophe Rousset
Encyclopedia
Christophe Rousset is a French
harpsichordist
and conductor
, specializing in the performance of baroque music
on period instruments.
, Rousset grew up in Aix-en-Provence
and developed an interest in the harpsichord
during his early teens. He studied at the Schola Cantorum
in Paris
under Huguette Dreyfus
and from 1980 to 1983 he attended the Royal Conservatory
at the Hague
under Bob van Asperen
. In 1983 Rousset won first prize at the 7th International Harpsichord Competition at Bruges
; subsequently, his career as a soloist commenced and he appeared with ensembles
such as: The Academy of Ancient Music, Les Arts Florissants
, Musica Antiqua Köln
, La Petite Bande
and Il Seminario Musicale
. With Les Arts Florissants he gained his first conducting experience as assistant to conductor William Christie
. In 1991 his ambition for conducting led to the foundation of Les Talens Lyriques
, the ensemble which he has conducted to international acclaim ever since. Rousset was music director of the 1994 film Farinelli Il Castrato, based the life of Farinelli
, the famous castrato
. He is also active as teacher of baroque music at Accademia Musicale Chigiana
in Siena
.
, L'Oiseau-Lyre
, Fnac
Music, EMI-Virgin
, Decca
, Naïve and Ambroisie. His main contract has been that with Decca, and he has made numerous recordings for the label and its daughter label L'Oiseau-Lyre, both as soloist and as conductor of Les Talens Lyriques
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
harpsichordist
Harpsichordist
A harpsichordist is a person who plays the harpsichord.Many baroque composers played the harpsichord, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, George Frideric Handel, François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, specializing in the performance of baroque music
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
on period instruments.
Biography
Born in AvignonAvignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
, Rousset grew up in Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
and developed an interest in the harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
during his early teens. He studied at the Schola Cantorum
Schola Cantorum
The Schola Cantorum de Paris is a private music school in Paris. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Bordes, Alexandre Guilmant and Vincent d'Indy as a counterbalance to the Paris Conservatoire's emphasis on opera...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
under Huguette Dreyfus
Huguette Dreyfus
Huguette Dreyfus is a French harpsichordist born on November 30, 1928 in Mulhouse, Alsace, France.-Biography:Huguette Dreyfus began taking piano lessons at four years old. In 1946, she began working with renowned piano teacher Lazare Lévy...
and from 1980 to 1983 he attended the Royal Conservatory
Royal Conservatory of The Hague
The Royal Conservatory of The Hague is a conservatorium of music, providing higher education in music and dance, it is located in The Hague, Netherlands.-The Conservatory:...
at the Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
under Bob van Asperen
Bob van Asperen
Bob van Asperen is a harpsichordist, organist, conductor, clavichordist and early music-specialist.After completing a conventional music course at university, in 1967 he studied under the harpsichord master Gustav Leonhardt. In 1968 he joined the group Quadro Hotteterre, of which he was a member...
. In 1983 Rousset won first prize at the 7th International Harpsichord Competition at Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
; subsequently, his career as a soloist commenced and he appeared with ensembles
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
such as: The Academy of Ancient Music, Les Arts Florissants
Les Arts Florissants (ensemble)
Les Arts Florissants is a Baroque musical ensemble in residence at the Théâtre de Caen in Caen, France. The organization was founded by conductor William Christie in 1979. The ensemble derives its name from the 1685 opera by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The organization consists of a chamber orchestra...
, Musica Antiqua Köln
Musica Antiqua Köln
Musica Antiqua Köln was an early music group that was founded in 1973 by Reinhard Goebel and fellow students from the Conservatory of Music in Cologne. Musica Antiqua Köln devoted itself largely to the performance of the music of the 17th and 18th centuries...
, La Petite Bande
La Petite Bande
La Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in Baroque music played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, and Bach.-History:...
and Il Seminario Musicale
Il Seminario Musicale
Il Seminario Musicale is a baroque music ensemble founded in 1985 by the French countertenor, Gérard Lesne who is also its artistic director. Considered to be one of the leading French baroque music ensembles, it has been resident since 1990 at the Fondation de l'abbaye de Royaumont, thirty...
. With Les Arts Florissants he gained his first conducting experience as assistant to conductor William Christie
William Christie (musician)
William Lincoln Christie is an American-born French conductor and harpsichordist. He is noted as a specialist in baroque repertoire and as the founder of the ensemble Les Arts Florissants....
. In 1991 his ambition for conducting led to the foundation of Les Talens Lyriques
Les Talens Lyriques
Les Talens Lyriques is a baroque orchestra founded in 1991 by French conductor Christophe Rousset.The ensemble takes its name from Jean-Philippe Rameau's opéra-ballet Les fêtes d'Hébé ou les talens lyriques .- External links :...
, the ensemble which he has conducted to international acclaim ever since. Rousset was music director of the 1994 film Farinelli Il Castrato, based the life of Farinelli
Farinelli
Farinelli , was the stage name of Carlo Maria Broschi, celebrated Italian castrato singer of the 18th century and one of the greatest singers in the history of opera.- Early years :...
, the famous castrato
Castrato
A castrato is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity.Castration before puberty prevents a boy's...
. He is also active as teacher of baroque music at Accademia Musicale Chigiana
Accademia Musicale Chigiana
The Accademia Musicale Chigiana is a music institute in Siena, Italy. It was founded by Count Guido Chigi Saracini in 1932 as an international centre for advanced musical studies. It organises Master Classes in the major musical instruments as well as singing, conducting and composition...
in Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
.
Recordings
Rousset has made recordings for a number of record labels including: Harmonia MundiHarmonia Mundi
Harmonia Mundi is an independent music record label founded in 1958 by Bernard Coutaz in Arles . The Latin phrase means "world harmony"....
, L'Oiseau-Lyre
L'Oiseau-Lyre
L'Oiseau-Lyre may refer to:* Éditions de l'Oiseau-Lyre, French-Australian Music publishers* L'Oiseau-Lyre , an classical early music label owned by Decca Records since 1970...
, Fnac
Fnac
Fnac is an international entertainment retail chain offering cultural and electronic products, founded by André Essel and Max Théret in 1954. It is the largest retailer of its kind in France...
Music, EMI-Virgin
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, Naïve and Ambroisie. His main contract has been that with Decca, and he has made numerous recordings for the label and its daughter label L'Oiseau-Lyre, both as soloist and as conductor of Les Talens Lyriques
Les Talens Lyriques
Les Talens Lyriques is a baroque orchestra founded in 1991 by French conductor Christophe Rousset.The ensemble takes its name from Jean-Philippe Rameau's opéra-ballet Les fêtes d'Hébé ou les talens lyriques .- External links :...
.
Merits and awards
- 1983—Was awarded first prize at the 7th International Harpsichord Competition at BrugesBrugesBruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
- 1993—Was awarded the "Diapason d’Or" for his interpretation of RoyerJoseph-Nicolas-Pancrace RoyerJoseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer was a French composer and harpsichordist.Born in Turin, Royer went to Paris in 1725, and in 1734 became maître de musique des enfants de France, responsible for the musical education of the children of the king, Louis XV...
's Pièces de Clavecin. - 1995—Received the "Award for 17th and 18th Century Chamber/Solo Instrumental Music" at the CannesCannesCannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
Classical Awards for his recording of the BachBạchBạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
Partitas. - 2004—Received the "médaille de Chevalier dans l'Ordre national du MériteOrdre National du MériteThe Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
" from the France's Minister of Culture, Donnedieu de VabresRenaud Donnedieu de VabresRenaud Donnedieu de Vabres , often known as RDDV, is a French politician, France's Minister of Culture from 2004 to 2007...
.