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| Le Cercle de l'Harmonie | |
|---|---|
| Name | Le Cercle de l'Harmonie |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Location | Paris, France |
| Principal conductor | Jérémie Rhorer |
| Genre | Classical music, Opera, Orchestral |
Le Cercle de l'Harmonie is a Paris-based period-instrument ensemble specializing in late 18th- and early 19th-century repertoire, particularly music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gioachino Rossini, Hector Berlioz, and Giuseppe Verdi. The ensemble was established to perform historically informed interpretations of Classical period and Early Romantic period works using period instruments and performance practices associated with figures such as Jean-Baptiste Lully, Franz Joseph Haydn, Niccolò Paganini, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, and Carl Maria von Weber. Its activities include concert series, opera productions, and recordings that engage with institutions like the Opéra National de Paris, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, and festivals such as the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence.
Founded in 2005, the ensemble emerged amid renewed interest in period performance led by ensembles like Les Arts Florissants, Academy of Ancient Music, Il Giardino Armonico, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and La Petite Bande. Early seasons featured concert programs juxtaposing works by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Rossini, and Mendelssohn with lesser-known composers such as Luigi Boccherini, Johann Christian Bach, Antonio Salieri, Ignaz Pleyel, and Étienne Méhul. The group's foundation coincided with a broader revival linked to historic venues including Salle Pleyel, Palais Garnier, and the Théâtre du Châtelet, and intersected with projects undertaken by conductors like William Christie, Christopher Hogwood, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, René Jacobs, and Marc Minkowski. Throughout its development, the ensemble collaborated with conservatories such as the Conservatoire de Paris and international presenters like the BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Lincoln Center, and the Museo del Prado for outreach and education initiatives.
Artistic direction has been associated with conductor and musicologist Jérémie Rhorer, who has affiliations with institutions and artists including Philippe Jaroussky, Emmanuel Pahud, Natalie Dessay, Diana Damrau, and Rolando Villazón. Core players have included period wind specialists from the circles of Alain Marion, Frédéric Lagarde, and string principals trained in the traditions of Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, and Academy of Ancient Music. Guest conductors and soloists have encompassed names such as Anne-Sophie von Otter, Bruno Cocset, Mahan Esfahani, András Schiff, Maurizio Pollini, Isabelle Faust, Viktoria Mullova, Jean-Guihen Queyras, and Christian Lindberg. Administrative and producing partnerships have involved organizations like Opéra Comique, Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, Maison des Arts de Créteil, Fondation Royaumont, and presenters such as Opéra de Lyon and Théâtre de la Ville.
Repertoire centers on operatic and symphonic literature from the late 18th to early 19th centuries, with notable projects devoted to Mozart operas, Rossini semiseria works, Beethoven symphonies and overtures, and French repertoire by Berlioz, Hector Berlioz, Gounod, Ambroise Thomas, and Camille Saint-Saëns. Recorded output includes studio and live releases that have been issued in collaboration with labels associated with Erato Records, Harmonia Mundi, Naïve Records, Deutsche Grammophon, Alpha Classics, and specialized historic-performance imprints. The ensemble's discography features interpretations of concertos by Mozart, Haydn, and Hummel, vocal recitals with artists linked to Virgin Classics and EMI Classics, and complete staged productions captured for broadcast by media partners including France Musique, Arte, and Radio France. Projects have referenced editions and scholarship from editors like Henle Verlag, Bärenreiter, Eulenburg, and the musicology of Susan McClary, John Eliot Gardiner, and Christopher Hogwood.
The ensemble emphasizes historically informed technique, using copies and originals of instruments associated with makers such as Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, François Tourte, Anton Walter, Broadwood, and John Broadwood & Sons. String setup, tuning pitch, and articulation draw on research by scholars and performers including Roger Norrington, Philippe Herreweghe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and John Eliot Gardiner. Wind and brass players employ period oboes, clarinets, bassoons, natural horns, keyed trumpets, and valveless brass reflecting practices from the eras of Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, and Cherubini. Ornamentation and phrasing are informed by treatises and sources like Johann Joachim Quantz, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Giovanni Battista Lamperti, Antonio Salieri (pedagogue), and archival materials from institutions such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the British Library.
Touring activities have taken the ensemble to venues including Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Konzerthaus Vienna, Musikverein, Teatro alla Scala, Opéra Bastille, Teatro Real, and festivals like Salzburg Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Festival d'Automne à Paris, Aix-en-Provence Festival, and Lucerne Festival. Residencies and co-productions have been mounted with houses such as Opéra Comique, Opéra National de Lyon, Théâtre de la Monnaie, and international presenters including Dutch National Opera, Bergen International Festival, and Festival Internacional Cervantino. Cross-disciplinary collaborations have involved directors and choreographers from the networks of Pierre Audi, Robert Carsen, Sasha Waltz, Angelin Preljocaj, and stage designers with ties to Richard Peduzzi and William Christie-led scenography initiatives. Media collaborations have included recordings and broadcasts with Arte, BBC Radio 3, France Télévisions, and streaming platforms linked to Medici.tv.
Critical reception in outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Diapason, Gramophone (magazine), BBC Music Magazine, The Telegraph (London), and Opera News has often praised the ensemble's stylistic clarity, stylistic authenticity, and dramatic approach to Mozart, Rossini, and Beethoven. Reviews have compared performances to those by Les Arts Florissants, Academy of Ancient Music, La Petite Bande, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, and Il Giardino Armonico, noting contributions to revived interest in French and Italian repertoire from the Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras. Musicologists and critics such as Richard Taruskin, Roger Parker, Nicholas Cook, and Susan McClary have engaged with the ensemble's recordings in discussions about period practice, interpretation, and the relationship between historical evidence and modern performance. The ensemble's legacy includes influence on new generations of musicians in conservatoires like the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and ongoing dialogues with festivals, labels, and academic programs dedicated to 18th- and 19th-century music.
Category:French orchestras