Lute, continuo, improvisation and performance - with Thomas Dunford

Technical practice on Purcell's Dido and Aeneas

Over 3 days of practice, Thomas Dunford, lutenist and loyal collaborator of Les Arts Florissants, invites singers and instrumentalists to focus on the work of plucked string instruments and continuo. Improvisation will be explored, as will the interpretation of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas.

Who is it for?

Professional musicians or young graduates of a music college:

Instrumentalists mastering one or more instruments:
- 2 violins
- 1 viola
- 1 cello
- 1 doublebass
- 1 recorder (optional)
- Continuo: hapsichords, lutes, harps (recruitment completed)
Singers for the various roles in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas:
- Soloists :
  - Dido: mezzo-soprano (recruitment completed)
  - Belinda: soprano (recruitment completed)
  - Aeneas: baryton
  - Sorceress: alto (recruitment completed)
  - Spirit : tenor or alto (recruitment completed)
  - Witch 1: soprano (recruitment completed)
  - Witch 2: soprano (recruitment completed)
  - Sailor: tenor
- 4-tessitura choir:
  - Soprano (recruitment completed)
  - Alto (recruitment completed)
  - Tenor
  - Bass

Where and when?

From May 19 to 21 (arriving late on May 18) at the Quartier des Artistes in Thiré (Vendée), an exceptional heritage site combining the beauty of gardens and the pleasures of music, home of the FestivalDans les jardins de William Christie.

Learning outcomes:

Learn to explore the instrumental possibilities of lute, guitar and plucked string instruments
For instrumentalists: exploring the possibilities of the continuo
For singers and instrumentalists: work on interpreting Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas
Public concert at the end of the masterclass

Course of events

The schedule will be made up of group work sessions, individual work, as well as moments of theoretical approach (sources, context, etc.) on Purcell's Dido and Aeneas.

Limited to 12 participants.

How to apply?

Please complete the online registration form (HERE)

Via this form, singers and instrumentalists wishing to participate must send us:

a CV
a cover letter
a video link to a short extract of less than 3 minutes from a work of the English Baroque, preferably, or Purcell's Dido and Aeneas.

Application deadline: April 30, 2025

For information and inquiries, please send an e-mail to masterclasses@arts-florissants.org

Participation fee: 700 €, including tuition fees, accommodation in a single room, meals and transfers from the nearest train station.