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2020 Dans les jardins de William Christie Festival 

June 23 2020

Bookings open June 25, 2020 at 10am

2020 Dans les jardins de William Christie Festival 

Born of the shared vision of the Département de la Vendée and William Christie—founder of Les Arts Florissants—the Dans les Jardins de William Christie Festival is an event like no other in Europe. Offering a subtle combination of baroque music and the art of gardens, it showcases the heritage and natural beauty of Vendée, particularly the site in Thiré, where the Les Arts Florissants - William Christie Foundation is based.

The Covid-19 pandemic has deeply affected the cultural sector. Despite the difficulties of this public health situation, we have chosen to maintain the 2020 edition of the Festival in order to support the artists and to preserve the invaluable bond that Les Arts Florissants has formed with the public over the years.

The decision to maintain the festival, from August  22 to 29, 2020 in Thiré, reflects a desire on the part of the Département de la Vendée and the artists to remain hopeful and energized during this difficult time for the cultural sector, which is grappling with widespread event cancellations.

To do so, the Département and Les Arts Florissants has had to modify the event’s usual format: size of ensembles limited to chamber ensembles; reduced number of spectators; a single, fixed itinerary rather than free circulation through the gardens in the afternoon, etc.

The “candlelight concerts” will take place in the gardens rather than in the church. The “meditations” concerts will be offered in digital format on the social media accounts of Les Arts Florissants and the Département de la Vendée, and thus available to all, for a musical twilight experience wherever you may be.

And for the evening concerts in the gardens, you are in for a surprise—a new configuration! The stage will be placed at the Colonnades with an illuminated view towards Le Bâtiment as the décor.

We are also very pleased to announce, for the first time ever, a series of musical “Preludes” leading up to the festival, to take place the last three weekends of July and the first weekend of August.

We wish to extend our profound thanks to the artists, teams and volunteers whose hard work and dedication are allowing this event to proceed in such complex circumstances. They are helping to create an exceptional edition of the festival, one driven by passion for music and gardens, but also for the magical and irreplaceable relationship that is renewed each year between the artists and the audience.

We wish you all a wonderful festival!

 

MUSICAL PRELUDES
leading up to the festival

July 11 & 12 / July 18 & 19 / July 25 & 26 / August 1 & 2 

As a prelude at the Dans les Jardins de William Christie Festival, following a model similar to the festival’s musical promenades, a fixed musical itinerary through the gardens is offered in the afternoons, allowing spectators to discover the beauty of the unique gardens, with 4 musical breaks along the way: at the Terraces, the Pine Wood, the Cyclops Wall and in the wings of the Théâtre de Verdure. 

These preludes will feature the Les Arts Florissants artists in chamber ensembles, performing well-known and lesser-known works from the baroque repertoire (Purcell, Vivaldi, Jacquet de la Guerre, etc.)

Musical itinerary start times: 2pm and 4.30pm.
Entrance: Cour d’Honneur (32, rue du Bâtiment, 85210 Thiré)
Duration: 2 hours (single, fixed itinerary through the gardens with 4 musical breaks along the way, each around 15 min)
By reservation only (50 persons maximum per session, in accordance with the sanitary measures imposed for covid-19 prevention)

MUSICAL PROMENADES
during the festival

August 22 to 29 (except August 25)

This year, the musical promenades offer a fixed itinerary through the gardens in the afternoons, allowing spectators to discover the beauty of the unique gardens, with 4 musical breaks along the way: at the Cyclops Wall, in the wings of the Théâtre de Verdure, at the Pine Wood, and around the Chinese Bridge (itinerary subject to change). These promenades will feature the Les Arts Florissants artists in chamber ensembles, performing well-known and lesser-known works from the baroque repertoire (Purcell, Vivaldi, Jacquet de la Guerre, etc.) They will also include a casual educational segment. Over the course of the Festival, a total of 8 different musical itineraries will be offered to the public.

 

August 22 and 23: 3.30 to 5.30pm or 4.30 to 6.30pm Promenade du Frêne (Ash Promenade)
or
4 to 6pm or 5 to 7pm Promenade de l’If (Yew Promenade)
August 24 and 26: 3.30 to 5.30pm or 4.30 to 6.30pm Promenade du Peuplier (Poplar Promenade)
or
4 to 6pm or 5 to 7pm Promenade du Saule (Willow Promenade)
August 27: 3.30 to 5.30pm or 4.30 to 6.30pm Promenade du Pin parasol (Umbrella Pine Promenade)
or
4 to 6pm or 5 to 7pm Promenade du Charme (Yoke Elm Promenade)
August 28 and 29: 3.30 to 5.30pm or 4.30 to 6.30pm Promenade du Cyprès (Cypress Promenade)
or
4 to 6pm or 5 to 7pm Promenade du Platane (Plane Tree Promenade)
The same itineraries will be offered on each of the two days at the same times (except on the Thursday when the itineraries are for one day only).
Limited to a choice of one itinerary per day. It is not possible to reserve multiple itineraries on the same day.
Rates: €8 full price, €5 reduced rate
By reservation only (50 persons maximum per session, in accordance with the sanitary measures imposed for covid-19 prevention)
Duration: 2 hours (single, fixed itinerary through the gardens with 4 musical breaks along the way, each around 15 min), refreshments available for take-away at the end, for a limited time.

 

CONCERTS AT THE COLONNADES
during the festival

This year the public will be invited to attend the evening garden concert in a new setting, the Colonnades, in the northern part of the Garden. With the illuminated gardens as a backdrop, the audience can enjoy the concert in a dreamlike setting, with the “reverse” view through the colonnades to the water mirror and Le Bâtiment forming the natural décor.

L’ALLEGRO, IL PENSEROSO ED IL MODERATO • HANDEL
Saturday August 22 & Sunday August 23 • 9pm • Colonnades

In this extraordinary work, Handel reaches new heights of inventiveness, freshness and natural composition. Musical wonders abound on every page and the diversity of the airs is dizzying. With its universal quality, the allegorical libretto inspired by the great poet Milton has resonated with listeners of every era.

The protagonists embody the three facets of the human soul, the three poles between which it oscillates: l’Allegro (the happy being, always in action) is contrasted with Il Penseroso (the pensive one who reflects on the course of events). It is ultimately the figure of Il Moderato (the reasonable being who chooses the path of moderation) that reveals the wisdom sung by this work.

William Christie has taken on this ode several times before, notably in a version staged by Robyn Orlin at Opéra Garnier in 2007. For this edition of the Festival, he presents a concert version with a tailored number of performers, ideal for savouring the musicality of this brilliant composition. Three vocal soloists will come together for the occasion, all discovered at different editions of the Jardin des Voix Academy.


Musical Direction: William Christie
Soloists: Maud Gnidzaz (soprano), Rachel Redmond (soprano), Rory Carver (tenor), Sreten Manojlović (bass)
Les Arts Florissants choir and orchestra
With the participation of students from the Juillard School (subject to travel authorizations, given the sanitary measures in force)
Ticket prices: €25 full price, €17 reduced rate

 

BACH’S EARLY CANTATAS
Monday August 24 & Wednesday August 26 • 9pm • Colonnades


Bach Cantates BWV 106, 150, 4

For many years, Les Arts Florissants has regularly presented a unique reading of the works of Jean-Sébastien Bach, giving them a core place in its programming, from the composer’s most magistral monuments (the Christmas Oratorio, the St John Passion, Mass in B minor, etc.) to his most intimate scores.

After a programme of Weimar cantatas presented at the Thiré church two years ago, for this 2020 edition of the Festival Paul Agnew will direct a selection of three of the early cantatas by the “Cantor of Leipzig.” As will be illustrated by the four singers brought together for this programme—whom fans of Les Arts Florissants will remember from their interpretation of the Italian madrigal—the genius of Bach is so vast and universal that the works he wrote early in his career already seem to have flowed from the plume of a composer at the height of his craft, and are as if infused with the divine.

Musical Direction: Paul Agnew
Soloists: Miriam Allan (soprano), Mélodie Ruvio (contralto), Cyril Auvity (tenor), Edward Grint (bass)
Les Arts Florissants instrumentalists and choir
Ticket prices: €25 full price, €17 reduced rate

GESUALDO SACRED AND PROFANE
Thursday August 27 • 9pm • Colonnades

After Claudio Monteverdi, Carlo Gesualdo has become one of the flagship composers in Les Arts Florissants’ current programming. Alongside his exploration of the Complete Six Books of Madrigals over the past three seasons, Paul Agnew is exploring the religious facet of the demonic composer/murderer through this programme of motets in Latin. When faith becomes entwined with vice and passion…

Musical direction and tenor: Paul Agnew
Soloists: Miriam Allan (soprano), Mélodie Ruvio (contralto), Cyril Auvity (tenor), Edward Grint (bass)
Ticket prices: €25 full price, €17 reduced rate

Pasticcio (Tell me the truth about love)
Friday August 28 & Saturday August 29 • 9pm • Colonnades

« Ce pasticcio réunit autour de William Christie neuf musiciens des Arts Florissants ainsi que Lea Desandre et Jakub Józef Orliński – deux des chanteurs les plus talentueux de leur génération. Par une succession de courtes scènes, nous explorerons un panel de représentations musicales de l’amour, depuis des époques où hommes et femmes avaient un autre rapport au temps. Nous proposons ainsi de créer notre propre playlist sur l’amour, autour d’œuvres de Rameau, Monteverdi, Handel, Purcell, mais aussi de compositeurs contemporains.

This pasticcio brings together with William Christie nine Les Arts Florissants musicians along with Lea Desandre and Jakub Józef Orliński, two of the most talented singers of their generation. Through a series of short scenes, we will explore a panel of musical representations of love, from eras when people had a different relationship to time. In this way, the idea is to create our own playlist on love featuring the works of Rameau, Monteverdi, Handel and Purcell, as well as modern-day composers.

 

Musical direction and harpsichord: William Christie
Musical concept: William Christie and Tami Troman
Soloists: Lea Desandre (mezzo-soprano), Jakub Józef Orliński (countertenor)
Les Arts Florissants instrumentalists 
Ticket prices: €25 full price, €17 reduced rate

TWILIGHT MEDITATIONS
August 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28 & 29

Traditionally, after each evening concert, the festival audience is invited to bring the rich festival day to a calm and meditative close with a short programme of sacred music at the Thiré church.

Due to the pandemic, these short concerts cannot be held, but Les Arts Florissants have recorded the programmes at the Thiré church in June, in order to offer them on-line, free of charge, on the social media accounts of Les Arts Florissants and the Département de la Vendée each evening of the festival at 11pm, so that the public can listen to them wherever they like—from their living room or garden, etc.


THE GARDENS

OPEN ALL SUMMER

In 1985, William Christie fell in love with a late 16th c./early 17th c. manor house in serious disrepair, which he decided to save from falling into ruin. Distinguished by the ‘Jardin Remarquable’ label since 2004, the Garden at Le Bâtiment was registered on France’s Supplementary List of Historic Monuments (ISMH) in 2006.

Over the years, William Christie has created a series of gardens and outdoor areas that are as remarkable as they are eclectic, acclaimed by specialists and garden lovers alike. Continually evolving over the past thirty years, this unique place reflects the art of gardens at its peak in 17th- and 18th-century France and Italy.

 

MULTIPLE GARDENS WITHIN A GARDEN

Visitors can stroll in turn through the Cour d’Honneur, the Terraces, the grove with its collection of umbrella pines and cypresses, the Cloister and its squares of boxwoods, the American Garden and the Red Garden. They can also discover the vegetable garden, the orchard, the water mirror and the rocaille constructions evoking Italian baroque grottos and nymphaea. In the gardens of William Christie, the boxwood parterres, yew and yoke elm hedges, and linden-lined paths are laid out in a series of terraces forming a sophisticated architecture. The Chinese-inspired Théâtre de Verdure is also impressive.

 

Dates open:
  • Wednesday to Sunday
  • from June 3 to August 9
  • Except the weekends of July 11/12, 18/19 & 25/26, and August 1/2
Opening hours: 10am to 5pm
Entry via the gate at the Cour d’Honneur, Le Bâtiment (32 rue du Bâtiment)
Available parking areas: Rue du Bâtiment and Rue de la Peupleraie
Self-guided visit following a fixed, one-way itinerary.
Maximum number of visitors: 100 (surface area open to visitors: 2 hectares, i.e. almost 5 acres)
Admission: €5 (free for children up to age 12)
Admission payable only in cash (exact change is requested).

More information

“GARDEN TOURS AND TALKS”
July 4 & 5

During this weekend dedicated to the garden, tours and talks are offered with friends and specialists of the Thiré gardens who will be present all day.
Thematic guided tours at 10am, 11am, 3pm and 4pm (included with admission to the gardens).
Gardens open from 10am to 5pm.

More information

MORNING TOURS DURING THE FESTIVAL

During the festival: morning tours by garden specialists at 10am.

Tours reserved for festival ticketholders (concerts at the colonnades or musical promenades).
Reservations open on July 6.
Free - By reservation only, subject to availability. Reserve by telephone at:
+33 (0)2 28 85 85 70


TEMPORARY GARDEN DURING THE FESTIVAL

THE LETTUCE PATCH at the Maison de la Fontaine

Aaaahhh, Lettuce! The emblematic garden vegetable, ever popular through the ages, timeless, indelible and so banal! Yet ever since one of its early depictions in an Egyptian bas-relief, since its mention in the bible where eating it is encouraged, lettuce has adapted and been improved on for our salad-eating pleasure.

It can come in so many different forms: head lettuce, looseleaf, romaine, lamb’s lettuce, not to mention endives, etc.--enough to mix up anyone. With its short growing time (an average of 2 to 3 months from seed to consumption), some varieties are noted for the quality of their shoots in the spring, others in summer; and as you will see, their names are often filled with poetry, pragmatism and humor. In each of these categories, each country, each region, each village has selected its own favorite. resulting in a multitude of aesthetic forms and subtle flavors. I invite you to explore the wonderful world of lettuce in the 100 varieties brought together here, like historical and art objects, in this superb setting given a new name for the occasion: The Lettuce Patch (“Le Clos des Salades”). Baptiste Pierre

 

A UNIQUE FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

Founded in 2012, the Dans les Jardins de William Christie Festival was born of the shared vision of the Conseil départemental de la Vendée and William Christie. Their aim was to create a unique event combining music and gardens, while at the same time showcasing the beautiful site in Thiré in order to make it known to a wider audience.

“I had long cultivated the idea of creating a garden that could become a place of music.”
William Christie

 

WILLIAM CHRISTIE’S PROJECT OF PASSION IN VENDÉE

For the past 30 years, alongside his international career, the conductor has pursued a project of passion: designing an eclectic garden on the grounds of a late 16th-c. manor house that he has restored in the village of Thiré in Vendée. Year by year, grove by grove, William Christie has created extraordinary gardens, hailed by leading specialists and distinguished by the “Jardin Remarquable” label in 2004 and entered on France’s Supplementary List of Historic Monuments (ISMH) in 2006. The year 2017 was marked by outstanding new achievements in the form of the “Centre Culturel de Rencontre” label (recognizing Les Arts Florissants’ project in Thiré as a special heritage site with rich cultural programming) and the Les Jardins de William Christie endowment in Vendée.

MUSIC AND GARDENS: THE FESTIVAL’S UNIQUE FORMULA

Le festival Dans les Jardins de William Christie a pour singularité de réunir les deux passions du fondateur des Arts Florissants : musique baroque et art des jardins. Une approche unique qui tire sa cohérence de l’esprit singulier que William Christie a su insuffler à l’interprétation baroque, et qu’on retrouve dans sa lecture personnelle et intimiste de l’art des jardins. La programmation de concerts en plein air tout au long de la journée dans différents lieux du festival propose ainsi au public une expérience sans égale de la musique baroque dans un cadre idyllique – et vice versa.


UNE PROXIMITÉ EXCEPTIONNELLE ENTRE ARTISTES ET PUBLIC

The Dans les Jardins de William Christie Festival is unique in that it combines the two founding passions at the heart of Les Arts Florissants: baroque music and the art of gardens. This unparalleled approach is rooted in the singular spirit that William Christie has brought to the interpretation of the baroque repertoire, and which is reflected in his personal and intimate reading of the art of gardens. The year-round programming of outdoor concerts throughout the day at the various festival venues offers the public an unrivalled experience of baroque music in an idyllic setting, as well as remarkable conditions in which to experience the sites themselves.

EXCEPTIONAL PROXIMITY BETWEEN ARTISTS AND THE PUBLIC

The Dans les Jardins de William Christie Festival also offers another unique experience: contact between the artists and the public in a setting that encourages interaction. In addition to the concerts, numerous workshops, lectures and tours also provide opportunities for participants to interact with the artists and the impassioned players involved in Les Arts Florissants’ projects.

AN ARTISTIC MELTING POT

Beyond the Les Arts Florissants musicians and singers, residency programmes and the Festival bring together young talents from the Jardin des Voix Academy, the Arts Flo Juniors programme and the Juilliard School of New York, as well as young professionals and specialists in gardening and heritage. These young people come to Thiré to draw new inspiration and to enhance their knowledge through the rich discussions and teachings during rehearsals, meetings and other working sessions.

 

 

FESTIVAL CALENDAR

AUGUST 22, 2020:

  • 10am: Morning garden tours (by reservation only)
  • 3.30pm, 4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm: Musical itineraries (gardens)
  • 9pm: Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso et il Moderato • W. Christie (Colonnades - gardens)

AUGUST 23, 2020:

  • 10am: Morning garden tours (by reservation only)
  • 3.30pm, 4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm: Musical itineraries (gardens)
  • 9pm: Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso et il Moderato • W. Christie (Colonnades - gardens)

AUGUST 24, 2020:

  • 10am: Morning garden tours (by reservation only)
  • 3.30pm, 4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm: Musical itineraries (gardens)
  • 9pm: Bach’s Early Cantatas • Paul Agnew (Colonnades - gardens)

AUGUST 25, 2020:DAY OF CLOSURE, NO PERFORMANCES

AUGUST 26, 2020:

  • 10am: Morning garden tours (by reservation only)
  • 3.30pm, 4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm: Musical itineraries (gardens)
  • 9pm: Bach’s Early Cantatas • Paul Agnew (Colonnades - gardens)

AUGUST 27, 2020:

  • 10am: Morning garden tours (by reservation only)
  • 3.30pm, 4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm: Musical itineraries (gardens)
  • 9pm: Gesualdo • Paul Agnew (Colonnades - gardens)

AUGUST 28, 2020:

  • 10am: Morning garden tours (by reservation only)
  • 3.30pm, 4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm: Musical itineraries (gardens)
  • 9pm: #tellmethetruthaboutlove • William Christie (Colonnades - gardens)

AUGUST 29, 2020

  • 10am: Morning garden tours (by reservation only)
  • 3.30pm, 4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm: Musical itineraries (gardens)
  • 9pm: #tellmethetruthaboutlove • William Christie (Colonnades – gardens)


BOOKING 

Ticket office: Bookings open June 25, 2020 at 10am
On-line: www.evenements.vendee.fr or www.vendee.fr
By telephone: +33 (0)2 28 85 85 70

THE DANS LES JARDINS DE WILLIAM CHRISTIE FESTIVAL IS PRODUCED BY

Les Arts Florissants – William Christie et le Département de la Vendée

Major Sponsors of the Festival
The Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation
Dr David G. Knott et Mme Françoise Girard
Florence Gould Foundation
Friends of the Festival
Les Pépinières Ripaud de Cheffois
Les Jardins de Chaligny
Partners
La Juilliard School of Music de New York (The participation of the Juilliard students is made possible by generous support from the Sidney J. Weinberg Foundation)
Le Comité Départemental du Tourisme de Vendée
La Commune de Thiré
La Communauté de Communes Sud-Vendée Littoral
Les Arts Florissants also wish to thank all of the sponsors and partners in its many projects, notably the Quartier des Artistes

Learn more about the sponsors of the Quartier des Artistes

 

 

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