Beauty abounds in the natural world, and the unique style of the air de cours. Discover this courtly genre of song — the French equivalent to the lute songs made popular in the 16th and 17th century by John Dowland — with soprano Nathalie Colas. Co-founder of Third Coast Baroque and a regular with Haymarket Opera Company, Colas is currently touring a program of airs de cours with lutenist Brandon J. Acker.
On the Air de Cour with Nathalie Colas
Nathalie Colas in Third Coast Baroque's 2019 Wonder Women (Photo: Elliot Mandel)
Playlist
Sebastien Le Camus (1610–1677): Ah! qui peut tranquillement attendre
Marc Mauillon, tenor
Angelique Mauillon, harp
Myriam Rignol, viola da gamba
Je m’abandonne a vous
Harmonia Mundi HMM-90267475
Pierre Guédron (1570–1620): À l’Amour, aux Plaisirs
Claudine Ansermet, soprano
Paolo Cherici, lute
Pierre Guédron: Airs de cour
Glossa GCD-80007
Honoré d’Ambruys (17th c): Le doux silence de nos bois
Marc Mauillon, tenor
Thomas Dunford, theorbo
Myriam Rignol, viola da gamba
Les Arts Florissants: Bien que l’amour – Airs sérieux et à boire
Harmonia Mundi HAF-8905276
Etienne Moulinié (1599–1669): Amis, enhivrons-nous
Marie-Claude Chappuis, mezzo-soprano
Luca Pianca, lute
Sous l’Empire d’Amour: French Songs for Mezzo-Soprano and Lute
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 88985452312
Etienne Moulinié: Tout se peint de verdure
Le Poème Harmonique
Vincent Dumestre, theorbo
Airs de Cour
Alpha ALPHA-462
Antoine Boesset (1587–1643): Je voudrois bien, ô Cloris
Ed Lyon, tenor
Theatre of the Ayre
17th Century Playlist
Delphian DCD-34220
Etienne Moulinié: Paisible et ténébreuse nuit
Emma Kirkby, soprano
Jakob Lindberg, lute
The Artistry of Emma Kirkby
BIS BISCD-1734/35
Pierre Guédron: Cessez mortels de soupirer
Le Poème Harmonique
Vincent Dumestre, theorbo
Airs de Cour
Alpha ALPHA-462
Michel Lambert (1610–1696): Ma bergère est tendre et fidèle
Michel Laplénie, tenor
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie, direction
Airs de Cour
Harmonia Mundi HAF-8901123
