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 of period instruments and a small vocal ensemble. Current notable members include soprano Danielle de Niese and tenor Paul Agnew, who has served as assistant conductor since 2007. Jonathan Cohen is also on the conducting staff. Christie remains the organization's Artistic Director.
Although not specifically a baroque opera ensemble, it is within this field that Les Arts Florissants has achieved its greatest successes. The majority of the ensemble's performances are of period operas (both staged and in concert), many of which are available on CD on the Harmonia Mundi and Erato labels and on DVD. The group first drew international acclaim in the area of opera in December 1986-January 1987 with a production of Jean-Baptiste Lully's Atys at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. The opera had not been performed since 1753 and Christie had unearthed the score at the Bibliothèque nationale de France and created a performing edition. William Christie: "There were a number of important moments in the history of the Arts Florissants, but there's one moment that obviously stands out - and that's the moment when we produced Atys." Christie had been approached by the director of the Paris Opera, Massimo Bogianckino, to think about putting on a Lully opera. Christie was advised by the Opéra-Comique's Thierry Fouquet that Quinault's libretto for Atys would demand an extraordinary stage director - Jean-Marie Villégier took this role and he, together with Christie, created Atys. The production marked the renaissance of Baroque Opera in France. The ensemble has continued in a similar vein of presenting rarely heard works at their home in Caen and on the stages of major opera houses and concert venues like the Teatro Real, the Opéra national du Rhin, the Opéra National de Paris, Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Barbican Centre. The ensemble also occasionally presents works from the standard repertoire, most particularly a number of operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Les Arts Florissants has also had a number of successes in the concert repertoire. The organization has performed and recorded a number of oratorios, cantatas, madrigals, masses, motets, and other musical forms typical of early music. Occasionally the ensemble has made forays into contemporary repertoire, notably performing the world premiere of Betsy Jolas's Motets III - Hunc igitur terrorem at a gala on the occasion of the ensemble's 20th anniversary in 1999.
Many former members of Les Arts Florissants have gone on to have successful music careers outside of the organization. These include several internationally renowned conductors in the field of early music, including Marc Minkowski (founder of Les Musiciens du Louvre), Christophe Rousset (founder of Les Talens Lyriques), Hugo Reyne (founder of La Simphonie du Marais), and Hervé Niquet (founder of Le Concert Spirituel).
Discography
A Purcell companion, Henry Purcell, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1994
Acis and Galatea, George Frideric Handel, Paris, Erato, 1999
Actéon Intermède pour Le mariage forcé, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 2001
Airs de cour (1689), Michel Lambert, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1992
Alcina, George Frideric Handel, Paris, Erato, 2000
Actéon Intermède pour Le mariage forcé, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Saint-Michel-de-Provence, Harmonia, 1981
Anacréon ballet en un acte, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Saint-Michel-de-Provence, Harmonia Mundi, 1982
Antiennes "O" de l'Avent, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1993
Atys tragédie lyrique en un prologue et cinq actes ; Dies Irae ; Petits motets ; Airs pour le clavecin, Jean Baptiste Lully, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1993
Ballo delle ingrate : livre VIII des madrigaux ; Sestina, Claudio Monteverdi, Saint-Michel-de-Provence, Harmonia Mundi, 1983
Baroque festival vol. 1., Firenze, CD Classica, 1993
Caecelia, virgo et martyr Filius prodigus : H. 399 ; Magnificat, H. 73, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 2003
Cantique de Moÿse ; Veni sponsa mea ; Trois fantaisies à quatre pour les violes ; Espoir de toute âme affligée ; O bone Jesu d’Étienne Moulinié, Saint-Michel-de-Provence, Harmonia Mundi, 1980
David et Jonathas, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1998
De Lully à Rameau, Jean Baptiste Lully, et al., Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1996
Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers H.488, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Paris, Erato, 1995
Deux Oratorios, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Saint-Michel-de-Provence, Harmonia Mundi, 1980
Dido & Æneas, Henry Purcell, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1994
Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Paris, Erato, 1999
Die Zauberflöte KV 620, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Paris, Erato, 1996
Divertissements, airs et concerts de Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Paris, Erato, 1999
Grands Motets lorrains pour Louis XIV, Henry Desmarest, Paris, Erato, 2000
Great Mass in C minor K.427, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Paris, Erato, 1999
Hippolyte et Aricie, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Paris, Erato, 1997
Idoménée, André Campra, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1992
Il Ballo delle ingrate Sestina, Claudio Monteverdi, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1996
Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, Claudio Monteverdi, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1997
Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, Claudio Monteverdi, [S.l.], Virgin Classics, 2003
Il Sant'Alessio, Stefano Landi, Paris, Erato, 1996
In nativitatem Domini canticum : un oratorio de Noël, H. 416 ; Sur la naissance de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ : H. 482, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Saint-Michel-de-Provence, Harmonia Mundi, 1983
Jefferson in Paris, Richard Robbins, New York, Angel, 1995
Jephté, Michel Pignolet de Montéclair, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 2002
King Arthur, Henry Purcell, [S.l.n.d.], 1995
La musique sacrée à travers les âges, Marc-Antoine Charpentier et al., [S.l.], Harmonia Mundi, 1998
La reine des fées, Henry Purcell, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1989
Le Cantique de Moÿse, Étienne Moulinié, Arles, Harmonia Mundii, 2004
Le Grand Siècle français musique au temps de Louis XIV de Kenneth Gilbert, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1997
Le malade imaginaire, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1990
Le reniement de Saint Pierre ; Méditations pour la Carême, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Saint-Michel-de-Provence, Harmonia Mundi, 1985
Leçons de ténèbres, François Couperin, Paris, Erato, 1997
Les antiennes "O" de l'Avent : H 36 à 43 ; Noël sur les instruments : H 534 ; In Nativitatem D.N.J.C. canticum : H 414, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1990
Les Arts florissants : Idylle en musique ; Intermède pour le mariage forcé et la comtesse d'Escarbagnas, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Saint-Michel de Provence, Harmonia Mundi, 1982
Les Boréades, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Waldron, Opus Arte, 2004
Les divertissements de Versailles, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Paris, Erato, 2002
Les fêtes d’Hébé, Jean-Philippe Rameau, [S.l.s.n.], 1997
Les Indes galantes, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Waldron, Opus Arte, 2005
Le jardin des voix, William Christie, [S.l.], Virgin Classics, 2006
Les vingt figures réthoriques [sic] d'une passion XXe festival de Saintes, Francesco Cavalli, Luigi Rossi, et al. [S.l.], K. 617, 1991
Louis XIV Musique à Versailles au temps du Roi Soleil, [S.l.], Harmonia Mundi, 2004
Lully, Jean Baptiste Lully, Arles, France : Harmonia Mundi, 1993
Messiah, George Frideric Handel, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1994
Motets & madrigaux Il ballo delle ingrate ; Selva morale ; L'incoronazione di Poppea, Claudio Monteverdi, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1992
Motets, Guillaume Bouzignac, [S.l.n.d], 1993
Mozart, Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, Schäfer, Petibon, Christie, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, [S.l.n.d], 1999
Musique de ballet 1979-1999 : 20e anniversaire Les Arts Florissants, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Paris, Erato, 1999
Opera's first master The musical dramas of Claudio Monteverdi, Claudio Monteverdi, Pompton Plains, Amadeus Press, 2006
Oratorio per la Settimana Santa ; Un peccator pentito, Luigi Rossi, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1989
Orfeo, Luigi Rossi, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1991
Pastorale sur la naissance de N.S. Jesus-Christ, H. 483 ; Magnificat à 3 voix, H. 73, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Saint-Michel de Provence, Harmonia Mundi, 1981
Pièces de clavecin (1724) Les Indes galantes: suite d'orchestre ; Anacréon : ballet en un acte, scène 5 ; In convertendo, grand motet, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1992
Pierre Philosophale, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Paris, Erato, 1999
Soleil musiques au siècle de Louis XIV, Paris, Erato, 1999
Te Deum ; motets, Guillaume Bouzignac, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1993
Te Deum ; Super flumina Babilonis ; Confitebor tibi Domine, Michel-Richard Delalande, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1991
Te Deum, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1997
Theodora, George Frideric Handel, Paris, Erato, 2003
Un Oratorio de Noël ; In nativitatem Domini canticum, H. 416 ; Sur la naissance de Notre Seigneur Jésus Christ H. 482 de Marc Antoine Charpentier, Saint-Michel-de-Provence, Harmonia Mundi, 1983
Voyage en Italie : deux siècles de musique à Rome, Venise, Ferrare, 1550-1750, Arles, Harmonia Mundi, 1998
Le doux silence de nos boisBien que l'amour…airs sérieux et à boire · 2016 Un peccator pentito: Spargete sospiriLe Jardin des Voix · 2006 Ombre de mon amantAirs de cour · 1992