Instrumental ensemble performs baroque 'Arthur'

When the lights dim tomorrow night at Hill Auditorium, Les Arts Florissants promises not only to send its audience back in time to the medieval time period through its subject, but to the Baroque time period through its presentation of Henry Purcell's "King Arthur."

Les Arts Florissants is a vocal and instrumental ensemble based out of France that specializes in 17th and 18th Century music. The group does its own research in order to recreate historically accurate productions. They perform all over the world and have won many awards, including an "early opera" Gramophone Award in 1995 for Purcell's "King Arthur."

Courtesy of ICM Artists William Christie directs Les Arts Florissants.

The musical ensemble arrives in Ann Arbor celebrating their 30th anniversary. William Christie established Les Arts Florissants in Paris in 1979. Christie grew up in Buffalo, New York studying the piano, organ and harpsichord. Upon graduation from Harvard and Yale he left for France and worked with an experimental music group.

After he established Les Arts Florissants, Christie became the first American professor at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris, directing their early music program. It was not until 22 years after his arrival in France that he became a French citizen, awarded the prestigious French Legion d'Honneur in 1993.

Recently in 1997, Christie was awarded the "Prix Grand Siecle Laurent Perrier" for his services to French music.

While Les Arts Florissants' primary interest is in French composers, they do works from other nations as well. For example, their performance tomorrow will be a historic reconstruction of the English composer Henry Purcell's 1691 "semi-opera," "King Arthur." As Purcell aged, he became very fond of these "semi-operas;" or multi-media collaborations between composer, playwright, producer, choreographer, actors, singers, scene painters and machinists.

Les Arts Florissants' performance of "King Arthur" will be semi-staged as it would have been seen in 1691 in London's Dorset Garden. It will involve 18 instrumentalists, nine vocalists, three dancers, and two actors. University Professor of Music Ellwood Derr will give a free pre-concert lecture at 7pm in the League's Vandenberg Room.

For more information call UMS at 764-2538. Tickets are priced at $14, $20, $30 and $40.

11-09-99