A fabulous evening and night

I guess you can imagine what’s hiding behind this golden "frame". Yes, we are once more back to Versailles (see previous posts, here, here and here).

There was again a special event a couple of evenings ago, a triple concert by Jordi Savall, “Les Concerts des Nations” and “La Capella Real de Catalunya”, devoted to music by Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759).

I was in a privileged group (had of course  paid for it), which first met for some champagne drinking in the “Vestibule”, overlooking the gardens and the open doors to the “Royal Chapel”. I had the pleasure to meet and talk to Jean-Pierre Marielle, a now 82 year old very popular actor, here photographed by his wife and actress Agathe Natanson. We talked for quite a while and I can confirm that he is as nice a person as you may imagine before you meet. I will revert to him further down as his name is quite linked to Jordi Savall.

It was then time to go to the “Royal Opera”. We were not allowed to take photos (or videos) during the concert, but here are at least some photos from the beautiful theatre. We got good seats and listened to “Water Music” and “Guilio Vesare in Egitto”.

Time for champagne again, before going to the “Royal Chapel” and listen to “Alexander’s Feast” and “Concerto Grosso in Re major”.

Then a walk through the drawing-rooms “Hercules”, “Of Plenty”, “Venus”, “Diana”, “Mars”, “Mercury”, “Apollo”…

… before reaching the corner “War” drawing-room and enter the fabulous “Hall of Mirrors”.

Here we listened to “Il Parnasso in Festa”, followed by “Music for the Royal Fireworks”…

… and when the music reached the final “La Réjouissance” part, all the audience turned their heads to the right to watch the fireworks outside!

Let’s listen to the “Fireworks” as played at a previous Jordi Savall concert.

The final part, “La Réjouissance” is not played in this video - here it is played by another orchestra. So, this was the music which accompanied the real fireworks we saw.

     

Time for thanks and a standing ovation!

Then, it was time for the little extra surprise, Jordi Savall making a solo gamba performance on the balcony of Louis XIV’s bedchamber.

After all this, time to go back to the “Vestibule” for some more champagne, again overlooking the “Royal Chapel”, now in the dark,  and meet the musicians and singers. Jordi Savall was there and I could even exchange a few words with him … and he met Jean-Pierre Marielle, a surprise.

This brings us to the link between them both, the wonderful movie “Tous les Matins du Monde” (“All the mornings of the World”) by Alain Corneau, from 1991, which starred Gerard Depardieu and Jean-Pierre Marielle… and where the musical part, so important for this film, was done by Jordi Savall. Let’s watch Jean-Pierre Marielle - in the role of Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe (1640-1700) - pretending to play what Jordi Savall is playing for real!  

I would finally suggest that you listen to Jordi Savall and friends playing and improvising "Folias de España" by Marin Marais (1656-1728), role held by Gerard Depardieu in the movie.