Ensemble Performance

Baroque music is enjoying a Renaissance.And these musicians can claim much of the credit.Some compare Les Arts Florissants to a familywith American-born William Christie as its father figure.He set up the ensemble 30 years agowith the aim of shaking up Baroque, which he thought

nobody at the time was playing very well.We wanted to do things differently.We weren't happy with what we'd heard.Which I think is legitimate.And I think every generation goesthrough this kind of questioning.Les Arts Florissants rarely ventureoutside the Baroque repertoire.But rather than limiting them, theysee it as a way of becoming very good at what they do.

When you specialize in something, you learn tricks.It's just like an athlete, essentially.You're going through a set of exercises, you see.I have that satisfaction of doing what ...