A French Odyssey - Music for Two Cellos by Rameau, Barriere, Corrette, Boismortier, Berteau & Patouart UnderStories Ensemble

• Jean-Baptiste Barrière (1707 - 1747): Sonata a tre in D Minor, No. 2, Book 3:
• 1 Barrière: Sonata a tre in D Minor, No. 2, Book 3: I. Adagio 01:53
• 2 Barrière: Sonata a tre in D Minor, No. 2, Book 3: II. Allegro 01:14
• 3 Barrière: Sonata a tre in D Minor, No. 2, Book 3: III. Aria-Largo 02:38
• 4 Barrière: Sonata a tre in D Minor, No. 2, Book 3: IV. Giga 01:36
• Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683 - 1764): Les Indes galantes:
• 5 Rameau: Les Indes galantes: Ritournelle pour Le Turc généreux 01:06
• 6 Rameau: Les Indes galantes: Tambourins I-II 01:15
• Martin Berteau (1691 - 1771): Sonata a tre No. 6 Op. 1:
• 7 Berteau: Sonata a tre No. 6 Op. 1: I. Allegretto 02:31
• 8 Berteau: Sonata a tre No. 6 Op. 1: II. Siciliana 04:02
• 9 Berteau: Sonata a tre No. 6 Op. 1: III. Gratioso 01:30
• Prélude à l'imitation de Mr L. Couperin:
• 10 Berteau: Prélude à l'imitation de Mr L. Couperin 02:32
• Jean-Philippe Rameau: Les Indes galantes:
• 11 Rameau: Les Indes galantes: Air pour Les Sauvages 04:45
• Prélude à l'imitation de MM. Rameau et Naderman:
• 12 Rameau: Prélude à l'imitation de MM. Rameau et Naderman 02:42
• Louis-François-Joseph Patouart (1719 - 1793): Sonate en trio pour deux violoncelles et une contrebasse No. 6 Op. 2:
• 13 Patouart: Sonate en trio pour deux violoncelles et une contrebasse No. 6 Op. 2: I. Adagio 03:39
• 14 Patouart: Sonate en trio pour deux violoncelles et une contrebasse No. 6 Op. 2: II. Gavotte 1 & 2 02:25
• 15 Patouart: Sonate en trio pour deux violoncelles et une contrebasse No. 6 Op. 2: III. Minuetto 1 & 2 02:34
• Jean-Philippe Rameau: Les Indes galantes:
• 16 Rameau: Les Indes galantes: Air des Incas 02:21
• Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (1689 - 1755): Sonate en trio No. 5, Op. 37:
• 17 Boismortier: Sonate en trio No. 5, Op. 37: I. Vivace 01:49
• 18 Boismortier: Sonate en trio No. 5, Op. 37: II. Largo 02:02
• 19 Boismortier: Sonate en trio No. 5, Op. 37: III. Allegro 01:57
• Jean-Philippe Rameau: Les Indes galantes:
• 20 Rameau: Les Indes galantes: Air pour Les Esclaves africains 01:39
• Nouvelles Suites de pièces de Clavecin RCT 5-6:
• 21 Rameau: Nouvelles Suites de pièces de Clavecin RCT 5-6: L’Égyptienne 03:31
• Michel Corrette (1707 - 1795): Concerto pour quatre Violoncelles, Violes ou Bassons "Le Phénix":
• 22 Corrette: Concerto pour quatre Violoncelles, Violes ou Bassons "Le Phénix": I. Allegro 02:39
• 23 Corrette: Concerto pour quatre Violoncelles, Violes ou Bassons "Le Phénix": II. Largo 03:19
• 24 Corrette: Concerto pour quatre Violoncelles, Violes ou Bassons "Le Phénix": III. Allegro 03:54
• Total Runtime 59:33

Info for A French Odyssey - Music for Two Cellos by Rameau, Barriere, Corrette, Boismortier, Berteau & Patouart

The ferment of the Enlightenment, the early signs of the Revolution and the intellectual debate on colonialism fuel this French odyssey. During the Age of Exploration, France experienced an unprecedented cultural fervor. Trade routes and distant cultures enriched it's identity. Exotic sounds and rhythms shaped both noble salons and concert halls. In this quest for new sonorities, by the mid-18th century, the cello finally gained prominence in France, replacing the viola da gamba, which had dominated European music for centuries.

The emphasis on deep sonorities is the culmination of this recording, featuring compositions by Louis-Francois-Joseph Patouart and Martin Bertin. The latter's story is particularly significant, embodying the spirit of the recording: he founded the French cello school, despite having started his career with the viola da gamba.

UnderStories Ensemble

UnderStories Ensemble
Founded in 2018, UnderStories focuses on exploring the rise of the cello as a solo instrument, and especially the repertoire for two concertante cellos in the 18th century. The ensemble, initially consisting of two cellos and a harpsichord, decided to add an arpa doppia and a violone to enrich the sound of the group.

Another big part of the ensemble’s activity is to treat Baroque music as liberally as it was done within the period itself, where arranging, changing instrumentations in order to shed a different light on seemingly familiar repertoire was the order of the day.

Therefore, the use of two piccolo cellos appeared as an evidence. The sound and tuning of the instrument make the transcription of violin music especially idiomatic and hopefully bring the public to discover a repertoire that they might have not known in another context.

Born from the encounter at the Hochschule fur Musik in Frankfurt of Clara Pouvreau and Bartolomeo Dandolo Marchesi, both winners at the Bach Competition in Leipzig, the five members of UnderStories have studied at the most prestigious schools in Europe: the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, the Basel Schola Cantorum, the Mozarteum Salzburg, the City Conservatory of Paris and the Civica Scuola di musica Claudio Abbado di Milano. ​

Laureates of numerous international competitions they have had the chance to work individually with artists such as Ton Koopman, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Kristin von der Goltz, Beatrice Martin, Petra Mullejeans, Paolo Pandolfo, Catherine Jones, Mara Galassi and Amandine Beyer among others.

They have appeared in festivals such as the Utrecht Oude Musiek Festival, The Ambronay Festival, MA Bruges Festival and collaborated with ensembles like the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century and the Freiburger Barockorchester.

In June 2019, they were awarded with the Audience Prize at the Early Music Competition Val de Loire in France.

They were part of the IYAP 2021 presentation for young talented ensembles and performed at the AMUZ festival.

In July 2022 they win the EUBO Development Trust Prize for the most promising ensemble specializing in baroque repertoire in the York Early Music Competition. In the same year Rai Radio 3 broadcasts a segment entirely dedicated to the group on the program "La Stanza della Musica."

Booklet for A French Odyssey - Music for Two Cellos by Rameau, Barriere, Corrette, Boismortier, Berteau & Patouart