 Â Infolettre hebdomadaire – 24 octobre
Programmation 2025                              Billetterie du concert L’intimitĂ© du luth, de Bach Ă Satie
Thomas Dunford
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Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours
23 Novembre Ă Â 19h30    Le luth occupe une place singuliĂšre au cĆur de la musique baroque, Ă la fois par sa sonoritĂ© et par son rĂŽle culturel. HĂ©ritier de la Renaissance, il sĂ©duit par un timbre dĂ©licat et intime, souvent comparĂ© Ă la voix humaine. Sa richesse sonore tient Ă sa complexitĂ© : il exige une virtuositĂ© exceptionnelle. Mais cette exigence lui confĂšre aussi sa particularitĂ© : le luth est capable de rĂ©unir mĂ©lodie et harmonie, dâoffrir des polyphonies raffinĂ©es et une grande libertĂ© dâornementation et dâimprovisation, faisant de lui un vĂ©ritable «orchestre miniature». Bach lui-mĂȘme composa pour le luth ou pour des instruments « en style de luth » (comme certaines Suites ou prĂ©ludes), preuve de la fascination quâexerçait cet instrument sur le Kapellmeister. Le programme de Thomas Dunford dĂ©bute par un hommage au maĂźtre incontestĂ© du luth Ă©lisabĂ©thain, John Dowland. Ses piĂšces, tantĂŽt dansantes, tantĂŽt empreintes de mĂ©lancolie, traduisent lâĂ©lĂ©gance raffinĂ©e des cours europĂ©ennes et la profondeur dâune Ă©poque oĂč la musique se faisait miroir des passions humaines. Le fil est ensuite volontairement dĂ©placĂ© : Thomas Dunford nous offre des transcriptions dâErik Satie, dont la simplicitĂ© hypnotique et les couleurs harmoniques du dĂ©but du XXá” siĂšcle trouvent au luth une clartĂ© intime inattendue. Ce dialogue audacieux se prolonge avec Marin Marais, figure de la musique française, dont les « voix humaines » et les danses raffinĂ©es rĂ©vĂšlent une Ă©loquence fragile et subtile. Le programme sâancre dans le cĆur du baroque avec la Suite pour violoncelle BWV 1007 de Bach, chef-dâĆuvre de construction et de libertĂ©, que le luth rĂ©vĂšle sous un jour nouveau. Enfin, deux maĂźtres du rĂ©pertoire pour luth, Kapsberger et Dalza, concluent ce parcours : la virtuositĂ© dâune toccata et la vivacitĂ© dâune danse renaissante viennent refermer ce cercle oĂč se rencontrent lâintime, le savant et le populaire.  PRENEZ VOS BILLETS   Jean-SĂ©bastien vous explique pourquoi ce lieu est particuliĂšrement adaptĂ© Ă ce concert.  Fun fact: Plus de temps Ă accorder qu’Ă jouer Au XVIIá” siĂšcle, on disait parfois en plaisantant que « possĂ©der un luth, câest avoir un instrument, un meuble et un mĂ©tier de cordonnier Ă la fois ». Pourquoi ? Parce que le luth possĂ©dait tellement de cordes (souvent plus de 20, parfois plus de 30 !) quâil fallait en changer constamment. Les cordes, faites de boyau, cassaient trĂšs facilement, surtout avec lâhumiditĂ©. RĂ©sultat : les luthistes passaient presque autant de temps Ă accorder et rĂ©parer leur instrument quâĂ jouer !  Fun fact: Cordes manquantes sur la toile Au XVIIá” siĂšcle, certains nobles faisaient peindre leur portrait avec un luth Ă la main, non pas parce quâils savaient en jouer⊠mais parce que lâinstrument Ă©tait perçu comme un symbole de raffinement et de sĂ©duction. Ironie de lâhistoire : bien des luths reprĂ©sentĂ©s dans ces tableaux Ă©taient peints avec des cordes manquantes ou mal placĂ©es, preuve que les peintres eux-mĂȘmes ne savaient pas vraiment comment lâinstrument fonctionnait !  Notre sĂ©lection musicale autour de Thomas Dunford.
DĂ©couvrez la playlist de notre Directrice Artistique sur Qobuz    Histoire et musique  Le luth, symbole dâun art de vivre Dans la peinture de la Renaissance et du Baroque, le luth dĂ©passe sa fonction musicale pour devenir emblĂšme dâun art de vivre raffinĂ©. Son image incarne Ă la fois le plaisir des sens, la culture humaniste et la fragilitĂ© du temps qui passe. Chez Caravaggio, dans Le Jeune homme au luth (1596), lâinstrument reflĂšte lâintensitĂ© des passions, Ă©clairĂ©es par une lumiĂšre dramatique.
 Dans les intĂ©rieurs hollandais de Johannes Vermeer, comme La Leçon de musique interrompue ou La Jeune femme au luth (vers 1662-1665), il est associĂ© Ă lâintimitĂ©, Ă lâĂ©ducation sentimentale et Ă lâart de la sĂ©duction discrĂšte. Les natures mortes flamandes de Pieter Claesz le montrent posĂ© parmi des livres et des verres renversĂ©s, rappelant la vanitĂ© des plaisirs terrestres. Instrument fragile et prĂ©cieux, le luth devient dans la peinture un symbole de lâharmonie et de la mĂ©ditation intĂ©rieure, miroir sensible de la condition humaine.   Consultez en ligne l’ensemble de la programmation du festival :  PROGRAMMATION 2025   The intimacy of the lute, from Bach to Satie
Thomas Dunford
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Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel
November 23, 7:30 pm    The lute occupies a unique place at the heart of Baroque music, both for its sound and its cultural role. A legacy of the Renaissance, it captivates with its delicate, intimate tone, often compared to the human voice. Its rich sound is due to its complexity: sometimes equipped with more than thirteen string courses, it requires exceptional virtuosity. But this requirement also gives it its distinctive character: the lute is capable of combining melody and harmony, offering refined polyphonies and great freedom of ornamentation and improvisation, making it a veritable âminiature orchestra.â Bach himself composed for the lute or for âlute-styleâ instruments (such as certain Suites or preludes), proof of the fascination this instrument held for the Kapellmeister. Thomas Dunford’s program begins with a tribute to the undisputed master of the Elizabethan lute, John Dowland. His pieces, sometimes dance-like, sometimes tinged with melancholy, reflect the refined elegance of European courts and the depth of an era when music mirrored human passions. The thread is then deliberately shifted: Thomas Dunford offers us transcriptions of Erik Satie, whose hypnotic simplicity and harmonic colors from the early 20th century find an unexpected intimate clarity on the lute. This daring dialogue continues with Marin Marais, a figure of French music, whose âhuman voicesâ and refined dances reveal a fragile and subtle eloquence. The program is anchored in the heart of the Baroque with Bach’s Cello Suite BWV 1007, a masterpiece of construction and freedom, which the lute reveals in a new light. Finally, two masters of the lute repertoire, Kapsberger and Dalza, conclude this journey: the virtuosity of a toccata and the liveliness of a Renaissance dance bring this circle to a close, where the intimate, the scholarly, and the popular meet.  BUY YOUR TICKETS  Fun fact: More time tuning than playing
 In the 17th century, it was sometimes jokingly said that âowning a lute means having an instrument, a piece of furniture, and a shoemaker’s trade all at once.â Why? Because the lute had so many strings (often more than 20, sometimes more than 30!) that they had to be changed constantly. The strings, made of gut, broke very easily, especially in humid conditions. As a result, lute players spent almost as much time tuning and repairing their instruments as they did playing them!  Fun fact: Missing strings on canvas
In the 17th century, some nobles had their portraits painted with a lute in their hands, not because they knew how to play it… but because the instrument was seen as a symbol of refinement and seduction. The irony of the story is that many of the lutes depicted in these paintings were painted with missing or misplaced strings, proof that the painters themselves did not really know how the instrument worked! Â Our musical selection for Thomas Dunford.
Discover our Artistic Director’s playlist on Qobuz.    History and Instruments  The lute, symbol of a way of life In Renaissance and Baroque painting, the lute transcended its musical function to become an emblem of a refined way of life. Its image embodied sensual pleasure, humanist culture, and the fragility of passing time. In Caravaggio’s Young Man with a Lute (1596), the instrument reflects the intensity of passions, illuminated by dramatic lighting. In Johannes Vermeer’s Dutch interiors, such as The Interrupted Music Lesson and Young Woman with a Lute (circa 1662-1665), it is associated with intimacy, sentimental education, and the art of discreet seduction. Pieter Claesz’s Flemish still lifes show it placed among books and overturned glasses, recalling the vanity of earthly pleasures. A fragile and precious instrument, the lute becomes in painting a symbol of harmony and inner meditation, a sensitive mirror of the human condition.   Have a look at the program on our web site :  2025 PROGRAM   PARTENAIRES – PARTNERS    Facebook  Instagram  Website  Email   Copyright © 2025 Festival Bach MontrĂ©al, All rights reserved.
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