Pulcinella is an ensemble of solo and chamber musicians created in 2005 around the virtuoso cellist Ophélie Gaillard. They revisit the essential pieces of the 17th and 18th century repertoire, but are also keen to highlight lesser-known pieces. Their work and performances are regularly praised by critics.
The Pulcinella ensemble’s mission is to introduce classical and baroque music to as many people as possible, to all audiences. He performs throughout France and in several European countries: Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Portugal… Sunday October 20, the new concert will be presented in Gaillard of the set: The Great Fire.
In the footsteps of a prodigy violinist
Originally, Le Grand Feu is a novel by the French writer and violinist Léonor de Recondo, released in 2023. The musicians of Pulcinella draw inspiration from it freely to set it to music. Their concert plunges us into Venice at the end of the 17th century, following in the footsteps of the young violinist prodigy Ilaria Tagianotte.
Ilaria was born into a family of fabric merchants in Venice, but her mother placed her in the Pietà when she was just an infant. This institution takes in abandoned children to save them from a life of poverty, and teaches them music. Ilaria learned the violin there and became a true child prodigy. She was taken in by Antonio Vivaldi, a key figure in Italian baroque music, and became his student and then his assistant. As a teenager, Ilaria ventured out of her little world to discover love, rediscover herself and emancipate herself through music.
An artist residency work
Le Grand Feu is the result of long work as part of an artists’ residency. Indeed, the Pulcinella ensemble has developed two areas of residence, in Île-de-France and, since 2020, in French Genevois. Supported by public authorities, residencies are an excellent way to disseminate works to a wide audience and support the integration of young professional musicians. The final version of the Le Grand Feu project will be presented by the Pulcinella ensemble on Saturday April 12, 2025 in Gaillard, at the Espace Louis Simon.
Le Grand Feu will be presented on Sunday October 20, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. at the Stéphane Hessel pavilion in Gaillard (47 rue des Vignes, 74240 Gaillard). Entrance is free and free.
