Ever since 1987, Stradivaria – Ensemble Baroque de Nantes has been reconnecting with the music of the great composers of the Baroque period by restoring the historical rigour demanded by this musical heritage.
Widely acclaimed by the public, the strings of the ensemble under the direction of Daniel Cuiller formed the foundations of its rich, ample, flexible sound, playing on colours and harmony, which is immediately recognisable.
Stradivaria then went on to acquire a high reputation in France, where it has performed in venues specialising in Baroque and Classical music and at numerous festivals for the past thirty years; in Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy; and in the most prestigious concert halls in Asia (Japan, China, Vietnam, India).
This success has naturally been illustrated by numerous recordings, resulting from the research carried out by Daniel Cuiller in musical archives, which have been warmly received by the international press.
The modern premiere with Angers Nantes Opéra in 2007 of Pirame et Thisbé, the tragédie lyrique of Rebel and Francoeur, was the fruit of Daniel Cuiller’s research at the Bibliothèque Nationale. The recording appeared on Mirare and was awarded ‘ffff de Télérama’ in June 2008 and ‘Le Choix de France Musique’.
A programme of harpsichord concertos by J. S. Bach, with Bertrand Cuiller as soloist, received the ‘Choc’ of the Year 2009 from Classica magazine as well as the prestigious ‘Critic’s Choice’ in Gramophone.
In 2014, the disc for the Mirare label devoted to sonatas by Fontana, Sonata a violino ed altri strumenti, gave new prominence to the first known collection of music for violin, written in the early seventeenth century. This outstanding recording received an excellent review from Muse Baroque, 5 Diapasons in Diapason magazine and 4 Stars from Classica in May 2014.
The world premiere recording of Henry Madin’s Te Deum pour les Victoires de Louis XV, made in the Chapelle Royale de Versailles for the Alpha label’s Château de Versailles series, received a ‘Clic de Classiquenews’ in April 2016, a ‘Choc de Classica’ in May 2016 and ffff from Télérama in June 2016.
Since 2015, Stradivaria and Anacréon have organised the Loire Valley International Early Music Competition, intended for young instrumental ensembles performing the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century repertory on period instruments.
‘Recreate in performance, show rather than demonstrate, let the music speak . . .’
