The French ensemble Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu has based its signature concert programme on the so-called folia. Originally, this term denoted a Portuguese dance – so lively and expressive that its performers seemed possessed by madness. Over time, the term came to refer to variation pieces based on a fixed bass pattern, widely used in a variety of musical genres. During the Baroque era, these forms gained immense popularity in Italy, and the artists visiting the NFM will focus on repertoire from Il Bel Paese.
The group will be led by Franck-Emmanuel Comte, harpsichordist and conductor, who founded Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu in 1992. The ensemble’s name refers to a historic hospital located in the centre of Lyon. It was in the beautiful interiors and courtyards of this building, which was redeveloped over the centuries, that the musicians performed during their first two seasons. Soon its walls proved too small for the growing ensemble. Today, these performers collaborate with numerous local institutions, perform regularly abroad, and have recorded over twenty albums. Their artistic mission is to showcase the diversity of Baroque music. Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu passionately draws on compositions preserved in the archives of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with particular emphasis on the historical cultural ties that connect this area with Italy.
The featured programme derives from a ballet titled Folia, prepared by French musicians in collaboration with choreographer Mourad Merzouki, a contemporary dance and hip-hop artist. The repertoire includes folias, chaconnes, and passacaglias. It blurs the lines between Baroque masterpieces by Antonio Vivaldi, Henry Purcell, and Tarquinio Merula, among others, and folk traditions. In both of these domains, the artists from Lyon make music with virtuosity, spontaneity, finding in it space for improvisation and a spirit of freedom.