The Ensemble Baroque de Limoges:
An Applied Research Think Tank

Christophe Coin, director


In an attempt to maintain an intellectually coherent musical discourse which remains fervent in its intents and effective in its realisation, the EBL, under the guidance of Christophe Coin, has expanded its horizons. Today it acts as a centre where musicians and theoreticians, musicologists and traditional musicians, builders and ethnomusicologists, museum curators and performers come together in what might be termed a think tank. In 1998, in its report on the state of Baroque music in France, the Ministère de la Culture officially recognised the EBL in this capacity.

The EBL’s primary objective  is to contribute to a better understanding of the sound of music in the 17th and 18th centuries.  To this end research is concentrated on three essential points: questions of organology and instrument building,  instrumental techniques and a practical approach to the original music scores. This includes acquiring a better understanding and mastery of the playing techniques on early instruments as well as choosing or grouping appropriate instruments for the specific music to be played and analytical readings of the scores.

Since 1992 several branches of research have been developed which respond to the needs of researchers, musicians, musicologists and builders. Initiated by Christophe Coin, a number of symposiums on a specific theme or  instrument have taken place in Limoges, uniting specialists in a spirit of exchange and collaboration:

  • 1992   Instruments with sympathetic strings.
  • 1995, 1996 and 1998  The viola da gamba in England, France and Germany.
  • 2000 The Italian viola da gamba, organised in Magnano (Italy).
  • 1997 and 1999  The natural horn and the hunting horn.
  • 1999 The chabrette à miroirs limousine and the cornemuse (in collaboration with the centre of traditional music of Limousin).

Each of these symposiums was intrinsically allied to questions rarely approached on a European level, that of organology and performance technique. It is the originality of this approach which distinguishes the EBL.

Publications:

Amour et sympathie, Proceedings of symposiums dedicated to instruments with sympathetic strings. (Ensemble Baroque de Limoges, 1995).

The Italian Viola da Gamba, Proceedings from a symposium on the Italian viola da gamba (Susan Orlando, editor, co-edition EBL/La Borie and Edizioni Manzoni, 2002).

A Viola da Gamba Miscellanea, Proceedings from symposiums on viola da gamba (Susan Orlando, editor, edition PULIM, 2005)

Editions and musical scores:

Michel-Richard de Lalande, Le ballet de Cardenio, (Collection des cahiers de musique, edition Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles with the collaboration of the Ensemble Baroque de Limoges, Christophe Coin).

Scores to be released:

Luigi Boccherini, Stabat mater
Antonio Draghi, La vita nella morte
Sebastian Duron, Leçiones
J.G. Graun, Concertos for viole de gambe
Giuseppe Tartini, Concerto in A major for violoncello
Ambroise Thomas, First quintet, opus 7

 

 

Last update 05/15/2005