La Grande Ecurie de Versailles: Fanfares & Marches

00:00 Gavotte des Festins (André Danican Philidor, 1647-1730)
00:40 Les Echos de Jupiter (Philidor)
01:46 La Marche des Dragons du Roy
03:32 Fanfare 4 (Marc-Antoine de Dampierre, 1676-1756)
04:19 Fanfare 11 - Gigue, Allegro (Dampierre)
05:39 Marche de Savoye (Jean-Baptiste Lully, 1632-1687) made by. Mr. de Lully who received as a gift a portrait of his Highness enriched by diamonds worth 1000 louis, that was delivered to him by his Ambassador
07:32 Canon de Versailles à 5 parties (Philidor)
08:16 Marche pour les Trompettes (Philidor)
09:36 Marche du Régiment du Roy made by Mr. de Lully in 1670: First Air for Oboes - Second Air for Oboes: Les Folies d'Espagne, made by Mr. de Lully in trio, by Royal command; Philidor the Elder having received the King's order at Saint Germain-en-Laye transmits it to Mr. de Lully
13:03 Fanfare 19 - Gavotte, Spiritoso (Dampierre)
14:46 Fanfare 1 - Allegro (Dampierre)
15:45 La Marche Française: First Air de la Marche Française for Oboes made by Mr. de Lully for Mr. le C. De Sery - Second Air likewise by Mr. de Lully - Third Air by Mr. de Moliere of the King's Musick - Fourth Air by Mr. de Lully and Marche Royalle for 3 Treble Oboes for the Marche Française by Philidor the Elder, made in 1679
20:24 Fanfare 12 (Dampierre)
21:21 Fanfare 2 (Dampierre)
22:21 Marche des Fusilliez (Lully) / Air for Oboes (Martin Hotteterre, † 1712)
24:05 La Bontemps (Philidor)
24:48 Mars (Philidor)
25:54 Marche à 4 Timbales (Philidor) *
29:50 Fanfare 9 - Affettuoso (Dampierre)
30:49 Fanfare 3 (Dampierre)
31:52 Marche des Mousquetaires (Lully) Philidor the Elder wrote out the parts, Mr. de Lully having been unwilling to do so
36:14 Menuet Royal (Philidor)
38:24 Marche Hollandaise (the Air for Oboes made by Philidor the Elder)
40:07 Menuet de l'Orangerie (Philidor)
41:03 Gigue des Arts (Philidor)

Ensemble de Trompettes de Cavalerie de Paris - Pierre Bréard, director
Hunting Horns of the Rallye Louvarts de Paris
Ensemble of Wind Instruments and Drums
* Daniel Houllier and Rémy Constant, Timpani
Jean-François Paillard, conductor

Of all the pomp of Versailles, it is the outdoor ceremonies that are the most exciting to the imagination; one thinks of the flawless ballet of the troops on parade, of the departure for the hunt, or of the concerts given from sumptuously decorated barges sailing upon the Grand Canal. The music for all these spectacles was the prerequisite of the band of the Grande Ecurie (Great Stable), composed of wind instruments, fifes, trumpets and oboes (these last two terms desgnating the entire brass and woodwind families, covering all the registers from low to high), and percussion instruments — drums and timpani.

Three old collections reflecting the image of these musical spectacles have been drawn upon for this recording. The first is a manuscript by André Philidor the Elder, Louis XIV's famous music librarian who was also a musician with the Military Band, playing in turn the cromorne, drum, oboe and trumpet. He entitled his collection: “Score of Several Marches and Drum batteries, French as well as foreign, with Airs for fifes and oboes in 3 or 4 parts as well as several Marches for timpani and trumpets mounted on horseback with Air for Tournaments, 1686. And fanfares and trumpets for the hunt.” To this already prolix title are added numerous indications supplying a multitude of often picturesque details. In addition to the commentaries reproduced above with the titles of the marches, we give as an example that accompanying the Marche du Régiment du Roy: “At the time the King's Regiment was established, the Marche françoise was played, but the officers of the regiment, largely taken from the Musketeers, asked the King that the drums beat instead the March of the Musketeers, which was granted them. Then they used the above Marche by Lully and afterwards they resumed the March of the Musketeers which still continues in use at the present time.” Philidor's copy dates from 1705, but the marches are considerably older, a fact confirmed by those which are dated. A good number of these marches are by Lully, and they should have brought him a small fortune judging by the thousand louis he received for the Marche de Savoye! Despite this, what condescension in the remark ‘Philidor the Elder has written the parts, Lully not wishing to do so!”