Michel De La Barre, Troisième Sonate en Trio | La Tabatière

"(...) to bring this instrument as much as possible to perfection, I believed that for the glory of my Flute, as well as my own, I had to follow [the example] of Monsieur Marais who has gone to such trouble and care to perfect the viol, and who has been so happily successful."

We could state MICHEL DE LA BARRE (Paris, ca. 1675 - 1745) is the Marin Marais of the transverse flute: the one who intuited the beauty and potential of this instrument, perfecting its technique and bringing it to light in France during the last part of the Grand Siecle. Sébastien de Brossard describes him thus in his "Catalogue des Livres de Musique" (1724) as follows:
"The composer is the most excellent flutist there was in Paris, and it is thanks to him that this instrument is now so much in vogue."

La Barre is also the father of the modern flute literature: the publication of the first work ever dedicated to the transverse flute (Pièces pour la Flûte Traversière avec la Basse-Continue, 1702) is due to this refined and virtuous musician, already active since the end of the 17th century as a member of the Chambre du Roi and the Musique de l'Écurie at the court of Le Roi Soleil, beloved and celebrated for his ability as a performer, particularly skilled and fond of slow, celebratory and moving movements.

However, that is not his only achievement: despite the fact that La Barre's style is strongly influenced by the compositional genius of Jean-Baptiste Lully - who continued to be remembered and celebrated long after his death in 1687 - and that most of his instrumental production makes extensive use of the form and structure of the french Suite, the great flutist was also among the first to allow the increasingly appreciated "Italian taste" filtering into his chamber compositions.

The 6 Sonatas (the use of the term is not incidental) that set up the second part of his Troisième Livre des Trios (1707) were definitely conceived under the influence of the strong echo that the works of Arcangelo Corelli had in France (in particular the four volumes of 'Sonatas a tre' published in Italy between 1681 and 1694) starting from the end of the 17th century: they are all in 4 movements, adhering to the already consolidated structure of the 'Sonata da Chiesa'. The element of the Fugue, extensively present in all six sonatas, constitutes here the clearest tribute to the style of the Maître de Fusignano, while the use of dance movements, sometimes in a serious or moderate character in place of slow movements, on other occasions light or lively, confirms the permanence of a naturally deep connection with the French style. In this way La Barre decided to take part in the fusion process between the French and the Italian national styles, started by some of the most important French composers - Francois Couperin in primis with his Sonata "La Pucelle", 1692 - in search of the perfect "mixed taste" (Les Goûts réunis).

Don't miss the opportunity to be moved by the dramatic Prélude of this third Sonata in E minor, to be surprised by the gravity as well as by the rhythmic ambiguity of the fugues in the 2nd and 4th movements, to be lulled into fading bittersweet memories while being carried off by the simple and light pace of the Rondeau. An elegant and nonetheless emotional Sonata by La Barre, whose narrative cohesion makes it a pleasure to listen to it in just one breath.

"Ainsi ta flûte enchanteresse,
La Barre, inspire la tendresse;
tout s’enflamme à tes sons vainqueurs;
L’Amour même en devient plus tendre,
Et, ne songeant plus qu'à t'entendre,
Il te laisse blesser les coeurs."
Antoine Houdar de La Motte, La Flute

***

MICHEL DE LA BARRE (Paris, ca. 1675 - 1745)
Troisiéme Sonate en E-Si-Mi Tierce Mineur
from "Troisiéme Livre des Trios", 1707
1. Prélude, lentement
2. Fugue
3. Rondeau, tendrement
4. Fugue, vivement

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