The Museum of Provins and of Provinois is agent, since last July, of an extraordinary organ of lounge(show) of the XVIIIth century when it will be possible to come listen to during the 13th European Night Museums.
The organ of lounge(show) built by John Byfield II in London in 1766 matters(counts) among the heads - of work of the European instrumental invoice(making) of the XVIIIth century. He(It) was commanded(ordered) by James Grant, one of the most cultivated aristocrats of his(its) generation, for the ballroom of his(its) impressive castle, Castle Grant, in Highlands. Having undergone no significant modification since its delivery in August, 1767, the instrument kept(guarded) his(her,its) diapason and temperament(constitution) of origin. The sideboard(buffet) was drawn by the architect John Adam and its sculptures in linden, executed by a big(great) craftsman of London, are of a sharpness(delicacy) and a vigour unequalled in the English furniture of time(period).
John Byfield (1732-1799) resumed(took back) the workshop(studio) of his(her) father at the age from 24 years to 1756. His grandfather Joachim Biefeld, native to Germany of the North, and himself sons(threads) of factor(mailman) of organs, worked with famous " Father " Bernard Smith, author of the organ of the cathedral Saint-Paul (begun in 1694). So John Byfield inherited from a hundred-year-old English-German tradition which manifests itself in its perfect technical control(master's degree). The organ offers 6 registers: Stop Diapason (Bumblebee), cut Open Diapason (watch) basses and top, Main (Prestant), Flute (flute), cut Twelfth (Nasard) basses and top and Fifteenth (Doublette). Instructions supplied by Byfield for their combination(overall) were handwritten by the secretary of James Grant and are always above pull tabs.
The organist and harpsichordist Benjamin Alard is born in Rouen, in 1985, in a farming family cauchois. He(It) begins the piano at the age of seven years. Attracted by the mysterious sounds of the organ, it is initiated to this instrument by the abbot Claude Guitier. His(Her,Its) route(course) continues to the academies of Dieppe and Rouen in the classes of Louis Thiry and François Ménissier. The discovery of the harpsichord with Elizabeth Joyé encourages the young person Benjamin to abandon(give up) its general studies to dedicate itself to the early music to the Academy of the VIIth arrondissement of Paris. He(It) includes then Schola Cantorum of Basel in 2003 into the classes of J.A. Bötticher, Jean-Claude Zehnder and Andrea Marcon.
Benjamin Alard wins the first prize in the international competitions of Bruges (harpsichord, on 2004) and Freiberg (organ, on 2007). He is prize-winner Juventus and named(appointed) to the Victories of classic music 2008.
Since 2005, Benjamin Alard matters(counts) among the musicians of The Small Band(Strip), based(established) in 1973 by Gustav Leonhardt and Sigiswald Kuijken. Both in the harpsichord and in the organ, he(it) shares his(its) time(weather) between recitals and chamber music; in two harpsichords with Elizabeth Joyé, in sonata with the violinist François Fernandez, in trio or in quartet with and the brothers Kuijken.
Benjamin Alard is co-tenured of the organ Bernard-Aubertin of the church It Saint-Louis en-l' island in Paris. Since 2007, he(it) organises every year a thematic cycle of concerts around J.-S. Bach (recitals of organ, of harpsichord and chamber music). He(It) manages The Small Band(Strip) of the organ and of the harpsichord for a programme of Concertos of G.F. Händel in May, 2013.
[STOP_TRANSLATION]Benjamin Alard a enregistré pour le label Hortus et gravé plusieurs albums consacrés aux œuvres de J.-S. Bach pour Alpha, tous salués par la presse et récompensés de multiples prix.
Au programme de cette 13e Nuit européenne des musées : H. Purcell, J. Blow, G. F. Haendel, D. Scarlatti et J.-S. Bach.