Le Sacre Royal de Louis XIV

After a childhood marked by the death of his father, the political troubles of the kingdom, the authority of his Spanish mother, the paternal presence of an Italian minister worthy heir of Machiavelli, hunger, cold and civil war, on 7 June 1654, in the cathedral of Reims, Louis Dieudonné de Bourbon was crowned King of France.

Reims welcomed this ceremony with all possible pomp: the streets were urgently renovated, accommodation was prepared for the large assembly that was about to take place, bridges were restored, and all sorts of victuals, furniture and tapestries transported... Reims was to be the centre of a kingdom that was being rebuilt around the young sixteen-year-old king for a few days.

The ceremonial was as impressive as at the theatre: the Reims cathedral was decked out with tapestries, carpets, stands and a throne on the rood screen; all the grandees of the kingdom of France, as well as the sovereigns of Europe, were present and took their places at dawn. They all had in mind the Royal Ballet of the Night, in February 1653, whose unprecedented splendour had consecrated "the greatest king in the world" in people's minds. The symbolic and secular coronation was now followed by a real coronation before God: gold, theatre machines and costumes gave way to the staging of the throne, the magnificent crown, the ermine, the sceptre, and the hand of justice, and to the processions of the most prestigious dignitaries of the kingdom, accompanied by volleys of bells and the ringing of oboes.

Although there is no indication of the precise music played on this occasion, many indications can be traced through a thorough investigation: the course of the ceremony, the texts sung, the different musical groups present, the instruments used, the number of performers, their location in the cathedral and the types of music.

By comparing all this information, mainly from all the reports made by contemporaries, official or not, sometimes extremely detailed, with the musical sources of that time, specifically the Deslauriers Manuscript and the Tours Manuscript, Sébastien Daucé and his ensemble Correspondances propose today, with the precious help of the musicologist Thomas Leconte, a Coronation of Louis XIV in music, opening the ears of the music lover of the 21st century to the treasures of polyphony of past times.

The Caisse des Dépôts and Mécénat Musical Société Générale are major patrons of the Correspondances ensemble.

Correspondances is supported by the Ministry of Culture (DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) as a company and ensemble with national and international influence, by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region and the City of Lyon. Correspondances is in residence at the Théâtre de Caen. It is associated with the Opera and the Chapel of the Château de Versailles, and with the Chapelle de la Trinité with the support of the City of Lyon.

Produced by the ensemble Correspondances with the support of the Théâtre de Caen, the Fondation d'Entreprise Michelin, the Spedidam, the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles and the scientific assistance of Thomas Leconte, researcher at the CMBV, and with the help of Patrick Demouy, Jean Duron, Fabien Guillou, Guillaume Haldenwang, Johanne Maitre, Caroline Dangin-Bardot and Alexandre Maral.