CONCERT SPIRITUEL 1730

Active in Paris from 1725 until the Revolution, the "Concert spirituel" was the first public concert institution worthy of the name. Founded so that music lovers would not be deprived of music on days when the Opéra was closed, Sundays and religious holidays, the concert series featured compositions of every genre, from “motets à grand chœur” written for the Chapel of Versailles to secular cantatas and entertainments to the most modern of instrumental works, all of which were performed by high-profile vocal, violin, flute, and bassoon virtuosos. The "Concert spirituel" pursued its vocation to such a great extent that it became the most faithful witness to changing tastes in France throughout the 18th century.