In this programme, La Néréide explore the spiritual, sensual and turbulent emotions of early 18^th century France through repertoire written for the famous house of Saint-Cyr. 

Created by Madame de Maintenon, Louis XIV’s last and favourite wife, Saint-Cyr allowed young girls of nobility to access a complete education, including classes in music. It was for these young women of Saint-Cyr that Clérambault wrote his famous Miserere for three voices in 1745.

The programme Le cœur et la raison opposes two facets of these young women’s lives, between meditation and human passions. The first part comprises three Miserere (Delalande, Lalouette and Clerambault), and several airs de cours, expressing the vibrant fire of the human emotions.

In Autumn 2024, La Néréide will record this program using historically accurate forces; French gallery organs for the sacred pieces and archiluth for the profane pieces, in order to respect the way this music would have been performed at the time of composition.