Did you know that the great Johann Sebastian Bach himself copied down some of Johann Friedrich Fasch’s music scores? Did you know that Georg Philipp Telemann lived such a life that he had to write three autobiographies at the request of his friends? Did you know that we know nothing about Philipp Heinrich Erlebach? Finance a part of this documentary highlighting the young, Parisian ensemble Les contre-sujets and their voyage through the German baroque.

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Our first wish is to make baroque music known to as many people as possible, because we really think that it can bring something to the human soul.

Maéva

Rubato, tempi, interpretations… What strange words resonating in my ears. I don't know anything about early music but I feel that today it's gradually taking me on its adventure.

...in a few words... Baroque musicians in the 21st century travel alongside an aging public, against the grain of contemporary pop music. This films aims not only to tell their story, but also to show their fight for the future of early music. We will explore how baroque music is perceived, interpreted and shared today by this new generation, beyond the confines of well established institutions.

Who are Les Contre-Sujets? Samuel Rotsztejn, flutist and associate math professor, founded his own Parisian baroque ensemble in 2012: Les Contre-Sujets. Winners of the European Union competition EEEmerging d’Ambronay in 2015, the ensemble has performed in early music festivals such as York (UK), Pavie (IT), and is beginning to establish its reputation throughout the world.

Searching to reconnect with the master composers, all the way until the rediscovery of the baroque in the 20th century, Les contre-sujets combine historical instruments, ancient musical scores, poetic texts and historical citations to inform their musical interpretations.

Alongside Japanese harpsichordist Takahisa Aida and American viola da gambist Eric Tinkerhess, Samuel uses this musical art to extend the baroque to a universal mix of cultures.

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Why this film? Today, early music is a real institution that brings together musicians from around the world. The time is ripe to listen to its enthusiasts who remind us of the origins of the basso continuo and warn us against the drifts of cultural consumerism which could efface this classical art, a heritage of the UNESCO World.

We will listen to the narratives of musicologists, theorists, teachers, actors, dancers, listeners and musicians themselves who explain their art behind the walls of an 18th salon, in the workshop a luthier, in a conservatory classroom, in an airport terminal, and in the homes of the musicians themselves. To fulfill this exalted, exuberant ambition, we must investigate the sacred lands of our heritage, feel the fresh stone of a patrimony, re-discover ancient treatises, witness group and individual rehearsals to see the communication of mounting passions. We will meditate in the Royaumont Abbey, take the Parisian subway, take a flight to Valetta, and a train to Amsterdam. We will travel Europe to the sounds of German baroque music, alongside the young Franco-American-Japanese group Les Contres-Sujets.

The Team

Maéva Dayras, graduated from the EICAR in editing and post-production, and an Art and Technique Bachelor's from Marne la Vallée, works since 2008 as editor on diverse audiovisual projects, such the feature-length film Les Etoiles Restantes by director Loïc Paillard, the documentary Le Renouveau with the collective Utopie Tangible, the music video From Dusk Till Dawn by CätCät, among others. In 2016 she studied series editing with Yves Beloniak.

Maéva co-directed Vodka Tagada in 2014, a short film selected by the Courts Devant film festival in Paris, and winner of the jury's prize at the Busters festival, in partnership with the Georges Pompidou center.

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Maéva met Sylvain Teissier, chief sound operator, during the editing of Les Etoiles Restantes. Arctic explorer and rooftop voyager, Sylvain travels far and wide recording for The Explorers and director Romain Francisco, among others.

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And meet Benjamin Meignan in 48H on the 48H film project of Paris 2015. Benjamin is a shadow and light showman who studied at ENS Louis Lumière.

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The publications