Between criminology and musical discovery, a surprising baroque cluedo

As the saying goes, "music softens the soul". Does it?

It has to be said that some dark legends sometimes accompany the careers of great names in Baroque music. Stradella was stabbed in bed by a jealous husband, Gesualdo had his wife murdered with her lover... and many others.

Jean-Marie Leclair, meanwhile, was found by his gardener in his Paris home one early morning in 1764, pierced by three blows from a dagger. So who killed this brilliant composer and violinist, born in Lyon in 1697? His ex-wife, whom he had just left, or a turbulent nephew? The gardener or a jealous colleague? What is the role of the sulphurous Duc de Gramont, his 'protector'? The investigation, which was fairly thorough for its time, has never revealed the true background to this murder, which was strange in more ways than one.

Ce « cold case » est le point de départ de notre projet : mêlant les œuvres de Jean-Marie Leclair à celle de ses contemporains, nous découvrirons l’identité musicale de ce génie, encore trop méconnu du grand public. Mais saurons-nous également découvrir celle de son meurtrier ? Tout au long du concert, des anecdotes et des éléments d’enquête seront projetés et viendront compléter ce portrait sonore pour vous aider à désigner votre coupable.

Collaborating in the creation of this project: Amos Frappa, teacher-researcher, Luc Hernandez, editor-in-chief of Exit Mag and radio producer on RCF, and Mathieu Rebière, cartoonist