Dolce Follia is an invitation to cross boundaries: those between art music and popular traditions, between the concert hall and the village square, between contemplative listening and the irresistible impulse to dance. A signature programme of Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu, Dolce Follia presents a vibrant, liberated and deeply embodied vision of the Baroque, where masterpieces by Vivaldi, Purcell, Merula and Strozzi meet Neapolitan tarantellas and the oral traditions that shaped European musical life throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Performed entirely from memorythe programme frees the musicians from the printed score, creating an immediate and direct connection with the audience. Glances are exchanged, bodies move with the pulse of the music, and listening becomes a shared experience. This compelling stage presence, fuelled by the commitment of every performer, transforms the concert into a vivid musical journey where virtuosity, spontaneity and improvisatory spirit come naturally to life.

At the heart of this journey lies the Follia the programme's guiding thread, embracing its rich double meaning: the madness of human passion and the iconic dance that has travelled across centuries. From Vivaldi's celebrated La Follia to the hypnotic rhythms of the tarantella, this irresistible energy flows from one work to the next, weaving together ecstatic love, spiritual fervour and the irresistible urge to move. More than a musical theme, the Follia becomes a celebration of freedom, imagination and the unifying power of music.