Les riches heures musicales de la rotonde

Festival Program

Music will travel free in the 2025 festival.

This program is an invitation to an essentially European musical journey across styles and centuries.

Friday August 1, LES VEILLEURS DE NUIT: « Les Sonates du Rosaire »

Part 1 (Merry mysteries), part 2 (Sorrowful mysteries) and part 3 (Glorious mysteries), from the most famous work of the Austro-Czech composer Heinrich Biber (17th century), typical of the baroque violin repertory, remarkable for the organization and virtuosity required in its interpretation.

Sunday August 3, TASTO SOLO : « La Flor en Paradis »

Tuesday August 5, TUMBLEWEEDS: « Ballade Vénitienne »

Saturday August 9, Concert composed of 17th and 18th centuries Scottish and Irish melodies and tunes by Les Musiciens de Saint Julien.

Tuesday August 12, Quatuor A’dam and François Joubert-Caillet « Les Corsaires d’Elisabeth ». Music and Faith, on board a vessel of Her Gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 1 (16th century), a mix of religious service sacred songs and other – sometimes very – secular songs.

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The Festival

The Festival takes place in the oldest circular keep in Provence, defending since the 11th century the medieval castle of Simiane-la-Rotonde. The Roman room on the first floor with his high cupola and twelve arches is the only one of its kind and was built to demonstrate the power and refinement of the Agoult-Simiane family. These important patrons of minstrel traditions were welcoming musicians and poets in their imposing reception room, endowed with perfect acoustic conditions. Yet it is a quite intimate place for concerts and today it is perfectly adapted for small instrumental and vocal ensembles. This is one reason why the Festival “Les Riches Heures” is mainly devoted to Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music. For 43 years the Festival has been inviting national and international ensembles issued from the most prestigious music conservatories and has been promoting musicians and singers graduated from local or regional music schools, like Aix-en-Provence, Nice or Lyon.