Le Concert Spirituel Orchestra & Chorus

Rather than deriving lineage from the past, Le Concert Spirituel channels the ethos of the celebrated 18th-century French concert series through its presentations of Baroque repertoire, encompassing opera, on instruments of the period. Serving as resident ensemble at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the group sustains a substantial discography that includes several releases annually; a 2024 recording paired Fauré's Requiem with Gounod's Messe de Clovis.

Harpsichordist and choral conductor Hervé Niquet established Le Concert Spirituel in 1987 and continues to lead it. While the ensemble has centered much of its activity on French music, it has also explored Italian, English, and additional repertories. Niquet initially sought to revive and document the overlooked grand motet literature. Working with the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, the group has prioritized authentic performances of 17th-century French composers ranging from Charpentier to Lully, yet it has appeared at numerous other venues, among them the Salle Pleyel and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, London's Royal Albert Hall during the BBC Proms, the Luxemburg Philharmonie, Madrid's Auditorio Nacional, the Tokyo Opera, and the Shanghai Concert Hall.

Following its first appearance on disc in 1989 with Jean Gilles's Requiem, Le Concert Spirituel recorded for Adda, Virgin, and Naxos, producing cycles of grands motets and other major sacred works by Lully and Charpentier. The Charpentier series continued on Glossa, the label for which the ensemble recorded exclusively between 2000 and 2015, commencing with a 2001 account of the Charpentier Te Deum. Operatic projects on Glossa included Boismortier's Daphnis et Chloé, Destouches' Callirhoé, Marais' Sémélé, and Grétry's Andromaque. The ensemble has further underscored the continuity of French tradition by performing and recording Prix de Rome compositions by Saint-Saëns, Debussy, Gustave Charpentier, and others. Large-scale stagings have involved directors and choreographers such as Gilles and Corinne Benizio (Shirley et Dino), Karole Armitage, and Joachim Schlöemer, while the group has also delivered complete readings of Striggio's Mass for 40 and 60 Voices as well as Handel's Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks.

Le Concert Spirituel shifted to exclusive recording for the Alpha label in 2015, beginning the association with Vivaldi's Gloria and Magnificat. Regular operatic appearances at the Château of Versailles have yielded several releases on the venue's own label, including Mozart's The Magic Flute (2021) and Gluck's Écho & Narcisse (2023). The ensemble returned to Alpha in 2024 with the recording Fauré: Requiem; Gounod: Messe de Clovis.