The Ballet de la Merlaison (Ballet of the Blackbird Hunt) is a ballet de cour first performed on 15 March 1635 at the Château de Chantilly, during the reign of – and commonly attributed to – Louis XIII. It was later performed at Royaumont. “Merlaison” is a word coined by Louis to designate the feast which was held after a blackbird hunt. Louis created the scenario, wrote the music and the words, devised the choreography, designed the costumes, and danced roles as a woman, a merchant, a tax collector, and a mischievous blackbird, adept at avoiding traps. It is the most popular ballet performed during the reign of Louis XIII and marked an important development of the ballet de cour.
Music.
The music of this "ballet à entrées" is considered to be written with the participation of Louis XIII. While some claim he had written only a few "airs", most experts consider the entire ballet to be written by Louis XIII. The music is very typical for the era of Louis XIII, yet it is very interesting for modern musicologists, since it is crucial for the understanding of development from Late Renaissance to Early and High Baroque music.
References.
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