Anyone who’s been following my posts the past few weeks knows of the frustration I’ve been experiencing at the inundation of blackbirds at my feeders. In a kind of early spring ritual, a veritable biker gang of red-wings, grackles, cowbirds, and starlings rolled in on their choppers in mid-February and are now holding the entire bird community in terror, like Lee Marvin and company in “The Wild One.”
Today I am reminded that Louis XIII’s favorite pastime was hunting the blackbird. The reason I say reminded is because I happen to adore Alexandre Dumas, and “The Three Musketeers” is set during the reign of Louis. While I don’t condone the killing of anything, especially for “sport,” Louis’ obsession yielded a ballet, “La Merlaison,” which was performed at the feast that concluded the hunt. The feast is referenced in the “The Three Musketeers.”
For the ballet, the roles were acted and danced by those for whom Louis composed it – that is to say the king himself, his half-brothers, his grand equerry, his favorite (Louise de La Fayette), and his group of companions, hunters, soldiers, pages, and dancing masters. For several days, between two estates, Chantilly and Royaumont, they celebrated mid-Lent, hunted, and publicly assumed the roles of farmers, peasants, Gascons, Flemings, Lorraines, and curious birds.
The ballet was positively received at its debut on this date in 1635. But what are you going to do, tell the king his ballet stinks?
I am indebted for the subject of this post, given the Classic Ross Amico treatment, to today’s installment of Composers Datebook, at composersdatebook.org.
https://www.yourclassical.org/episode/2023/03/15/king-louis-xiiis-blackbird-ballet
I don’t know that the original choreography survives, but here’s a modern take on one of the dances by Christine Bayle.
https://www.numeridanse.tv/en/dance-videotheque/le-ballet-de-la-merlaison
And a teaser for the complete production. Would that it was posted somewhere online!
More music from the ballet, with a slideshow of hawks, falcons, and eagles:
I’m hoping that soon the blackbirds will disperse or move on. Then, no doubt, it will be time to address the spring indoor ant invasion!
PORTRAIT: Louis XIII Crowned by Victory. Big man, beating up on blackbirds.