The 14-strong band of strings, winds, and harpsichord L’Académie brought “Musique pour le chambre du roi” to Christ Church Cambridge Saturday night, presenting works of three superb French composers from just before 1700: Marin Marais, Michel-Richard de Lalande, and François Couperin.
The meagerness of the crowd, although unfortunate, was not entirely inappropriate. “Music for the chamber of King Louis XIV” was a relatively intimate affair, performed privately by a small subset of the king’s vast musical establishment. French kings were never alone, however, always attended by a host of servants and favored nobles. Nor was all the music on the program originally composed for the king’s private concerts, for it also included ballet music for the theater.
L’ Académie, whose name refers to the semi-public concerts given during the 17th and 18th centuries, was written up in the Improper Bostonian earlier this year for its performances in area hospitals. The organization has been presenting in various guises and venues since 2009. Six of the original members of the ensemble participated in last night’s concert: Joan Plana, Colleen McGary-Smith, Laura Jeppesen, Daniel Golleher, Emily Rideout, Andrew Arceci, Andrea LeBlanc.