Coda · Places · 11
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild Entertainment, in the measure of the garden.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, between two bays
Built for Béatrice de Rothschild between 1907 and 1912 on the narrowest part of Cap Ferrat, with the sea on either side and nine gardens around it. A house of this order asks for music in proportion: chosen for each space, and paced across the whole day.
The programme
Music in proportion to the house.
We curate the entertainment at the villa, from the first notes of the ceremony to the end of the evening: who plays, where, for how long and in what order. The villa's own technical suppliers provide the sound and light; we brief and schedule the musicians around them.
01 · The French garden
Ceremony
Down the axis, towards the temple
Strings, set to the garden's symmetry.
Béatrice laid out the French garden on a single axis, with the Temple of Love at its end. We place the musicians to keep that line clear, and choose an ensemble that carries in the open air without needing to be loud.
The French garden, overlooking Cap Ferrat, as agreed with the villa for your date.
The music
- String quartet
- Harp
- Solo voice with strings
02 · The gardens
Cocktails
Nine of them, each in its own character
Music at the pace of a walk.
Guests drift between gardens that change character every few steps. We favour small ensembles and musicians who can move, so the music meets the guests where they are rather than calling them to one place.
Among the villa's themed gardens, or in the oriental salon, which looks out over Villefranche's harbour.
The music
- Jazz trio
- Roaming musicians
- Acoustic duo
03 · The patio
Dinner
Arcades and pink marble columns
Dinner beneath the arcades.
The patio is the heart of the house, and its stone carries sound. We pace the music to the courses, from a pianist or a string ensemble at the start to a short performance before dessert, at a level that leaves room for conversation.
The patio, the villa's great reception hall, built around its arcades and pink marble columns.
04 · Where the villa permits
Dancing
As agreed for your date
Then the music turns to the floor.
Where the villa allows it, the evening can end with dancing. We bring a live band, a DJ or a DJ with live musicians, and send their technical needs to the villa's suppliers well ahead, so the change of mood is planned, not improvised.
Where, and for how long, as the villa agrees for your date.
Working with the villa
The villa works with its own technical suppliers. We curate the entertainment.
Sound, lighting and technical production at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild come from the suppliers the villa refers, and we work alongside them rather than in their place. Our part is the entertainment: choosing and briefing the musicians, DJs and performers, shaping the programme across the day, and agreeing every technical need in advance.
- 01Entertainment curated, briefed and scheduled by us
- 02Technical needs agreed with the villa's suppliers
- 03Positions and timings coordinated with the villa
- 04One running order shared with your planner
The setting
What the villa publishes, and how we approach it.
From Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
- Where
- Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, on the narrowest part of the cape, between the bays of Villefranche and Beaulieu
- Built
- 1907–1912 for Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild, by the architect Jacques-Marcel Auburtin
- The house
- Inspired by the Italian Renaissance; first ochre, later painted in reddish-pink hues
- Gardens
- Nine themed gardens on seven hectares; the French garden laid out like a ship's deck
- The patio
- The great reception hall, of arcades and pink marble columns, around which the villa is built
- Today
- Owned by the Académie des Beaux-Arts; a listed Historic Monument since 1993
As published by the villa and the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Confirm the details for your date with the villa.
From us
Music for a listed house
The villa is a historic monument and a museum. We choose ensembles and positions that suit its rooms and gardens, and agree every placement with the villa first.
Space by space
The French garden, the gardens beyond and the patio each ask for something different. We programme each one, and the moments between them.
With the villa's suppliers
The villa's technical suppliers provide the sound and light. We send every performer's requirements ahead, so nothing is left to the day.
Coda · Places · 11
Discuss entertainment at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild.
Coda is independent, not affiliated with Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild or the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Technical production at the villa is by its own suppliers. Details are as the villa publishes them.