Cantates Francaises

Chamber Concert

Program

Michel Pignolet DE MONTÉCLAIR: Pan et Syrinx
Jean-Philippe RAMEAU: Orphée
Louis-Nicolas CLÉRAMBAULT: Leandre et Hero

American soprano Ellen Hargis will be joined by members of Musica Angelica in an intimate performance of three French cantatas.  All of the pieces are based on stories of ill-fated lovers from Greek mythology.

In the Montéclair cantata, Pan pursues an unwilling Syrinx.  She is saved from his advances by the chaste goddess Diana, who turns Syrinx into a reed.  Pan's sighs of unrequited love become musical when the reed sounds to his laments, producing a beautifully evocative imitation of the reed as a Panpipe.

Rameau's Orphée tells the story of Orpheus and Euridice's exit from Hades.  Having won Euridice’s freedom from the underworld with his song, Orpheus must now obey the rule that he may not look back as they depart.  Of course, he cannot contain his curiosity, and loses Euridice a second and final time.

Clérambault’s version of the tragic story of Hero and Leandre is told by the heroine and a narrator.  Hero sighs for the arrival of her lover, who swims the Hellespont nightly to meet with her against the wishes of her parents.  On this night, a sudden storm blows in, and drowns the faithful Leandre.  Hero greets the dawn with her ardent song, only to discover her lover dead on the shore.