Miller Theatre at Columbia University 2014-15 | 26th Season
Early Music
The Dark Hours Le Poème Harmonique Vincent Dumestre, artistic director
Saturday, October 25, 8:00 p.m. Church of St. Mary the Virgin From the Executive Director
Welcome back! From the Lionel Loueke Trio to Le Poème Harmonique to the International Contemporary Ensemble, this October we’ll hear from a wide variety of artists who all have one thing in common: they are part of our community at Miller.
It’s a thrill to begin another season of Early Music by welcoming back Le Poème Harmonique. Their work reflects the deep respect and passion for historical performance that this series celebrates, and since their Miller debut in 2008, it’s been a pleasure to partner with them.
The opening concert of our Composer Portraits series—a tribute to Chou Wen-chung— also highlighted this theme of homecoming. Professor Chou is a highly esteemed member of the Columbia community, who made his mark both as an innovative composer and as a beloved member of the faculty. Interestingly, I first came to know Professor Chou’s work as a student. As an undergrad I would scour the music library for new flute pieces, and I discovered Cursive (1963) for flute and piano. It was too difficult for me to play—I couldn’t even read bass clef yet—but it introduced me to his work, and I’ve been an admirer ever since.
The second Composer Portrait this fall, on October 23, was also a deeply personal one for me. Its seeds were planted a few years ago, at Chaya Czernowin’s Portrait in 2010-11. I’ve always admired Chaya’s music—unique, fearless, and rich—and I was thrilled that she was part of the first season that I programmed at Miller. Even before she left, I knew I wanted to work together again, so a few months later we set the wheels in motion for this month’s program. With two world premieres and a Miller commission, it was vast and ambitious, with dozens of performers and two incredible soloists.
All of this month’s artists are people I’ve known for years. Building these lasting relationships is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work, and I’m so excited to share these performances with our community of adventurous listeners.
Melissa Smey Executive Director Miller Theatre at Columbia University 2014-15 | 26th Season
Early Music Saturday, October 25, 8:00 p.m. Church of St. Mary the Virgin
The Dark Hours Le Poème Harmonique Vincent Dumestre, artistic director
Psalm In te Domine speravi in faux bourdon Anonymous countertenor, tenor, bass, and continuo
Troisième leçon de Ténèbres du Jeudi Michel-Richard de Lalande soprano and continuo (1657-1726)
Septième méditation - neuvième méditation Marc-Antoine Charpentier countertenor, tenor, bass, and continuo (1643 - 1704)
Miserere mei Deus Michel-Richard de Lalande tutti
Le Poème Harmonique Hasnaa Bennani, soprano Bruno Le Levreur, countertenor Serge Goubioud, tenor Florian Götz, bass Lucas Peres, bass viol Marouan Mankar Bennis, organ and harpsichord Vincent Dumestre, theorbo and direction
This program runs approximately one hour and fifteen minutes with no intermission.
Please note that photography and the use of recording devices are not permitted. Remember to turn off all cellular phones and pagers before tonight’s performance begins. The Church of St. Mary the Virgin is wheelchair accessible. Large print programs are available upon request. For more information or to arrange accommodations, please call 212-854-7799. About the Program
Tenebrae
In 1680, François Chaperon, maître de musique of the Sainte-Chapelle, entrusted the setting of some of the verses from the Lamentations of Jeremiah to Michel-Richard de Lalande and Jean-Féry Rebel, his brother-in-law. Lalande’s first wife was Anne Rebel, the eldest child of Jean Rebel, renowned for the beauty of her voice. The editor of the Mercure Galant wrote in 1702: “We have never heard a greater voice than hers, it is in- comparable in its sweetness, and perfectly agile. She possesses a lightness of emission and a clarity that are almost inexpressible, with a marvellous sense of rhythm as well as admirable diction.” Jeanne and Marie-Anne de Lalande, their daughters, also became famous singers, noted for the beauty of their voices and their exceptional musicality; Louis XIV awarded them pensions at an early age. The Leçons de Ténèbres of 1680, now lost, probably provided material for the Tenebrae compositions that have come down to us. Although Lalande had written his Leçons and his Miserere for solo voice for the nuns of the convent of the Assumption, they were actually sung, like many of his works for female voices, by his daughters (“à l’admiration de tout Paris”). His Leçons de Ténèbres and Miserere must therefore have been composed some time before 1711, for that year Jeanne and Marie-Anne died (aged twenty-four and twenty- three) in the smallpox epidemic that had also carried off the Dauphin a few weeks previously.
Although Lalande composed the complete cycle of lessons for the Tenebrae offices (attested by Philidor in 1729), only the third lesson for each day has come down to us. As Lalande was in the habit of reworking his scores, it is unlikely that the version we possess (published posthumously in 1730) is in its original state. The Miserere, on the other hand—which has come down to us in manuscript form—is in a better state of preservation, its popularity having ensured that it remained in the repertoire, in church and concert, throughout the reign of Louis XV.
The Lessons (from the Latin “lectiones,” “readings”) for the Tenebrae offices are taken from the Old Testament Lamentations of Jeremiah (sixth century BC), a vast elegy on the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, when they were invaded and devastated by the Babylonians, which was seen as punishment for the sins of Israel. Besides their place in the Jewish liturgy as a commemoration of the ensuing diaspora, the laments are used by the Christian Church to express its grief over the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. Like the penitential psalms—of which Psalm 50 (the Miserere mei Domine, “Have mercy upon me, O God”) is probably the finest example—the Lessons serve as a reminder of religious history. Jeremiah makes constant reference to God and offers Christians a model of repentance and conversion.
The Office ofTenebrae was in fact that of Matins for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Saturday, the three nights of Holy Week known as the Triduum Sacrum. Matins being such lengthy services, held at such an early hour, the office was moved during the reign of Louis XIV to the previous evening. Thus the Thursday service came to be referred to as that of Wednesday, and so on.
The name Tenebrae (“darkness”) derives from the spectacular ritual of gradually extinguishing all the candles—fifteen, set in a great triangular chandelier—as the service unfolded as a reminder of the gradual abandonment of Jesus by his disciples and the darkness that came over the earth at the time of the Crucifixion. A single candle, generally concealed behind the altar, was left alight as evidence of the Resurrection.
For each of the three Nocturnes making up the Matins service, three psalms were sung with their three antiphons, and three lessons were followed by their responsories. For the first Nocturne, the lessons were based on passages from the Lamentations of Jeremiah (poems 1, 3, and 5). Each verse of the first four poems of the Lamentations begins with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet; those of the fifth poem do not, which explains their absence in the Lessons for Good Friday, based on this poem. The Hebrew letters were given lengthy melismatic embellishment, while the verses of the poems generally received a more sober treatment. This alternation of richness and simplicity was typical of the style of the Tenebrae office. It was also consistent with the dualism that existed between the obvious theatricality of the service, sung by professionals, and the contemplative, introspective mood of the texts, which expressed affliction and penitence.
Tenebrae music was very fashionable at the end of the reign of Louis XIV. Some of the greatest composers of the day, including Michel Lambert, Marc Antoine Charpentier, Guillaume Gabriel Nivers, Sébastien de Brossard, Jean-François Lalouette, François Couperin, Nicolas Clérambault, and Jean Gilles, made contributions to the form. All of them except the latter, who opted for a concertante style, took pains to respect the simplicity that was appropriate to the period of penitence preceding the celebration of the Passion of Jesus Christ. The use of musical instruments was forbidden by the
About the Program Catholic Church during Holy Week, and the Lessons were generally sung by one (e.g. Lalande, Couperin) or two voices, and continuo. Providing variety in the instruments of the continuo and adding written or improvised instrumental preludes and postludes to the verses were a creative means of circumventing the rule.
Many eyewitness accounts testify to the popularity of the female singers in the Tenebrae services; the population of Paris would throng the churches to hear them. The music critic Jean-Laurent Le Cerf de la Viéville complained that the religious atmosphere on such occasions often left much to be desired. Actresses would be employed occasionally to sing a Lesson: “they are placed behind a curtain, which they draw back now and again to smile at their supporters in the congregation.” Virtuosity— particularly meaningful in the ornamentation of the Hebrew letters at the beginning of the verses and in the finesse of the harmonic treatment—undoubtedly played a part in the success of these compositions.
Combining contemplative simplicity with virtuosity, Lalande’s Miserere for solo voice and Leçons de Tenebres were written for nuns, who had little access to musical instru- ments. The twenty verses of the Miserere would follow the traditional alternation of ornate solos and verses sung in plainchant by the choir of nuns (they are performed tonight in polyphony). Contrasting with the austere dignity of the alternate verses, the solo part in the Miserere and in the Leçons de Tenebres calls for a voice possessing the versatility and richness that made Anne Rebel and her daughters so popular. The refinement of the scoring and its stylistic variety are obviously the work of a man well versed in the delicate art of the petit motet, as well as in compositions for solo voice; his Italian style of expression may have seemed excessive in his day. In style and aesthetics, the Miserere and the Leçons de Tenebres are very similar, but the composer uses a richer variety of musical forms in the latter and, contrary to contemporary practice, recitative passages are rare.
In the short, desolate verses of the Lesson for Maundy Thursday, the harmonic treatment is particularly effective in its evocation of darkness (“In tenebrosis”), based on the imperturbable throbbing of the bass line in a low register and in the dismal key of F minor, associated at that time with lamentation and the lugubrious. The Italian influence is clear in this Lesson, as is that of the later air de cour, and the composer makes use of da capo (repetition of the recitative “O vos omnes” after the aria in Lamed).
Faithful to the Tenebrae aesthetic, Lalande skillfully cultivates the duality—or ambiguity—of the work, bringing out the feelings of penitence and delight, austerity and charm, lamentation and hope, by means of contrasting affects and by turning his back on the tradition of using lengthy recitative passages. In the Miserere the same alternation of contrition and faith offers a reading of the psalm’s message that is hopeful rather than remorseful. Note, for example, the graceful “Asperges me,” with its exultant vocalises and its da capo, or the “Redde mihi,” and the lightness and determination of the final Tunc“ acceptabis.”
The Leçons de Tenebres and the Miserere should not be seen merely as demonstrations of the composer’s brilliant artistry, however, or as a kind of musical spectacle. In his Leçons, prayer, remembrance, and the spirit of penitence are always evoked by means of expressive processes borrowed from the art of declamation. The theatrical exploitation of silence (“Attendite”) is an example, as are the emphatic repetition of words (“convertere”) and the recurrence of lines of text within the same Lesson (“Recordare, Domine”). The same concern for expression and rhetorical effect are found in the Miserere. For instance, the successive negations of the verse “Ne projicias me a facie tua: et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me” (“Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me”) are emphasised by the use of silences over sixth chords. The composer also makes effective use of echo between the voice and the continuo, and the “Sacrificium Deo” takes the very appropriate form of a long declamatory lament in récitatif mesuré.
Rather than as a secularization of the office or a corruption of faith, Lalande’sTenebrae setting may be seen as representing the very essence of the concert, which, especially in the Catholic tradition, had no reason to be incompatible with the liturgy. The congrega- tion, distanced somewhat, received and enjoyed the beauty and accomplishment of this music which, in the aesthetics of the Counter Reformation, was perfectly in keep- ing with liturgical decorum. Florid ornamentation and its contrary, eloquent silence, characterise the verses as well as the Hebrew letters. The Italianate vocal style favoured here by Lalande is accompanied by an easy flow in the ornamentation that brings it close to improvisation. Thus, the essential element in this composition is not the dis- play of professional virtuosity, but the expression of the passions. The latter, indistin- guishable from the act of singing, are expressed through the physical and vocal presence of the singer, in a gesture that is both ephemeral and sensitive. Because it simulates improvisation and communicates the silent message of lamentation, the ornamenta- tion belongs to the here and now of the celebration, and could no more be reduced to a technical demonstration than it could be completely determined by the composer.
As in the “O” motets or the “O” antiphons for Advent, the music of the Leçons de Tenebres and the Miserere seems to melt away the meaning of the words. The ornamentation creates a feeling of expectancy that is typical of mystical writing. The
About the Program rich ornamentation of the Hebrew letters, the vocalizations that embellish the verses, the silences scattered throughout the Miserere, momentarily blur the words, as if the sound were thus taking over from a verbal meaning that is powerless to depict the passions. The embellished letters, whose flowing vocalizes seem to come from an earlier world in which the word was of no consequence, mark the fragile border between the prophetic value of the text and an opening onto the ineffable, conducive to meditation and contemplation.
Like Psalm 50, Jeremiah’s Lamentations are a paragon of meditation, in expectation of the Resurrection of the Messiah. They represent the archetypal lament, the atavistic lament, and ultimately the lament of the Christian soul, which can but be elevated by the great beauty, ephemerality, and sensitivity of music.
Program notes by Anne Piejus Translation by Mary Pardoe Texts and Translations
In te Domine speravi Dixit Dominus Domino me; Sede a dextris The Lord has spoken to my master; Sit by meis my right hand.
In te Domine speravi, non confundar in In you, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never aeternum; in justitia tua libera me, et be put to confusion; in your justice free me eripe me. and rescue me.
Inclina ad me aurem tuam, et salva me. Incline your ear toward me and save me.
Esto mihi in Deum protectorem, et in Be unto me a God, a protector, and a place locum munitum, ut salvum me facias. of refuge to save me.
Quoniam firmamentum meum et refu- For you are my firmament and my refuge. gium meum es tu.
Deus meus, eripe me de manu peccatoris My God, rescue me from the hand of the et de manu contra legem agentis et iniqui. sinner and from the unjust hand driven against the law. Quoniam tu es patientia mea, Domine; For you are my patience, O Lord; O Lord, Domine, spes mea a juventute mea. my hope from my youth.
Repleatur os meum laude, ut cantem glo- Fill my mouth with praise, so that I may riam tuam; tota die magnitudinem tuam. sing your glory; all day long your magni- tude. Ne projicias me in tempore senectutis; Lest you abandon me in the time of old age; cum defecerit virtus mea, ne derelinquas when my strength will have failed, lest you me. leave me behind.
Quia dixerunt inimici mei mihi; et qui For my enemies have spoken against me; custodiebant animam meam, consilium and they that watched my soul have con- fecerunt in unum, sulted together, Dicentes: Deus dereliquit eum, perse- Saying: God has forsaken him, pursue and quimi et comprehendite eum, quia non est take him, for there is none to deliver him. qui eripiat.
Deus, ne elongeris a me; Deus meus, in O God, be not far from me; O God, make auxilium meum respice. haste to my help.
Confundantur et deficiant detrahentes Let them be confounded and come to noth- anima meae; operiantur confusione et ing that drag down my soul; Let them be pudore qui quaerunt mala mihi. covered by confusion and blame that seek my hurt. Sed et lingua mea tota die meditabitur Yea and my tongue shall meditate on your justitiam tuam; cum confusi et reveriti justice all day long; when they shall be fuerint qui quaerunt mala mihi. confounded and put to shame that seek evils for me.
Troisième leçon de Ténèbres du Jeudi Aleph: Aleph: Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga I am the man that hath seen affliction by insignationis ejus. the rod of his wrath.
Me minavit, et adduxit in tenebras, et non He hath led me and brought me into dark- in lucem. ness, but not into light.
Tantum in me vertit et convertit manum Surely against me is he turned; he turneth suam tota die. his hand against me all the day.
Beth: Beth: Vetustam fecit pellem meam et carnem My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he meam; contrivit ossa mea. hath broken my bones.
Aedificavit in gyro meo, et circumdedit me He hath builded against me, and com- felle et labore. passed me with gall and travail.
In tenebrosis collocavit me,quasi mortuos He hath set me in dark places, as they that sempiternos. have been long dead. Ghimel: Ghimel: Circumaedificavit adversum me, ut non He hath fenced me about, that I cannot go egrediar; aggravavit compedem meum. forth; he hath made my chain heavy.
Sed et cum clamavero et rogavero, exclusit Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out orationem meam. my prayer.
Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris, He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone, semitas meas subvertit. he hath made my paths crooked.
Jerusalem, convertere ad dominum tuum. Jerusalem, return to the Lord thy God.
Septième méditation Tenebræ factæ sunt, dum crucifixissent Shadows covered the earth, when they Jesum Judæi, obscuratus est sol, et velum crucified Jesus, the sun was obscured, and templi scissisum est medium a summo the middle veil of the temple was split from usque deorsum. the top to the bottom.
Et circa horam nonam exclamavit Jesus And around the ninth hour Jesus cried out voce magna dicens: in a loud voice, saying: “Deus meus, ut quid dereliquisti me?” “O god, why have you abandoned me?”
Currens autem unus, de circum stantibus One from among those standing around, implens spongiam aceto circumponen- however, ran to soak a sponge with vinegar, sque calamo potum dabat ei dicens: and having put it at the end of a reed, gave it to him to drink, saying: “Sinite, videamus si veniat Elias ad depo- “Wait, let us see whether Elias comes to pull nendum eum.” him down.”
Jesus autem iterum clamans voce magna Jesus, however, exclaiming again in a loud sic ait : voice, spoke thus : “Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum “Father, in your hands I entrust my spirit.” meum.” Et haec dicens expiravit. And having spoken these words, he expired.
Texts and Translations Neuvième méditation Sola vivebat in antris Magdalena lugens, Mary Magdalene was accustomed to et suspirans die ac nocte voce gementi grieving alone in the grottos, and, sighing Christo dicebat: day and night, she would say to Christ in a groaning voice: O amor meus cor et delicium, quid O my love, my heart, and my delight, what retribuam amori tuo, qui te tradidit in might I return for your love, the love that mundi pretium, O amor meus cor et surrendered you to save the world, O my delicium ? love, my heart, and my delight?
Ah! Jesu mi dulcissime, ah! Jesu mi pa- Ah! Jesus, my sweetest, ah! Jesus my most tientissime, ego peccatrix, tu culpa carens, patient, I am a sinner, you are without ego soluta et in punis, tu tanquam reus fault, I am free and in torments, you, as if a duceris ad supplicium. sinner, are led into suffering.
Heu! clavis et lancea perforatur, in ara Alas! Pierced by nails and the lance, he is crucis elevatur et moritur ipsa vita, pro raised on the altar of the cross and he gives salute viventium. up his life for the salvation of others.
Quid retribuam amori tuo, qui te tradidit What might I return for your love, the love in mundi pretium, O amor meus cor et that surrendered you to save the world, O delicium. my love, my heart, and my delight?
Miserere mei Deus Solo: Solo: Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam Have mercy upon me, O God, according to misericordiam tuam thy loving kindness
Chorus: Chorus: Et secundum multitudinem miseratio- According unto the multitude of thy tender num tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam. mercies blot out my transgressions.
Solo: Solo: Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea et a Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, peccato meo munda me. and cleanse me from my sin. Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco For I acknowledge my transgressions and et peccatum meum contra me est semper. my sin is ever before me. Chorus: Chorus: Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci; Against thee only have I sinned, and done ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be cum Judicaris. justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Solo: Solo: Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum Behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin et in peccatis concepit me mater mea. did my mother conceive me.
Chorus: Chorus: Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti incerta et Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi. parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Solo: Solo: Asperges me hyssopo, et mundabor Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor. wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam, Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the et exsultabunt ossa humiliata. bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Chorus: Chorus: Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis, et Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all omnes iniquitates meas dele. mine iniquities.
Solo: Solo: Cor mundum crea in me Deus : et spiri- Create in me a clean heart, O God; and tum rectum innova in visceribus meis. renew a right spirit within me.
Chorus: Chorus: Ne projicias me a facie tua et spiritum Cast me not away from thy presence and sanctum tuum ne auferas a me. take not thy holy spirit from me.
Solo: Solo: Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui, et Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, spiritu principali confirma me. and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Texts and Translations Chorus: Chorus: Docebo iniquos vias tuas et impii ad te Then will I teach transgressors thy ways convertentur. and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Solo: Solo: Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, salutis meae, et exsultabit lingua mea thou God of my salvation, and my tongue justitiam tuam. shall sing loud of thy righteousness.
Domine labia mea aperies et os meum O Lord, open thou my lips and my mouth annuntiabit laudem tuam. shall shew forth thy praise.
Chorus: Chorus: Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium, dedis- For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I sem utique; holocaustis non delectaberis. give it; thou delightest not in burnt offering.
Solo: Solo: Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: cor contritum et humiliatum, Deus, non a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou despicies. wilt not despise.
Chorus: Chorus: Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion and tua Sion ut aedificentur muri Jerusalem. build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Solo: Solo: Tunc acceptabis sacrificium justitiae Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacri- oblationes et holocausta tunc imponent fices of righteousness, with burnt offering super altare tuum vitulos. and whole burnt offering, then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
Translation by Mary Pardoe About the Artists
Le Poème Harmonique “period” aesthetics – use of candles for Hasnaa Bennani, soprano lighting, authentic gestures and painted Bruno Le Levreur, countertenor sets and machinery – and the aesthetics of Serge Goubioud, tenor modern stage productions. The ensemble Florian Götz, bass also gets back to the sources of early Lucas Peres, bass viol French and Italian music by exploring Marouan Mankar Bennis, organ & its relationships with traditional or folk harpsichord music. Vincent Dumestre, theorbo & direction The ensemble’s recent stage projects Formed in 1998, Le Poème Harmonique have included the first performances of is a group of soloists, gathered around its Pagliardi’s Caligula, in September 2011 artistic director Vincent Dumestre. Its ar- at the International Puppet Festival in tistic activity, centred on vocal and instru- Charleville-Mézières, and of Cavalli’s mental music of the seventeenth and early Egisto, in February 2012 at the Opéra- eighteenth century, is regularly enriched Comique in Paris, then at the Opéra de by interaction with other disciplines. Rouen Haute-Normandie. Also, in 2013- 2014, as part of its residency there, Le Actors, dancers, circus artists, and Poème Harmonique presented Purcell’s puppeteers join singers and musicians Dido and Æneas at Rouen Opéra. in programmes of chamber works – Le Ballet des Fées, Il Fasolo – and, since The ensemble’s recordings for the Alpha 2004, in large-scale stage productions, label have met with rare public success: such as Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (a Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros, comédie-ballet by Molière and Lully; the Diapason d’Or, recommendations stage director Benjamin Lazar) and from Opéra International, Classica, Le Baroque Carnival (directed by Cécile Monde de la Musique, a Prelude Classi- Roussat). For operatic performances, cal Award in 2003, the Antonio Vivaldi such as Lully’s Cadmus et Hermione and International Award (Cini Foundation, Cavalli’s Egisto (both staged by Benjamin Venice), the Caecilia Press Prize, and Lazar), Le Poème Harmonique studies more. in depth the correspondences between Vincent Dumestre is the founder and ar- Dumestre “Young Talent of the Year” for tistic director of Le Poème Harmonique, his work with Le Poème Harmonique. with which he explores the vocal and in- strumental repertoire of the seventeenth Dumestre’s artistic career is essentially and early eighteenth centuries. With this bound up with that of his ensemble. He faithful team of artists he also seeks to has an unusual position on the interna- revive the performing arts of the Baroque tional Baroque scene, as the only musi- period, thereby favoring interaction with cian to lead a company that is directly other artistic disciplines in many of his involved in the production of large-scale projects. stage productions, thus contributing to a new perception of the relationships After studying art history at the École du between music and theatre. His approach Louvre and classical guitar at the École has proved immensely popular, acclaimed Normale de Musique in Paris, Dumestre by the critics and by the public. The same (b. May 1968) turned to the lute, Baroque spirit of innovation characterises the guitar and theorbo, which he studied chamber programmes, in which Vincent with Hopkinson Smith and Eugène Ferré, Dumestre continues to participate as with Rolf Lislevand at the Toulouse an instrumentalist with his singers and Conservatoire, and in the continuo class musicians. This aspect of his work is at the Boulogne Conservatoire, where he still of fundamental importance to him, was unanimously awarded the advanced despite the fact that the ensemble’s evolu- diploma. Since then he has taken part tion means that he often has the role of in many concerts, in particular with conductor. the Ricercar Consort, La Simphonie du Marais, Le Concert des Nations, La Over the past four years the repute of Grande Écurie et la Chambre du Roy, Dumestre and Le Poème Harmonique has Akademia and the ensembles of the grown spectacularly and the ensemble’s Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles. stage productions and concerts are now He has taken part in more than thirty presented at many prestigious venues in recordings with those ensembles. France and abroad.
Le Poème Harmonique is subsidised by the French In 1998 Dumestre formed Le Poème Ministry of Culture (DRAC Haute-Normandie), the Harmonique, of which he is the artistic Haute-Normandie Region and the City of Rouen. Mécénat Musical Société Générale is the principal director. From the very first, the patron of Le Poème Harmonique. The ensemble ensemble’s productions won both critical receives support from Safran for its educational activities. Le Poème Harmonique is in residency at acclaim and popularity. In 1999 the the Rouen Opera in Normandy. For rehearsals, they French music magazine Diapason voted are in residency at the Singer-Polignac Foundation. About Miller Theatre
Miller Theatre at Columbia University is the leading presenter of new music in New York City and one of the most vital forces nationwide for innovative programming. In partnership with Columbia University School of the Arts, Miller is dedicated to producing and presenting unique events, with a focus on contemporary and early music, jazz, and multimedia. Founded in 1988, Miller has helped launch the careers of myriad composers and ensembles, serving as an incubator for emerging artists and a champion of those not yet well known in the U.S. A three- time recipient of the ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming, Miller continues to meet the high expectations set forth by its founders—to present innovative programs, support new work, and connect creative artists with adventurous audiences.
Advisory Committee Paul D. Carter Mark Jackson Margo Viscusi* Mary Sharp Cronson* Eric Johnson Mr. and Mrs. George Votis* Stephanie French* Philip Mindlin Cecille Wasserman* Marcella Tarozzi Goldsmith Linda Nochlin Elke Weber Karen Hagberg Peter Pohly I. Peter Wolff* * Miller Theatre Advisory Board member Columbia University Trustees Jonathan D. Schiller, Chair William V. Campbell, Benjamin Horowitz A’Lelia Bundles, Vice Chair Chair Emeritus Ann F. Kaplan Mark E. Kingdon, Vice Chair Lisa Carnoy Jonathan Lavine Esta Stecher, Vice Chair Kenneth Forde Charles Li Rolando T. Acosta Noam Gottesman Paul J. Maddon Armen A. Avanessians Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr. Vikram Pandit Andrew F. Barth James Harden Michael B. Rothfeld Lee C. Bollinger, Marc Holliday Claire Shipman President of the University Kyriakos Tsakopoulos Columbia University School of the Arts Carol Becker Dean of Faculty Jana Hart Wright Dean of Academic Administration Miller Theatre Staff Melissa Smey Executive Director Charlotte Levitt Director of Marketing & Outreach Brenna St. George Jones Director of Production James Hirschfeld Business Manager Nora Sørena Casey Marketing & Communications Associate Megan Harrold Audience Services Manager Katherine Bergstrom, Artistic Administrator Taylor Riccio Production Coordinator Rhiannon McClintock Executive Assistant
Aleba & Co. Public Relations The Heads of State Graphic Design Thanks to Our Donors Miller Theatre acknowledges with deep appreciation and gratitude the following organizations, individuals, and government agencies whose extraordinary support makes our programming possible.
$25,000 and above Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts Dow Jones Foundation H. F. (Gerry) Lenfest
$10,000 - $24,999 William V. Campbell Fritz Reiner Center for Contemporary Music New York State Council on the Arts The Aaron Copland Fund for Music at Columbia University The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation Mary Sharp Cronson The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation The Evelyn Sharp Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Margo and Anthony Viscusi $5,000 - $9,999 The Amphion Foundation CLC Kramer Foundation Craig Silverstein Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation
$1,000 - $4,999 Rima Ayas Carol Avery Haber / Haber Family Jessie and Charles Price Paul D. Carter Charitable Fund Peter Pohly Hester Diamond Karen Hagberg and Mark Jackson Christopher Rothko R. H. Rackstraw Downes Donella and David Held Cecille Wasserman Claude Ghez Roger Lehecka Janet C. Waterhouse Marcella Tarozzi Goldsmith Philip Mindlin Elke Weber and Eric Johnson Christine and Thomas Griesa Linda Nochlin Anonymous Jeanine and Roland Plottel
$500 - $999 Oliver Allen Cedomir Crnkovic / Cavali Foundation Marian M. Warden Fund of the Foundation Regula Aregger Kristine and Joseph Delfausse for Enhancing Communities Mercedes Armillas Stephanie French James Sharp ASCAP Mary and Gordon Gould J. P. Sullivan Barbara Batcheler John Kander Cia Toscanini Elaine S. Bernstein Mark Kempson and Janet Greenberg Kathryn Yatrakis Paul J. Maddon
$100 - $499 Gail and James Addiss Peter and Joan Faber Caroline and Anthony Lukaszewski Qais Al-Awqati, M.D. Marc Gilman Gerald McGee Edward Albee June O. Goldberg Bannon and Barnabas McHenry Roger Bagnall James P. Hanbury Rolf Meyershon Sandra and Marc Bernstein Barbara Harris Susan Narucki Andrew Birsh Bernard Hoffer Mary and Andrew Pinkowitz Jim Boorstein Alan Houston and Lisa DeLange Monique Rinere in honor of James F. Rinere Alexandra Bowie and Daniel Richman Frank Immler and Andrew Tunnick Carol Robbins Eileen and Adam Boxer William Josephson Esther Rosenberg and Michael Ostroff Elizabeth and Ralph Brown Rebecca Kennison Mariam Said Caplan Family Foundation L. Wilson Kidd, Jr. Eliisa Salmi-Saslaw Richard Carrick and Nomi Levy-Carrick Sandra Kincaid Anita Shapolsky Ginger Chinn Nikki Kowalski Gilbert Spitzer and Janet Glaser Spitzer Jennifer Choi Daniel Lee Rand Steiger and Rebecca Jo Plant Gregory Cokorinos Barbara and Kenneth Leish Peter Strauss Merry Conway Arthur S. Leonard Jim Strawhorn Noah Creshevsky Richard H. Levy and Lorraine Gallard Larry Wehr David Demnitz Peter C. Lincoln Seymour Weingarten Rosamund Else-Mitchell Sarah Lowengard Ila and Dennis Weiss Randy Ezratty Patricia Lowy and Daniel Frank Elizabeth Wheeler
as of September 5, 2014 Early Music
“IT TRULY WAS AN EVENT: THIS CONGREGATION OF PERFORMERS WAS HAVING A SPIRITUAL MOMENT ONSTAGE, AN EXPERIENCE IN WHICH WE COUNTED OURSELVES LUCKY TO TAKE PART.” – TIME OUT NEW YORK
With radiant harmonies and cascading polyphony, early music has beguiled Miller audiences since the theater’s founding. This season, we’ll hear intricate vocal works from England, Italy, and Spain; a French Baroque setting of the myth of Ulysses; and a dark, dramatic lament, performed by candlelight. Join us!
Saturday, November 15 Church of St. Mary the Virgin Celebrations from the Mediterranean New York Polyphony Praised worldwide for their “consistently spirited, carefully shaped performances” (New York Times), the illustrious male vocal quartet New York Polyphony present an evening of Spanish liturgical music united by radiant imagery.
Saturday, December 13 Church of St. Mary the Virgin Sacred Muses The Tallis Scholars The group’s purity of sound is showcased in this program, dedicated to the works of William Byrd. Ye sacred muses captures Byrd’s deep sorrow upon the death of his friend and mentor, Thomas Tallis, while a selection of Latin motets demonstrates the breadth of his artistry.
Saturday, February 28 Church of St. Mary the Virgin From The Imperial Court Stile Antico The members of Stile Antico fuse rich expressivity with technical prowess that “never disappoints” (The Guardian). These masterful interpreters of Renaissance choral music return to Miller with a program that captures triumphs and tragedies from the Imperial courts of the Hapsburgs. Upcoming Events
Saturday, November 1, 8:00 p.m. JAZZ Cyrus Chestnut Trio
Thursday, November 13, 8:00 p.m. COMPOSER PORTRAITS Bernard Rands International Contemporary Ensemble Anthony Roth Costanzo, countertenor Christian Knapp, conductor
Saturday, November 15, 8:00 p.m. Church of St. Mary the Virgin EARLY MUSIC Celebrations from the Mediterranean New York Polyphony
Tuesday, November 18, 6:00 p.m. POP-UP CONCERTS loadbang
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