Le Labyrinthe de l’amour – Fuoco Obbligato

TITLE

The Labyrinth de l’amour

ABOUT

Since its origins in Greek mythology, the labyrinth has taken many forms and has found many settings: in literature, the decorative arts, in gardens and as a symbol for the journey of life, both physical and emotional. In this program of baroque arias focusing on love in the context of mythology, the listener travels through a maze of human emotions that are often symbolized by the natural world. As we enter the labyrinth with arias about winged creatures - a butterfly that never settles, birds that sing in the night - we touch on notions of fidelity, constancy, and the wounded heart. The aria “Vole, vole” provides us with a key - love will guide us through the labyrinth of life, its fire stronger that the light of day.

As we move away from playful diversions into a darker world of menacing threats and torment - monsters, snakes and spiders that lurk in dead ends, we shift to feelings of mockery, rage, deception and loss. Despite these errant paths and a brush-up with sleep-like death in the beautiful and melancholy Schürmann aria, we find our sense of direction with Handel’s life-affirming aria “love on her lips is playing“ and Vivaldi’s “Zefiretti”, an ode to nature and love.

As a fitting ending to the labyrinth, we conclude with a sparkling trio about the wheel of Fortune which leaves us with a sense of lightness and renewal.

ARTISTS

David Stern & Katharina Wolff - Artistic Direction

Juliette Tacchino / Clara Barbier Serrano – Soprano

Cécile Madelin / Sophia Stern – Mezzo-soprano

Lucas Pauchet - Tenor

Jean Bregnac - Flute

Katharina Wolff - Violin

Jérôme Huille - Cello

Kenneth Weiss - Harpsichord

PROGRAM

Créatures ailées

• FUX, Ouverture en Ré majeur Pour le Coucou

• CAMPRA, Gli strale d’amore « La farfalla intorno ai fiori » (soprano)

• CLERAMBAULT, Pyrame et Thisbé « Vole, vole dit-elle amour » (ténor)

• SMITH, The Seasons « Sweetest of Birds » (soprano)

Monstres et trahison

• RAMEAU, Le Rappel des Oiseaux
• CLERAMBAULT, Pyrame et Thisbé « Venez, monstres affreux…aimable et cher objet… » (ténor)
• CLERAMBAULT, Pyrame et Thisbé « Amour qui voudra désormais » (ténor)
• HANDEL, Clori, Tirsi e Filemo « Barbaro, tu non credi » (mezzo-soprano)

Vents du nord

• SCHÜRMANN, Die getreue Alceste – Sinfonia pour la tempête

• BACH, BWV205 Eole apaisé « Frische Schatten, meine Freude » (ténor)
• PORTA, Andromeda liberata « Un occhio amabile » (mezzo-soprano)

Songe et créatures de la nuit

• FUX, Pour le Rossignol

• SMITH, The Fairies « You spotted snakes » (soprano)
• SCHÜRMANN, Die getreue Alceste « Gute Nacht ihr schönsten Blicke » (mezzo-soprano)

Brume et baume d’amour

• FUX, Pour la Caille
• HANDEL, Acis and Galatea « Love in her eyes sits playing » (ténor)
• BACH, BWV205 Eole apaisé « Angenehme Zephyrus » (soprano)
• VIVALDI « Zeffiretti che sussurrate »
• VIVALDI, La fida ninfa « S’egli è ver che la sua rota » (soprano, mezzo-soprano, ténor)