Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Early Music
Early Music
Saturday, March 28, 8:00 p.m.
INTERMISSION
Miller Theatre at Columbia University
La Fidelle Rebel
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
Homer’s Odyssey endures as one of the best-loved adventure tales of our time. The
famous epic follows its hero Ulysses on a ten-year adventure as he returns home
to Ithaca in the wake of the Trojan War. Along the way, he and his crew encounter
lethargic Lotus Eaters and the monstrous Cyclops, Polyphemus. Ulysses must also
resist the not-so-friendly feminine wiles of the witch Circe, the deadly Sirens, and
the nymph Calypso, who keeps him and his men captive for seven years. All the
while, the goddess Minerva (also known as Pallas Athena) serves as Ulysses’ guide
and protector, helping him to avert disaster and overcome the many obstacles that
separate Ulysses from his long-faithful wife, Penelope. The Odyssey’s central theme—
and the source of its universal appeal—is the enduring strength of love, hope, and
fidelity, and their ability to withstand tests of time and tribulation.
Scholars believe that Homer’s epic was a song sung to a rapt audience before it was
ever written down, so it is fitting that we return his story to music by creating a
program featuring French Baroque retellings.
Jean-Féry Rebel (1666-1747) studied both composition and violin with Lully, and
steadily climbed the professional ladder at Versailles: by the turn of the eighteenth
century he was performing in the opera orchestra, becoming its conductor (batteur de
mesure) by 1705. In 1718, he assumed the post of chamber composer to the King.
Despite its beautiful music and attractive subject, Rebel’s Ulysse suffered the same
fate as virtually every other opera written between the time of Lully and Rameau.
That is, it saw only a few performances and was never revived (though excerpts
from Ulysse did get recycled into a later operatic pastiche). The libretto for Ulysse
loosely adapts Homer’s text, creating a tangled love triangle between Circe, Ulysses,
and Penelope. We present two airs from the Act 1: Souffriray-je toujours (in which
Penelope pleads with her long-absent husband to return) and the lilting Beaux lieux,
where Penelope explains that beautiful gardens and other pleasant distractions
will fail to distract her from her longing. By the end, however—with the help of the
goddess Minerva—Penelope is happily reunited with Ulysses in Ithaca (which we
witness with two airs from Act 5 of Ulysse: C’est vous, mon cher Ulysse, and Que c’est
un plaisir extreme). We’re happy to present these excerpts from Ulysse for the first
time, which we’ve edited from the surviving short score.
Rebel’s earliest works are his violin sonatas and trios, which date from the last decade
of the seventeenth century. Many of his sonatas bear evocative titles, such as the trio
L’Immortelle (the Immortal one) and La Fidelle (Faithful one), which, in the context
of this program, is meant to evoke the enduring hope and faith of Penelope. La
Fidelle’s searching, improvisatory opening over a bass pedal note sets the stage for a
series of contrasting sections that range from a brilliant, fast-paced fugue, to a simple
elegant air that devolves into heart-wrenching suspensions, to a regal lentement
consisting entirely of double-stops on the violin, and finally a virtuosic fantasy that
recalls the musical sighs and chromaticism of the sonata’s opening.
In vain, Ulysses attempts to conceal his fleet of ships from Neptune, which is where
Le Sommeil d’Ulisse by Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre (1665-1729) picks up the
story. Neptune whips up a terrifyingly dangerous storm, complete with thunder and
lightening in the violin’s swirling Tempête. Minerva sweeps in to protect Ulysses,
offering him refuge and respite by way of a deep, magical sleep (this sommeil is
evoked with lilting dotted rhythms, slow-moving harmonies, and the unreal, fused
sound of muted violin and recorder).
La Guerre rose to prominence as a child prodigy, when, at the age of five, she was
already performing on the harpsichord and singing at the court of Louis XIV. She was
the first woman to compose an opera in France, and one of the very few to publish her
own compelling, creative compositions. Le Sommeil d’Ulisse is included in her final
collection of Cantates françoises (1715), published fifteen years before her death.
Air
L’amour par nos voix vous apelle Love, by our voices, calls to you.
Rendés vous a nos chants cedes fameux Surrender yourself to our songs – Stop! –
heros famous hero!
Après avoir aquis une gloire immortelle After having acquired immortal glory,
Sur ces bords fortunes goustés un doux Succumb to sweet rest on these happy
repos shores.
Voyés voler sur ces heureux rivages Come and see, on our happy beaches,
Les aimables zephirs et les tendres The kind zephyrs, and tender loves.
amours
Les aquilons et les orages The north winds and the storms
N’en chassent jamais les beaux jours Can never drive away these lovely times.
Récit
La flotte d’Ulisse charmée par le secret Ulysses’ crew, charmed by the secret power
pouvoir de ces tendres accords Of these tender strains, was eager to ap-
S’empresse d’aprocher de ces funestes proach these deadly shores.
bords
Quand la sage Pallas pour Ulisse allarmée When wise Pallas, alarmed on Ulysses’ be-
Degage sa raison de ce charme trompeur half, restored his senses from the deceitful
Honteux du trouble de son Coeur charm. Ashamed of the trouble in his heart,
De Venus irritée il reconnoît l’ouvrage he recognized there the work of Venus,
who is not on his side.
Fuyons amis dit-il aux siens “Let’s flee, friends,” he told his crew.
Les Dieux protecteurs des Troyens “The gods – Troy’s protectors – lure us by
Nous attirent sur ce rivage trickery to these shores!”
Air
Fuyés, fuyés éloignés vous d’un peril Flee! Flee! Escape from this dangerous
dangereux peril
qui vous paroit aimable. That appears friendly.
Il est cent fois plus redoubtable que les It is a hundred times worse than the winds
vents et flots and waves
irritées contre nous Unleashed against us.
C’est un trespas inevitable Qui s’offre a Inevitable death offers itself to us
nos regards
sous les traits les plus doux. In the guise of sweetness.
Et nos malheurs n’ont pas epuisé le And our misfortunes have not exhausted
couroux de la fortune impitoyable. the wrath of merciless fortune.
Récit
Par ces sages conseils a sa flotte seduite By this sage advice, Ulysses restored reason
Ulisse rendit la raison et scut par to his seduced crew.
une prompte suite Sauver son Coeur d’un By swift action, he was able to save his
funeste poison. heart from deadly poison.
Air
Belles dans vos yeux l’Amour met ses Beauties, in your eyes, Love sets her
armes weapons.
Qui craint les allarmes Des coeurs He who fears the cries of amorous hearts
amoureux Doit fuir de vos charmes should flee from the dangerous temptations
L’ecüeil dangereux of your charms
En vain le plus sage vous a resisté In vain, the most wise have resisted you.
L’Amour irrité punit cet outrage par le Provoked Love punishes this insult by the
prompt naufrage de sa liberté swift storming of her liberty.
Le Sommeil D’Ulisse Ulysses’s Slumber
Récit
Apres mille travaux, L’infatigable Ulisse a Following a thousand trials, the tireless
Neptune irrité, croit cacher son vaisseau. hero, Ulysses believed he could conceal
Mais, ses efforts sont vains, ce Dieu veut his ships from irritated Neptune. But his
Air
Sur une mer orageuse et profonde, Il On a deep and stormy sea, Neptune
l’apercoit guidé par les zephirs voguer au perceived Ulysses being steered by the
gré de ses desirs; et regner comme lui sur zephyrs – as though Ulysses reigned over
l’onde. the sea.
Récit
Il en frémit, une injuste fureur s’empare He shuddered – an unjust fury took hold of
de ses sens, et les remplit d’horreur his senses, filling them with horror.
La Tempeste (Récit)
Pour perdre ce guerrier, Il se livre a sa rage To destroy this warrior, Neptune releases
De tonnerres bruiants de foudroyants his rage of clamorous thunder and ter-
éclairs; Il foit briller, Gronder les Airs; rifying lightening. He sets ablaze, rumbles
L’univers allarmé craint un nouveau the airs; the universe – alarmed – believes
naufrage, Tous les vents déchaînés lutent there’s a new shipwreck. All the winds un-
contre les flots; Le vaisseau renversé, leashed against the waves, the vessel cap-
cede a l’affreux orage, disparoît et la Mer sized, ceding itself to the ferocious storm,
engloutit ce Heros disappeared, and the sea engulfs our Hero.
Air
Venés Minerve bien faisante, Come, beneficent Minerva,
Vous qui prenés soin de ses jours; Hatez- You who take care of his days.
vous Déesse puissante, volez a son sec- Hurry, powerful goddess, fly to his aid.
ours. Quand il vit la troupe immortelle sur When he saw the immortal crew on Ilion
Ilion se partager, a vos leçons toujours divided, he was ever faithful to your les-
fidele sous vos loix il sçut se ranger. sons; by your direction, he was able to
retreat.
Récit
Nos voeux sont éxacuez; une si chere Our wishes are granted: a very dear head
tête échape en fin à la tempête; Un azile finally escaped the storm. Providing a
delicieux du Dieu qui le poursuit rend la charming refuge, the Goddess assuaged
colere vaine; par un sommeil misterieux, Ulysses’ pain with a mysterious slumber,
la Déesse adoucit sa peine. rendering Neptune’s anger vain.
Air
Dormés, dormés. Sleep, sleep.
Ne vous deffendés par d’un Sommeil Don’t defend yourself from a slumber so full
si rempli de charmes; Ah! Que le re- of charms. Ah! How enticing is
pos à d’appas; quand il succède, à tant rest, when it follows so many alarms.
d’allarmes.
Aux plus laborieux expoits, il est beau It’s good that a hero exposes himself to the
qu’un Heros s’expose. Mais, il faut aussi most laborious challenges,
quelque fois, que ce même Heros repose. but sometimes, a hero must also rest.
Récit
Mais, quel songe se mêle à cet enchante- But, what dreams together with this
ment? Minerve à son esprit presente du enchantment? Minerva presents to Ulysses
Destin qui l’attend une image riante, et lui imagination a happy image of the fate
tient ce discours charmant that awaits him, and speaks to him in this
charming fashion:
Alcinoüs ce Roy que l’univers admire, en Alcinous, the universally-admired king,
ces heureux climates exerce son empire, reigns in these happy climes. In vain, a
en vain mille ennemis, dans leurs jaloux thousand enemies – carried away by their
transports, ont fait contre lui seul, les jealousy – ganged up against him. Forced
plus puissants efforts, contraint d’armer to defend himself, he only used thunder to
son bras, il n’a pris son tonnerre, que pour better maintain peace on earth. For this
mieux affermir le repos de la terre. Ce monarch was sensitive to the well-being of
monarque atentif au Bonheur des hu- mankind and wished to protect the rights of
mains, se plait à proteger les droits des sovereigns. Alcinous is the most solid hope
souverains, Il est des affligé la plus ferme to the afflicted; your wishes will be fulfilled
espérance, vos voeux seront comblés par by his magnanimousness, and despite fates
sa magnificance; et malgré les destins à which are animated to destroy you, he will
vous perdre animés, Il vous rendra vain- returns you triumphant to your beloved
queur a des peuples aimés. people.
Air
Ulisse que la gloire appelle triomphe en Ulysses, who glory calls, triumphs in these
ces aimables lieux. Il y voit finir la que- pleasant places. He sees there the end of
relle qui troubla si longtems les Dieux. the quarrel that has for so long troubled the
Lorsqu’un Heros suit la sagesse, et qu’il Gods. For when a hero follows wisdom and
la prend pour son appui a son parti tout takes it for his support, his course becomes
s’interesse, tout agit, tout combat pour lui. of interest to all – all act, all fight for him.
$10,000 - $24,999
William V. Campbell Fritz Reiner Center for Contemporary Music The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation
The Aaron Copland Fund for Music at Columbia University The Evelyn Sharp Foundation
Mary Sharp Cronson The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation Margo and Anthony Viscusi
New York State Council on the Arts
$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
Barbara Batcheler Charitable Fund Peter Pohly
Susan Boynton Karen Hagberg and Mark Jackson Christopher Rothko
Paul D. Carter Donella and David Held J. P. Sullivan
Hester Diamond Roger Lehecka Cecille Wasserman
R. H. Rackstraw Downes Philip Mindlin Janet C. Waterhouse
Marcella Tarozzi Goldsmith Linda Nochlin Elke Weber and Eric Johnson
Christine and Thomas Griesa Jeanine and Roland Plottel Anonymous
$500 - $999
Oliver Allen Stephanie French Marian M. Warden Fund of the Foundation for
Regula Aregger Claude Ghez Enhancing Communities
Mercedes Armillas Mary and Gordon Gould Katharina Pistor
ASCAP James P. Hanbury James Sharp
Elaine S. Bernstein John Kander Cia Toscanini
Cedomir Crnkovic / Cavali Foundation Mark Kempson and Janet Greenberg Kathryn Yatrakis
Kristine and Joseph Delfausse Paul J. Maddon
$100 - $499
Gail and James Addiss June O. Goldberg Mary and Andrew Pinkowitz
Edward Albee Richard Gray Edmée B. Reit
Roger Bagnall Barbara Harris Monique Rinere in honor of James F. Rinere
Sandra and Marc Bernstein Frances and Raymond Hoobler Carol Robbins
Andrew Birsh Bernard Hoffer Esther Rosenberg and Michael Ostroff
Jim Boorstein Alan Houston and Lisa DeLange William Ryall
Alexandra Bowie and Daniel Richman Frank Immler and Andrew Tunick Mariam Said
Elizabeth and Ralph Brown Sandra and Malcolm Jones Eliisa Salmi-Saslaw
Caplan Family Foundation William Josephson James Schamus and Nancy Kricorian
Richard Carrick and Nomi Levy-Carrick Rebecca Kennison Elliot Schwartz
Rashmy Chatterjee L. Wilson Kidd, Jr. Anita Shapolsky
Ginger Chinn and Reggie Spooner Sandra Kincaid Timothy C. Shepard and Andra Georges
Gregory Cokorinos Barbara and Kenneth Leish Gilbert Spitzer and Janet Glaser Spitzer
Merry Conway Arthur S. Leonard Peter Strauss
Norma Cote Richard H. Levy and Lorraine Gallard Jim Strawhorn
David Demnitz Peter C. Lincoln Larry Wehr
Vishakha Desai and Robert Oxnam Patricia Lowy and Daniel Frank Seymour Weingarten
Rosamund Else-Mitchell Caroline and Anthony Lukaszewski Ila and Dennis Weiss
Peter and Joan Faber Marghretta McBean Elizabeth Wheeler
Ruth Gallo Gerald McGee Anonymous
Marc Gilman Susan Narucki
as of January 20, 2015
Upcoming Events
Thursday, April 9, 8:00 p.m.
BACH, REVISITED
Helmut Lachenmann + Bach
Tuesday, April 14
doors at 5:30 p.m., music at 6:00 p.m.
POP-UP CONCERTS
Ensemble Signal
Monday, May 11
doors at 5:30 p.m., music at 6:00 p.m.
POP-UP CONCERTS
Daedulus Quartet with Benjamin Hochman
S TAY T U N E D I N
Want to learn about new concerts, special announcements, and more?
Join our mailing list at millertheatre.com or scan the QR code below.
www.millertheatre.com • 212-854-7799
www.facebook.com/millertheatre • @millertheatre on Twitter
2960 Broadway at 116th Street, MC 1801, New York, NY 10027