28 Aug Press Release: 14th Century Avant-garde
Les Délices Brings Mesmerizing Medieval Music to Cleveland this Nov. 22-24th
Les Délices, Cleveland’s acclaimed early music ensemble, ventures to the 14th Century for a hypnotic program of Medieval songs and dances. Stellar multi-instrumentalists Debra Nagy (voice, recorders, douçaine, harp) and Scott Metcalfe (vielle, harp) are joined by mezzo-soprano Sophie Michaux and tenor James Reese for ground-breaking music by fourteenth-century visionaries whose music –even today– sounds remarkably modern.
Live performances of 14th Century Avant-garde will take place Friday, Nov. 22nd at 7:30 pm at the First Congregational Church of Hudson; Saturday, Nov. 23rd at 7:30 pm at Inlet Dance at the Pivot Center, Cleveland; and Sunday, Nov. 24th at 4:00 pm at Disciples Christian Church, Cleveland Heights. Saturday and Sunday performances include projected supertitles.
Medieval programs by Les Délices are tantalizing opportunities for the ensemble to dig far deeper into the past than most early music ensembles would dare. Says Artistic Director Debra Nagy, “Medieval music has long been a secondary specialty for me. I absolutely love the music – and our audiences find the experience riveting. The soundscape of late-fourteenth century music is very sensual – a bit like an aural kaleidoscope that’s constantly shifting in different ways to expose new patterns and colors. The sound of the language – let’s just say that medieval French has a special *tang* – also makes this music speak and sing in remarkable ways! The music might be complex in its conception but it’s super approachable, fascinating, and fun for audiences.”
Pushing the Limits
14th Century Avant-garde focuses on music by forward-thinking composers such as Guillaume de Machaut, Jacob Senleches, and Johannes Suzoy. Their music displays a remarkable freedom of thought and fearless rhythmic complexity: these composers pushed the limits of what was possible to both notate and perform. Nagy added, “Imagine, for instance, a song that’s about a harp that’s actually written down in the shape of a harp, where the harp strings become the staff lines for the notes. Or, a piece called “My end is my beginning” where the whole thing is a palindrome!”
These composers worked in a style that we today call “Ars Subtilior” (the more subtle art), in which they sought increasingly to conceive of music and time not in relation to the Holy Trinity (i.e. divided in three parts), but with respect to mathematical abstraction. They invented new musical symbols to express their ideas or sometimes used old symbols in profoundly new ways. Nagy explained, “Part of the subtlety they cultivated included imagining all sorts of different ways to divide the beat – into two, four, five, six, seven, or nine parts, for instance. Once they began to experiment, the sky became the limit! And the result is that their music contains all these incredibly cool cross-rhythms. It’s no exaggeration to say that rhythm was never again so complex until the 20th century!”
Acclaimed Artists
Performing alongside Les Délices Artistic Director and multi-instrumentalist Debra Nagy will be her longtime collaborator Scott Metcalfe of Boston’s Blue Heron. Since 2015, Nagy and Metcalfe have co-created five programs for both Cleveland and Boston audiences and performed in many other concerts together. Says Nagy, “Scott is a real Renaissance man and an incredible scholar. I learn so much every time we get to work together. Not only is Scott a wonderful baroque violinist and multi-instrumentalist on gothic harp and medieval fiddle, but he has acquired incredible facility with and understanding of Medieval French over the years. We’ve collaborated on and created many programs together over the years, and 14th Century Avant-garde remains one of my favorites.”
Ohio audiences may recognize Sophie Michaux from her acclaimed debut last season for Song of Orpheus. Says Debra Nagy, “Sophie is an incredibly versatile artist and I actually first encountered her when working on Medieval music. She brings so much love and intensity to everything she sings – whether it’s Coriscan folk music, Baroque opera arias, or Medieval songs. Since she’s a native French speaker, it’s doubly fun to hear her bring so much color and meaning to the early French song texts.”
James Reese makes his LD Concert Series debut with these concerts. The tenor is in demand across North America as an oratorio soloist and recitalist.
Live Performances:
Friday, November 22, 2024 at 7:30 pm
First Congregational Church of Hudson
47 Aurora Street, Hudson, OH, United States
Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Inlet Dance at Pivot Center for Art, Dance and Expression
2937 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH, United States
Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 4:00 pm
Arts Center at Disciples Christian Church
3663 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH, United States
This concert will not be filmed. Instead, Virtual Subscription holders will enjoy the exclusive re-release of Les Délices’ acclaimed concert film Machaut’s Lai of the Fountain, featuring projected images designed by Camilla Tassi, originally released in 2021. This re-release will be available January 3-19, 2025.
Single tickets ($10/$28/$45) for all events and Season Subscriptions ($110/$125/$200), including Virtual Subscriptions ($75) are on sale now at LDmusic.org.