This world premiere was performed on March 5, 2023, as part of Cantori New York's winter concert series at Church of the Holy Apostles, 296 9th Ave, New York, NY.
CANTATA NO. 3
"Les fous et leurs chimères"
by Benjamin C.S. Boyle
World Premiere
00:00 I. Le fou et la Vénus
9:06 II. Chacun sa chimère
15:43 III. L'étranger
18:54 IV. Le crépuscule du soir
23:39 V. Dans la solitude des plaines
Lyrics & translations at: cantorinewyork.com/s/Chimeres...
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A Cantori commission, "Les fous et leurs chimères" adapts the prose-poetry of 19th-century French poet Charles Baudelaire, whose tragic realism and prescient commentaries on the inequalities of human societies remain relevant today.
Baudelaire is remembered for the complexities and contradictions of his lifestyles, philosophies and political opinions over the course of his lifetime. He was known as both a bohemian and a dandy, participated in the French Revolution, developed a reputation for scandal, cynically questioned human institutions, hypocrisies and societal norms, and later in life appeared to eschew politics entirely. The texts sharply illuminate the profound loneliness of modern society, the burden of struggling alone in an unequal society, and the contrast between the ugliness of human hypocrisy and the beauty of the natural world.
Boyle’s lush composition, with string trio and tenor solo, evokes the rich textures of Baudelaire’s 19th-century France. With impressive thematic discerning, presented in the dense layers of the chorus and emotive tenor solo, Boyle deftly illustrates the contrast between the societal excess and human heartbreak depicted in his chosen texts. The work’s concluding movement poignantly unites the two themes of modern human society and the solace of nature, juxtaposing the “solitude of the plains” and the “stony labyrinths of a capital city” in a moving, swelling final chorale.
-Notes by Chelsea Harvey
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Featuring:
Daniel McGrew, tenor
Doori Na, violin
Andrew Gonzalez, viola
Audrey Chen, cello
Audio: Swan Studios NYC / Andreas Meyer
Video: Jacob McCoy / Richard Berg
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Cantori New York is an acclaimed chamber chorus specializing in new & neglected music.
cantorinewyork.com
Mark Shapiro, Artistic Director
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
28 июл 2024
