Theleme Ensemble Basel


Perdre rien - Claude Le Jeune

The Catholic Church had reserved the performance of liturgical chant for the ecclesiastical profession alone; the Reformation, on the other hand, tried to "give it back" to the congregation. But this musical practice did not stop at the exit of the temple or the schools. The singing of psalms echoed through the streets and shops, and even in the homes of those who practiced polyphony at home. Psalms and spiritual songs quickly replaced (sometimes by simple substitution of texts) the secular songs of the Renaissance, which were considered "foolish, vain and vile" - in short, immoral.

 

In the course of the 16th century, the repertoire of chansons spirituelles became ever more extensive and complex. The texts set to music are full of hidden meanings, the polyphony becomes increasingly sophisticated and the virtuosity matches that of Italian madrigals. This repertoire, which reveals new treasures with every listening, is presented by thélème in the programme Perdre rien.

 

 

DISTRIBUTION

Chantal Santon-Jeffery, superius
Julien Freymuth, haute-contre
Cyril Escoffier, ténor
Loïc Paulin, ténor
Jean-Christophe Groffe, basse and direction
Ziv Braha, lute and viola da gamba
Ryosuke Sakamoto, viola da gamba and lute
Leonardo Bortolotti, viola da gamba
Elizabeth Rumsey, viola da gamba
Alexandra Polin, viola da gamba

 

 

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