Women in Music
Women in music from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. A song recital given by Sabine Devieilhe and Mathieu Pordoy who, after appearing together in New York, London, Vienna and Paris, will perform in Prague as well.
Programme
- Hildegard von Bingen: O Euchari in leta via
- Claude Debussy: La Fille aux cheveux de lin, L.15 (1881)
- Fanny Mendelssohn: Frühling from 6 Lieder Op. 7
- Alma Mahler: Die stille Stadt from Fünf Lieder
- Clara Schumann: Lorelei
- Fanny Mendelssohn: Nach Süden from Fünf Lieder Op. 10
- Fanny Mendelssohn: Könnt ich zu den Wäldern flüchten from the cycle Anklänge
- Cécile Chaminade: L’été
- Clara Schumann: Liebst du um Schönheit from Lieder Op. 12
- Fanny Mendelssohn: Achmed an Irza
- Robert Schumann: Aus meinen Tränen sprießen and Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne from Dichterliebe Op. 48
- Fanny Mendelssohn: Die Mainacht from Sechs Lieder Op. 9
- Carlos D’Alessio: India Song
- Reinhold Glière: Allegro from Concerto for Coloratura Soprano Op. 82
- Mel Bonis: Gai printemps from 5 Pièces pour piano Op. 11
- Olivier Messiaen: Vocalise-Étude
- Yvonne Loriod: J-e t apostrophe a-i-m-e from Grains de cendre
- Franz Liszt: Freudvoll und leidvoll S.280/1
- Amy Beach: Elle et moi from Three Songs Op. 21
- Marguerite Canal: Le bonheur est dans le pré
Performers
- Sabine Devieilhe – soprano
- Mathieu Pordoy – piano
“You should pull yourself together, and collect yourself; you should educate yourself more seriously and assiduously towards your real goal, that of a housewife, the only profession for a girl.” Even a man as well–educated as Abraham Mendelssohn chose to write these words to his 14-year-old daughter Fanny in 1820; yet, a year earlier, this brilliant pianist had performed Bach’s entire Well-Tempered Clavier from memory as a birthday gift to her father. Fanny Mendelssohn was not alone in this respect: A number of female composers before and after her literally had to fight for their music or compose in secret – which makes discovering their work all the more exciting.
A programme about love, joy and happiness
This song recital given by Sabine Devieilhe, three-time winner of the Victoire de la musique classique award in the category “Singer of the Year”, offers a rare opportunity to become acquainted with music by French and German female composers that spans an arc from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Devieilhe is known for her unconventional approach to programming, where she boldly combines works from various stylistic periods, placing them in thought-provoking intellectual and emotional contexts. Her Prague Spring programme ruthlessly disrupts the traditional song recital form. The result is an immensely dynamic and stimulating evening full of unexpected twists and contrasts. The concert explores the themes of love, joy and happiness, thus it comes as no surprise that Devieilhe and pianist Mathieu Pordoy gave their programme the subheading “Glücklich allein ist die Seele, die liebt” (Happy alone is the soul that loves), a quotation from the song Freudvoll und leidvoll by Franz Liszt.
An evening full of contrasts
Devieilhe and Pordoy will guide you through various eras, from contemplative music by medieval poet Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179), to the Schubertian salon songs of Fanny Mendelssohn (1805–1847) and Amy Beach (1867–1944), also compositions by Alma Mahler (1879–1964) reflecting a sense of uneasiness under the influence of the fin de siècle, then the playful French coloraturas of Cécile Chaminade (1857–1944) and J-e t apostrophe a-i-m-e by Yvonne Loriod (1924–2010), in which the singer spells out the phrase Je t’aime, including the apostrophe… And in amongst these works pianist Mathieu Pordoy will interweave such gems as the blues-inflected India Song, the central melody of the film of the same name by Marguerite Duras, who wrote the celebrated novel The Lover, or the favourite by Claude Debussy (1862–1918) The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.
World-class soprano in her Czech debut
Sabine Devieilhe possesses a coloratura soprano of unique timbre. During the past season alone she appeared in three major European venues – the Bavarian State Opera, Milan’s Teatro alla Scala and the Paris Opera. This season sees her returning to the Vienna and Berlin State Operas; she has also given debuts with the Berlin Philharmonic, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Salzburg Festival, and she is a regular guest at the renowned early music festival in Aix-en-Provence. Teaming up with one of the most sought-after chamber partners and opera coaches on the current scene, French pianist Mathieu Pordoy, she has given concerts in New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Philharmonie de Paris, Vienna’s Musikverein and London’s Wigmore Hall. Together they have also released a recording of Mozart and Strauss songs for the Erato label. Their joint concert at the Prague Spring marks their Czech debut.
