219. Baroque Odyssey

Work for chamber orchestra by Chauvon performed by Les Délices on November 23, 2014. Works for voice and chamber orchestra by Rebel and Bourgeois performed by Les Délices on November 23, 2014.

Chauvon, Francois: Cinquieme Suite

Rebel, Jean-Fery: Selections from Ulysse: Suffriray-je toujours; Saraband; Beaux lieux, vous ne scauriez me plaire

Bourgeois, Thomas-Louis: Les Sirenes

Homer’s Odyssey is one of the most famous stories in human history. On this podcast, with French Baroque ensemble Les Délices as our guide, we’ll explore the timeless tale through music. Our podcast starts with a work not literally modeled on the Odyssey—Francois Chauvon’s fifth suite. But, as Nagy argues in her smart program notes, this music has a magical quality that listeners might easily hear as evoking the years that Odysseus spent under the spell of the goddess Calypso. After the instrumental suite, we’ll hear a series of vocal works, for which Les Délices is joined by soprano Clara Rottsalk. We start with excerpts by Jean-Fery Rebel’s little-known opera Ulysse. We close the program with another vocal piece inspired by Odysseus: Thomas-Louis Bourgeois’ Les Sirenes. It is—as it sounds—a portrayal of the seductive singing of the Sirens, who try to lure Odysseus and his crew into harm’s way. Fortunately for our hero, their beguiling music is ultimately unsuccessful, and he continues on his journey unscathed.