In this in-person concert in honor of Marin Marais, the Smithsonian Chamber Players perform works for one, two, and three viols with accompaniment provided by the colorful team of viol, theorbo, and harpsichord.
“Radiant” soprano Sherezade Panthaki debuts with Les Délices for a sumptuous program of French baroque cantatas that celebrates the sensuous abundance of nature. Louis-Nicolas Clérambault’s lush soundscapes instead transport us to the Isle of Delos where rippling waves, rustling leaves, tender breezes, and birdsong fills the air, Montéclair’s beguiling Pan and Syrinx recounts the famous tale of the wood nymph transformed into singing reeds, and scenes from Rameau’s The Enchanted Lyre complete the program.
“Radiant” soprano Sherezade Panthaki debuts with Les Délices for a sumptuous program of French baroque cantatas that celebrates the sensuous abundance of nature. Louis-Nicolas Clérambault’s lush soundscapes instead transport us to the Isle of Delos where rippling waves, rustling leaves, tender breezes, and birdsong fills the air, Montéclair’s beguiling Pan and Syrinx recounts the famous tale of the wood nymph transformed into singing reeds, and scenes from Rameau’s The Enchanted Lyre complete the program.
“Radiant” soprano Sherezade Panthaki debuts with Les Délices for a sumptuous program of French baroque cantatas that celebrates the sensuous abundance of nature. Louis-Nicolas Clérambault’s lush soundscapes instead transport us to the Isle of Delos where rippling waves, rustling leaves, tender breezes, and birdsong fills the air, Montéclair’s beguiling Pan and Syrinx recounts the famous tale of the wood nymph transformed into singing reeds, and scenes from Rameau’s The Enchanted Lyre complete the program.
Debra Nagy, director and oboe
Emi Ferguson, flute
Shelby Yamin, violin; Allison Monroe, viola; Rebecca Reed, cello
Winds of Change
Superb flutist Emi Ferguson joins oboist Debra Nagy and Les Délices in chamber works from the eve of the French and Haitian Revolutions. Inspired by ideals of liberty and equality from abolitionist writings, the program includes a sonata by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the late-18th-century Black composer and violinist, and pieces by Boccherini and Bochsa. The ensemble is excited to perform A Journey to Freedom by the Haitian composer, Sydney Guillaume.
One of the most delightful aspects of any performance by Les Délices is this exploration of the dramatic potential of pitch—how to curve, stretch or wilt a note in a way that’s emotionally resonant.” —New York Times
