The Passion of Joan of Arc

Transcription

1 Miller Theatre at Columbia University th Season Early Music The Passion of Joan of Arc The Orlando Consort Wednesday, October 14, 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 16, 8:00 p.m.

2 From the Executive Director Just one short month ago we opened our 27th season with visionary composer Simon Steen-Andersen s Run Time Error. Simon challenged the JACK Quartet to engage with their instruments in innovative ways that defied conventions of the string quartet. In September, we also came together as a community to create the 4th Annual Morningside Lights procession inspired by New York night life. Last week, we celebrated William Schuman Award winner and Miller Theatre neighbor, John Luther Adams, with New York premieres of three pieces. Tonight, we ll open our Early Music Series with the Orlando Consort s The Passion of Joan of Arc. I ve been eager to bring this project to Miller since Donald Greig first told me about his idea to devise a medieval score for this renowned film. It was only an idea then, and seeing it fully realized on our stage has been magnificent. I am deeply moved by the artistry of Carl Theodor Dreyer s film and the depth that Donald Greig s score, comprised entirely of music composed in Joan s lifetime, adds to it. I d like to extend special thanks to Peter Vaughan, Director of Motion Picture and Information Technology at Columbia University School of the Arts, for his invaluable technical guidance and support. Next week, we welcome cellist Matt Haimovitz to Miller Theatre and Columbia University as he performs spontaneous concerts all over campus, pairing Bach cello suites with commissioned overtures by contemporary composers. The locations of these concerts are a surprise, so be sure to follow Miller Theatre on Twitter (@MillerTheatre) and Facebook (facebook.com/millertheatre) to follow Matt s journey. Matt s ambitious project culminates in two evening-length concerts at Miller Theatre. We ll close October with our second Pop-Up Concert from Ensemble Signal. Inspirations pairs Ensemble Signal artists with the pieces they ve always wanted to play, and I can t wait to hear these talented musicians share their passion in such an intimate setting. Thank you for joining us for this captivating evening of medieval polyphony and cinematic mastery. Audience members like you make it possible for us to continue to expand the boundaries of our programming. Melissa Smey Executive Director

3 Miller Theatre at Columbia University th Season Early Music Wednesday, October 14, 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 16, 8:00 p.m. United States premiere The Passion of Joan of Arc The Orlando Consort La Passion de Jeanne d Arc (1928) written and directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer accompanied by a live score of medieval music devised and developed by Donald Greig Performers Matthew Venner, countertenor Mark Dobell, tenor Angus Smith, tenor Donald Greig, baritone with Robert Macdonald, bass Film Cast Jeanne d Arc: Renée Maria Falconetti Pierre Cauchon: Eugène Silvain Jean D Estivet: André Berley Nicolas Loyseleur: Maurice Schutz Jean Massieu: Antonin Artaud Jean Lemaître: Gilbert Dalleu Guillaume Erard: Jean d Yd Jean Beaupère: Louis Ravet Film Credits Director, Script: Carl Theodor Dreyer Historical Adviser: Pierre Champion Cinematography: Rudolf Maté Art Directors: Hermann Warm and Jean Hugo Costumes: Valentine Hugo Assistant Directors: Paul La Cour and Ralph Holm This program runs approximately one hour and forty-five minutes with no intermission. Please note that photography and the use of recording devices are not permitted. Remember to turn off all cellular phones and pagers before tonight s performance begins. Miller Theatre at Columbia University is wheelchair accessible. Large print programs are available upon request. For more information or to arrange accommodations, please call

4 About the Film When La Passion de Jeanne d Arc was released in 1928, Joan was a long-established symbol of French patriotism, and her story would have been familiar to Dreyer s audiences. Indeed, his film deliberately played against much of the existing mythology, bypassing her victorious military career and the iconic image of Joan armed for battle and instead entered immediately into the intimate world of her trial. Joan of Arc was born to farmers in northeast France around 1412 in the midst of the Hundred Years War against Britain. France s loyalty was divided between the crown prince, Charles of Valois, and the British King Henry V. At age 13, Joan began to hear voices that she believed had been sent by God, commanding her to save France by expelling the British and installing Charles as King. She donned men s clothing and journeyed to Charles palace, telling him of her divine mission, and he (surprisingly) honored the young woman s request to be given an army. In March of 1429, Joan led these forces to break the British siege at Orléans a stunning French victory. She continued to spearhead a successful campaign to reclaim territory from the British, which culminated in the coronation of King Charles VII that same year. Joan was famous, a living legend in France. She was captured a year later in the French region of Burgundy, which was allied to the British, and taken to the British-held castle at Rouen. At the request of the theology faculty at the University of Paris (also allied to the British), Joan was not treated as a military figure, but tried as a heretic. Charles made no attempt to negotiate for her release. Dreyer s film takes its content from the transcripts of Joan s trial, although it condenses her year of captivity into a single day. The film includes the tensions between the British military, Catholic clergy, and townspeople of Rouen, who would have been sympathetic to the legendary Maid of Orléans. Twenty years after her death, Joan of Arc was re-tried and her condemnation was annulled. In 1920 she was canonized as a Saint just eight years before Dreyer s film. Note by Nora Sørena Casey

5 About the Program In common with many other great works of art, when Carl Theodor Dreyer s La Passion de Jeanne d Arc was first released its qualities weren t immediately recognised. It opened in Copenhagen in April 1928, though it wasn t until October in that same year that it received its second premiere in Paris, but only after changes insisted upon by the French church were made. Across the channel in England, it was banned for a year because of its depiction of the brutality of the English soldiers, which was ironic given that their real treatment of Joan was considerably worse. Of the reviewers, only Mordaunt Hall, writing in the New York Times, focused on the things for which the film is now known its startling visual style and the central performance. Hall wrote: France can well be proud of... The Passion of Jeanne d Arc, for while Carl Dreyer, a Dane, is responsible for the conspicuously fine and imaginative use of the camera, it is the gifted performance of Maria Falconetti as the Maid of Orléans that rises above everything in this artistic achievement. An historical context informed Dreyer s choice of Joan of Arc as his subject. She was canonised in 1920, and in 1925 Joseph Delteil published a flamboyant biography of the new Saint, the rights to which Dreyer acquired. Ultimately, he set Delteil s text aside and instead devoted himself to his more familiar approach: research. His main source was the transcripts of the trial, edited by Jules Quicherat in the 1840s, from which all of the film s dialogue comes. This commitment to authenticity extended to the design. A staggering one million francs of the seven million franc budget was given over to building the set, but Dreyer eschewed grand vistas of medieval architecture and townscapes in favour of close-ups and fast editing, reducing the art direction to mere details glimpsed in the background. Much has been written about Dreyer s visual rhetoric: the anachronistic use of irises to mask the image, a refusal to adhere to the conventions of screen direction in looks and movement, the concentration on close-ups, the exclusion of comprehensible spatial logic, and the low camera positions all produce feelings of claustrophobia and confusion. Maria Renée Falconetti s role is counted as one of the great screen performances, but part of its power is derived from the surrounding shots. As we

6 look with her at the austere judges or derisive soldiers, we project our own psychic discomfort onto Falconetti s face, thereby doubling the heroine s emotional state. Music contains the same power to construct meaning. With this in mind, our initial task was to determine the emotional point of each scene and second-guess Dreyer s intentions. Here we followed the tried and tested method of matching music to image that continues today, spotting the film, i.e. deciding where the music cues should begin and end and their functions in the scene. Sometimes the music we chose had a secondary relation to the scene (textual, historical, liturgical), and we have certainly not eschewed the more obvious clichés of film music where a dynamic or rhythmic motif coincides with a specific action. Our guiding principle is that at all times the performance should serve and ultimately illuminate this extraordinary film. Exactly what kind of music Dreyer wanted to accompany screenings of La Passion de Jeanne d Arc is unknown, but the notion that he wanted his movie to be appreciated in chaste silence is an exaggeration. He told Eileen Bowers, film curator of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, he wasn t happy with the scores that he had heard thus far. One only has to look at his next project, Vampyr (1932), to find a preference for a through-composed score. As the director, he would have had little control over the exhibition of his film, nor did he have any hand in the two scores written for its premieres. His thoughts about the 1951 version, cobbled together by Giuseppe Maria Lo Duca with music by J.S. Bach, Scarlatti, and others, are well documented. Dreyer s musical objections were twofold: firstly, the music was from the wrong era, and secondly, the dynamic of the music was an ill-fitting fortissimo. A further criticism of the Lo Duca version was that in using religious music the soundtrack misrepresented the anti-clerical argument of the film. This point was never made by Dreyer, however, and with good reason: Joan s own faith is never in doubt, and Dreyer argued that the priests were not so much hypocrites as misguided zealots. Hopefully our approach satisfies these specific grievances and might have even been met with Dreyer s approval. Certainly Dreyer makes the would-be composer s task difficult. With no establishing shots and an almost schizophrenic alternation between rapid cutting (the film has 1,500 cuts in its 96 minutes) and still contemplation, the rhythm of the film poses unique problems. This makes our choice of pre-existing music quite appropriate. The tactus (beat) of this music remains broadly organic, as opposed to the hyper-precise

7 cueing of modern scores. Our response echoes the practice of original silent-film accompaniment, though in place of a conductor we have an on-screen guide track. All of the music you will hear comes from the early years of the fifteenth century, the period of Joan s brief life, though whether Joan herself would ever have heard it is an unanswerable question. Charles VII, her king, was so short of money that he could no longer afford his own travelling choir. However, Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, was patron to Dufay and Binchois, and the Regent of France was patron to John Dunstable. It seems likely that Joan would have encountered at least some of the repertoire. An assiduous attendee of Mass, her travels took her to many large towns and cities like Orléans, Troyes, and Blois, all of which had choral foundations. The early fifteenth century was a transitional period for polyphonic music. The earlier fourteenth century style is represented here by Richard Loqueville s Sanctus and Billart s Salve Virgo virginum. Parallel fifths, fourths, and octaves abound, as do the characteristic stark sixth-to-octave cadences. What will most strike the listener is the rhythmic interest and virtuosic flair in the upper parts that contrast with the stolid plainchant in the accompanying voices. The later, more melodic style is evinced in the secular chansons: Dufay s Je me complains in which we have substituted words from Christine de Pizan s La Ditié de Jeanne d Arc, written a year before Joan s capture and Gautier Libert s haunting De Tristesse. Several other pieces display this sweeter, more consonant approach such as Johannes De Lymburgia s Descendi in hortum meum, and several instances of fauxbourdon an improvised system of parallel second-inversion chords which display a fondness for thirds and sixths characteristic of English music. Though England, France, and Burgundy were almost constantly at war with each other, musical influence paid no heed to territorial boundaries. Indeed the English style represented here by the Agincourt Carol and the anonymous O Redemptor initiated the very transition from the earlier to the later styles. It is now generally accepted that all of the music you will hear was performed by voices alone. Whatever one s position on this musicological issue, the more intimate medium of five unaccompanied voices is particularly appropriate to the portrayal of a woman whose divine inspiration came in the form of the voices of Saint Michael, Saint Catherine, and Saint Margaret. Program note by Donald Greig Please visit to read more about repertoire selections and scene breakdowns. About the Program

8 About the Artists The Orlando Consort Matthew Venner, countertenor Mark Dobell, tenor Angus Smith, tenor Donald Greig, baritone with Robert Macdonald, bass Formed in 1988 by the Early Music Network of Great Britain, the Orlando Consort rapidly achieved a reputation as one of Europe s most expert and consistently challenging groups performing repertoire from the years 1050 to Their work successfully combines captivating entertainment and fresh scholarly insight; the unique imagination and originality of their programming together with their superb vocal skills has marked the Consort out as the outstanding leaders of their field. The Consort has performed at many of Britain s top festivals (including the BBC Proms and the Edinburgh International Festival) and has in recent years made visits to France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Estonia, the USA, Canada, South America, Japan, Greece, Russia, Austria, Portugal, and Spain. The Consort s impressive discography for Saydisc, Metronome, Linn, Deutsche Grammophon, and Harmonia Mundi USA includes a collection of music by John Dunstaple and The Call of the Phoenix, which were selected as Early Music CDs of the Year by Gramophone Magazine in 1996 and 2003 respectively; their CDs of music by Compère, Machaut, Ockeghem, Josquin, Popes and Anti-Popes, Saracen and Dove, and Passion have also all been short-listed. Their 2008 release of Machaut s Messe de Notre Dame and Scattered Rhymes, an outstanding new work by the young British composer Tarik O Regan and featuring the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, was shortlisted for a BBC Music Magazine Award. This is their second recording in a series for Hyperion exploring the polyphonic songs of Guillaume de Machaut; the first release (Le Voir Dit) was selected by New York Times critics as one of their favorite classical CD releases of The Consort s performances also embrace the spheres of contemporary music and improvisation: to date they have performed over 30 world premières and they have created striking collaborations with the jazz group Perfect Houseplants and the brilliant tabla player Kuljit Bhamra. The Consort currently holds a residency at Nottingham University and recent concert highlights include their debut at New York s Carnegie Hall.

9 About Miller Theatre Miller Theatre at Columbia University is the leading presenter of new music in New York City and one of the most vital forces nationwide for innovative programming. In partnership with Columbia University School of the Arts, Miller is dedicated to producing and presenting unique events, with a focus on contemporary and early music, jazz, and multimedia. Founded in 1988, Miller has helped launch the careers of myriad composers and ensembles, serving as an incubator for emerging artists and a champion of those not yet well known in the U.S. A fourtime recipient of the ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming, Miller continues to meet the high expectations set forth by its founders to present innovative programs, support new work, and connect creative artists with adventurous audiences. Advisory Committee Regula Aregger Mercedes I. Armillas Rima Ayas Paul D. Carter Mary Sharp Cronson Stephanie French Columbia University Trustees Jonathan D. Schiller, Chair A Lelia Bundles, Vice Chair Lisa Carnoy, Vice Chair Noam Gottesman, Vice Chair Mark E. Kingdon, Vice Chair Esta Stecher, Vice Chair Jonathan Lavine, Vice Chair Rolando T. Acosta Armen A. Avanessians Marcella Tarozzi Goldsmith Karen Hagberg Mark Jackson Eric Johnson Fred Lerdahl George Lewis Philip V. Mindlin Andrew F. Barth Lee C. Bollinger, President of the University William V. Campbell, Chair Emeritus Kenneth Forde Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr. James Harden Linda Nochlin Margo Viscusi Marian M. Warden Cecille Wasserman Janet Waterhouse Elke Weber Marc Holliday Benjamin Horowitz Ann F. Kaplan Charles Li Paul J. Maddon Vikram Pandit Michael B. Rothfeld Claire Shipman Kyriakos Tsakopoulos Columbia University School of the Arts Carol Becker Dean of Faculty Jana Hart Wright Dean of Academic Administration Miller Theatre Staff Melissa Smey Executive Director Brenna St. George Jones Director of Production Jen Gushue Marketing & Communications Associate Katherine Bergstrom Artistic Administrator Rhiannon McClintock Executive Assistant Charlotte Levitt Director of Marketing & Outreach James Hirschfeld Business Manager Megan Harrold Audience Services Manager Taylor Riccio Production Coordinator Aleba & Co. Public Relations The Heads of State Graphic Design

10 Thanks to Our Donors Miller Theatre acknowledges with deep appreciation and gratitude the following organizations, individuals, and government agencies whose extraordinary support makes our programming possible. $25,000 and above Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts Ernst von Siemens Foundation $10,000 - $24,999 The Aaron Copland Fund for Music Mary Sharp Cronson Fritz Reiner Center for Contemporary Music at Columbia University $5,000 - $9,999 The Amphion Foundation Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Dow Jones Foundation The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation New York State Council on the Arts The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation The Evelyn Sharp Foundation Karen Hagberg and Mark Jackson CLC Kramer Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Margo and Anthony Viscusi H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest Craig Silverstein $1,000 - $4,999 Regula Aregger Barbara Batcheler Susan Boynton Paul D. Carter Consolate General of Denmark in New York Hester Diamond R.H. Rackstraw Downes Marcella Tarozzi Goldsmith $500 - $999 Oliver Allen Mercedes Armillas ASCAP Rima Ayas Elaine S. Bernstein Cedomir Crnkovic / Cavali Foundation Kristine and Joseph Delfausse $100 - $499 Gail and James Addiss Qais Al-Awqati, M.D. Edward Albee Roger Bagnall Jim Boorstein Elizabeth and Ralph Brown Caplan Family Foundation Rashmy Chatterjee Ginger Chinn and Reggie Spooner Gregory D. Cokorinos Norma Cote David Demnitz Vishakha Desai and Robert Oxnam Pamela Drexel Peter and Joan Faber Ruth Gallo Marc Gilman Christine and Thomas Griesa Donella and David Held Roger Lehecka Philip Mindlin Linda Nochlin Jeanine and Roland Plottel Jessie and Charles Price Peter Pohly Stephanie French Claude Ghez Carol Avery Haber / Haber Family Charitable Fund James P. Hanbury John Kander Mark Kempson and Janet Greenberg June O. Goldberg Gordon Gould Richard Gray Barbara Harris Bernard Hoffer Frances and Raymond Hoobler Alan Houston and Lisa DeLange Frank Immler and Andrew Tunick Sandra and Malcolm Jones William Josephson L. Wilson Kidd, Jr. Janice Landrum Barbara and Kenneth Leish Arthur S. Leonard Richard H. Levy and Lorraine Gallard Peter C. Lincoln Sarah Lowengard Christopher Rothko J.P. Sullivan Cecille Wasserman Janet C. Waterhouse Elke Weber and Eric Johnson Anonymous Paul J. Maddon Marian M. Warden Fund of the Foundation for Enhancing Communities Katharina Pistor James Sharp Cia Toscanini Kathryn Yatrakis Caroline and Anthony Lukaszewski James Mandel Mary and Andrew Pinkowitz Edmée B. Reit William Ryall James Schamus and Nancy Kricorian Elliot Schwartz Timothy C. Shepard and Andra Georges Gilbert Spitzer and Janet Glaser Spitzer Rand Steiger and Rebecca Jo Plant Peter Strauss Jim Strawhorn Larry Wehr Seymour Weingarten Ila and Dennis Weiss William C. Zifchak Anonymous as of October 6, 2015

11 Early Music Miller Theatre has carved an enviable niche for itself in the field of early music Olivia Giovetti, Classical Singer Magazine With radiant harmonies and cascading polyphony, early music has beguiled Miller audiences since the theater s founding. Today s masters of period performance bring this ancient music to life, each employing their own signature style. This season we ll hear from returning favorites The Tallis Scholars, Le Poème Harmonique, and New York Polyphony, while the Belgian ensemble Vox Luminis make their Miller debut. Saturday, November 14 New York Polyphony: Songs of Hope The twice Grammy-nominated New York Polyphony performs an array of elegiac sacred works from across the centuries and across the globe, from Renaissance Spain to Revolutionary Russia to modern day Norway. Saturday, December 5 The Tallis Scholars: Christmas Across Centuries The peerless Tallis Scholars return to the picturesque sanctuary of St. Mary s with a celebration of Christmas that includes works from Arvo Pärt and selections from the holiday mass Puer natus est nobis. Saturday, February 13 Vox Luminis: The Bach Dynasty The Belgian vocal ensemble Vox Luminis acclaimed for their profound, rewarding, and intoxicating (Gramophone) performances make their series debut with motets from one of music s most illustrious families. Sunday, April 3 Le Poème Harmonique: Airs de Cour Le Poème Harmonique performs a program of airs de cour. These songs of passion and unrequited love capturing the delicate beauty idealized by the French aristocracy are a perfect fit for the ensemble s impassioned performance style.

12 Upcoming Events Thursday, October 22, 8:00 p.m. HAIMOVITZ PLAYS BACH Cello Suites III, IV & V Matt Haimovitz, cello Saturday, October 24, 8:00 p.m. HAIMOVITZ PLAYS BACH Cello Suites I, II & VI Matt Haimovitz, cello Tuesday, October 27 doors at 5:30 p.m., music at 6:00 p.m. POP-UP CONCERTS Ensemble Signal: Inspirations Saturday, November 7, 8:00 p.m. JAZZ Anat Cohen Quartet: Celebrando Brasil Tuesday, November 10 doors at 5:30 p.m., music at 6:00 p.m. POP-UP CONCERTS Curtis 20/21: Pierrot Lunaire STAY TUNED IN Want to learn about new concerts, special announcements, and more? Join our mailing list at millertheatre.com or scan the QR code below on Twitter 2960 Broadway at 116th Street, MC 1801, New York, NY 10027