Mad Queenes: Women on the Verge explores the maddening highs and lows of women in the throes of passion through the music of Schoenberg, Messiaen and Ned Rorem.
FIRESONG is a Bay-Area based ensemble dedicated to innovative programming of the 20th Century vocal chamber repertoire and to the commissioning of the next generation of vocal chamber works. FIRESONG follows its mission by putting the music of the past next to pieces of our time, both performing the masterworks of the chamber music canon at the highest level and expanding the repertoire through close collaboration with established and emerging composers.
Program:
FIRESONG
Vanessa Langer, soprano
Margaret Halbig, piano
Sophie Huet, clarinet
Ariel: Cycle of 5 Poems (1971)
Ned Rorem (b. 1923)
for soprano, clarinet and piano
Words
Poppies in July
The Hanging Man
Poppies in October
Lady Lazarus
From Vier Lieder, Op. 2
Arnold Schoenberg (1874 –1951)
Erwartung
Waldsonne
Abime des Oiseaux, mov III for solo clarinet (1941)
Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992)
from Quatuor pour la fin du temps
“The abyss is Time with its sadness, its weariness.
The birds are the opposite to Time;
they are our desire for light, for stars, for rainbows, and for jubilant songs.” – Messiaen
From Poemes pour Mi: Book I (1936)
Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992)
Action de graces
Paysage
Epouvante