Les Délices (Debra Nagy, director) and the Age of Indulgence
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Concert at 8:00pm
Reception to follow
Survival Kit Gallery
1305 W 80 th St, Suite 303 (W. 78 th St. Studios)
Cleveland OH 44102
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Pre-concert lecture at 3:00pm
Concert begins at 4:00pm
Herr Chapel at Plymouth Church UCC
2860 Coventry Rd.
Shaker Heights, OH 44120
Fresh from a Midwest tour and recording sessions for their latest CD, Les Délices will open their 7 th Season with the lush harmonies, Baroque gestures, and Classical forms of Age of Indulgence. Les Délices will present this program on Saturday November 7, 2015 at 8pm at Survival Kit Gallery (1305 W. 80 th St, Suite 303, Cleveland) inside W. 78 th St. Studios, and on Sunday November 8, 2015 at 4pm at Herr Chapel at Plymouth Church UCC (2860 Coventry Rd., Shaker Heights) (pre-concert lecture at 3pm).
Age of Indulgence continues Les Délices’ exploration of daring, experimental works from the French Rococo. The program features two quartets from François-André Philidor’s Art of Modulation, a sonata for oboe by Michel Blavet, harpsichord solos by Jacques Duphly, a sparkling quartet by Louis-Gabriel Guillemain, and new arrangements from operas by Rameau that mix lush French harmonies with Haydn-esque humor and wit to create a truly unique sound. The result is a fusion of baroque gestures and classical forms that combine with harmonic and technical virtuosity to yield expressive extremes.
Remaining 2015-16 Concerts include a special recital of operatic arrangements for two harpsichords in The Imaginary Orchestra on January 16 & 17, 2016, music by the young Handel in Folly of Youth (February 20 & 21, 2016), and Concertos Comiques on May 7 & 8, 2016, which fuses comedy, popular tunes, and instrumental virtuosity.
Les Délices is a small ensemble that makes a big impact with entertaining, thought-provoking programs presented in unique and intimate settings that enhance the listening experience. Les Délices’ informal gallery concerts celebrate Cleveland’s flourishing arts community and simulate a salon atmosphere similar to the one in which this music was first heard and enjoyed. Saturday evening concerts are followed by a wine and cheese reception and conversation with the artists. Sunday afternoon concerts are preceded by pre-concert lectures starting at 3pm, and are presented in the gorgeous acoustics of Plymouth Church’s Herr Chapel in Shaker Heights, where Les Délices is Artist in Residence.
Tickets for all concerts in the series ($5-$35) are now available at www.lesdelices.org.
About Les Délices
Les Délices (pronounced Lay day-lease) explores the dramatic potential and emotional resonance of long-forgotten music. Founded by baroque oboist Debra Nagy in 2009, Les Délices has established a reputation for unique programs that are “thematically concise, richly expressive, and featuring composers few people have heard of.” The New York Times added, “Concerts and recordings by Les Délices are journeys of discovery.” The group’s debut CD was named one of the “Top Ten Early Music Discoveries of 2009″ (NPR’s Harmonia), and their performances have been called “a beguiling experience” (Cleveland Plain Dealer), “astonishing” ( ClevelandClassical.com), and “first class” (Early Music America Magazine). In addition to touring engagements and outreach activites, Les Délices presents an annual concert series in Cleveland art galleries and at Plymouth Church in Shaker Heights, OH, where the group is Artist in Residence. Les Délices has been featured on WCPN, WCLV and WKSU in Ohio, WQXR in New York, NPR’s syndicated Harmonia and Sunday Baroque, and had their debut CD featured as part of the Audio-guide for a special exhibit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (Watteau, Music, and Theater). Les Délices eagerly anticipates the release of their 3rd CD, “Age of Indulgence,” in the fall of 2016. Visit www.lesdelices.org for more information.