My computer truly harmed my post on Les Femmes savantes. It devoured entire sections. So, I will publish it again, when it has been revised. First, I must rest. I had not kept an entire copy of the post in Word.
It is interesting to see that in Les Femmes savantes, Molière transferred the power vested in men to a tyrannical woman. The play is not about knowledge on the part of woman, but on the very genuine abuse young women suffered in seventeenth-century France. One marries a person one is attracted to and who will be a friend for life.
Trissotin and Vadius are pedants who can no more control their anger than Philaminte. To make matters worse, Trissotin is also trying to marry Henriette so he can help himself to the family’s wealth. He’s a parasite.
A knowledgeable woman would not be fooled by pedants and swindlers. As for Trissotin and Vadius, they would not be allowed in a Salon.
Now that the papers have been signed, it could well be that a petit savant will be allowed entrance into the world. In French venir au mondemeans to be born.
I did not include a discussion of Les Femmes savantes in my thesis. I worked on the problematic plays. Henriette resembles Tartuffe‘s Elmire, Orgon’s wife, an admirable woman.
Events are definitely keeping me humble. In comedy, this is the place to be.
Love to everyone 💕
J. P. É. Martini: Plaisir d’amour (1785) for soprano and fortepiano / Le Poème Harmonique
A century is a very long time, but Marian Anderson’s performance of “Plaisird’amour” brought me greater pleasure than the more authentic Baroque version. I liked the slower pace, but particularly charming was Marian Anderson’s ability to sing the highest notes with minimum obvious recourse to the various techniques used by most mezzo-sopranos or sopranos.
This comment is in praise of Marian Anderson. I am in no way criticizing Poème Harmonique artists who are thorough professionals and perform to perfection. But how can one demand of the very best of sopranos to match a voice “heard once in a hundred years.”
On the 13th of August 2012, I posted a blog on “Plaisir d’amour,” sung by Marian Anderson: “Plaisir d’amour,” sung by Kathleen Battle. New information surfaced when I wrote about “Le Roi a fait battre tambour.” As a result we need an update.
The Dates: circa…
Marian Anderson’s rendition of Plaisir d’amour remains delightful, but it is different. As for the date given by above, 1785, it may be the date “Plaisir d’amour” was first performed, but it may be safer to write c. 1785. According to my earlier post, the lyrics, or poem, were written in 1780, now c. 1780, by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian. But the lyrics were not set to music until 1784 or c. 1784, by Jean Paul Égide Martini.
From Paul Aegidius Schwarzendorf to J. P. É. Martini
Composer Jean Paul Égide Martini, also known as Martini Il Tedesco, was born in Freystadt, Bavaria and his birth-name is Johann Paul Aegidius Schwarzendorf (31 August 1741 – 10 February 1816). Martini changed his name when he arrived in France. Martini Il Tedesco or Il Tedesco Martini would mean the German Martini.
The Revival of Ancient Music
However, what I should underline is the current revival of Baroque music and ancient music, interpreted using the instruments of that era in music, the seventeenth century or 1600 to 1730/50. Eras in music overlap and going from era to era does not necessarily mean progress. The same is true of eras in the fine arts.
The leader in the revival of Baroque or early music is Jordi Savall i Bernadet (born January 14, 1942, in Igualada, Spain), known as Jordi Savall. I became aware of his effort when I saw Alain Corneau‘s Tous les matins du monde.[ii] a 1991 film about composers Sainte-Colombe and Marin Marais, 17th-century French musicians.
The music Savall adapted and performed forAlain Corneau‘s film earned him aCésar (a French Oscar)from theFrench film industry in 1992 and the soundtrack tothis film sold more than a million copies worldwide (Wikipedia). There is a song entitled Sur tous les chemins du monde.
Poème Harmonique’s Vincent Dumestre is also engaged in a revival, but he seems to be focussing on songs. He is recording old songs as they were performed when they were composed. It is in this respect that Claire Lefilliâtre‘s rendition differs from Marian Anderson’s and vice versa.
Plaisir d’amour
The words, or lyrics, based on a poem by Jean de Florian (1755–1794), were written in 1780, now c. 1780;
Refrain:
Plaisir d’amour ne dure qu’un moment.
Chagrin d’amour dure toute la vie.
The pleasure of love lasts only a moment.The pain of love lasts a lifetime.
1)
J’ai tout quitté pour l’ingrate Sylvie.
Elle me quitte pour prendre un autre amant.
I left everything for the ungrateful Sylvia.She is leaving me for another lover.Refrain
2)
“Tant que cette eau coulera doucement,
Vers ce ruisseau qui borde la prairie,
Je t’aimerai”, me répétait Sylvie.
L’eau coule encore, elle a changé pourtant.
“As long as this water runs gentlyTowards the brook that borders the meadow,I will love you,” Sylvia said repeatedly.The water still runs, but she has changed.Refrain
Wikipedia‘s entry on Plaisir d’amour is very informative. For instance, it even contains the lyrics for the song. I will therefore provide a point-form summary of the story of the song, using the Wikipedia entry. There are several pop music settings of this song. Nana Mouskouri ‘s interpretation is particularly delightful, but I have not been able to embed the video.
(please click on the picture to enlarge it)La Surprise, by Antoine Watteau
Plaisir d’amour
The words, or lyrics, based on a poem by Jean de Florian (1755–1794), were written in 1780;
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