(seDuctiOn)
“Seduction: The story of Eve in the Garden of Eden is a concert illustrating the primordial seduction story through the eyes of Eve. Each of the three sections marks a point in Eve’s transformation, ultimately concluding with the great knowledge that caused her exile from the Garden of Eden.
Blissful Ignorance: Life in Eden, begins with a work entitled Springscape, by Bruce Babcock. Scored for flute, viola, and harp, this piece is bubbly and light, evoking images of Eve joyfully dancing through the Garden of Eden. Following Springscape are selections from one of Gabriel Faure’s most cherished song cycles, Chanson d’Ève, Op. 95, for soprano and piano. Through this work, we see Eve at her most innocent and pure, living in the Garden of Eden. Blissfully ignorant, Eve is content to be in such a paradise.
Seduction: The Serpent, Eve and the Forbidden Fruit marks Eve’s transformation elicited by the seduction of the serpent. Serpent, composed by John Anthony Lennon, is a musical depiction of the serpent: charming, mysterious, and elusive. Lennon writes of his work, ‘Beware the Serpent whose venom brings pleasure.’ In Bachianas Brazileiras No. 5 Aria, by Villa-Lobos, intrigue and curiosity are heard in Eve’s voice; dialogue between Eve and the serpent commences, and Eve is one step closer to the forbidden fruit. Histoire du Tango, by Astor Piazzolla, scored for flute and harp, is the serpent’s final phase of seduction. Through the dance of the tango, Eve falls under the serpents spell and takes the final step to the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
In Knowledge: Exile from Eden, the pleasure promised in Serpent has vanished. Fall, by Kaija Saariaho, for harp and live electronics, signals Eve’s exile from the Garden of Eden. Through this piece, Eve’s eyes are opened and she truly sees for the first time. Eve’s final cry in Songs for Eve, by Ezra Laderman, is a dissonant echo to the innocent purity heard in Chanson d’Ève. The final work, Now and Then, by Earl Kim, completes Eve’s transformation from innocent girl to erudite woman, carrying the weight of the world.”
-Julia M. Wilcox, curator
Friday & Saturday, April 20th & 21st, 2012
Lucy and Vernon Wright Theater*
21 W. Mount Royal Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
7:00pm
St. George’s Episcopal Church
915 N. Oakland Street
Arlington, Virginia 22203
7:30pm
I. Blissful Ignorance: Life in Eden
“Now God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden. And God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2:8-9
Springscape for flute, viola, and harp by Bruce Babcock
Chanson d’Ève: song cycle for soprano and piano by Gabriel Fauré
Paradis
Prima Verba
Passionate roses
Comme Dieu rayonne
L’aube blanche
Eau vivante
Vielles tu, ma senteur de soleil
Dans un parfum de roses blanches
II. Seduction: The Serpent, Eve, and the Forbidden Fruit
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1
Serpent for flute, viola, and harp by John Anthony Lennon
Eve said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” Genesis 3:2-3
Bachianas Brazileiras No. 5 Aria by Heitor Villa-Lobos
“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to Eve. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5
Histoire du Tango for flute and harp by Astor Piazzolla
III. Knowledge: Exile from Eden
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened.” Genesis 3:14
Fall for harp and live electronics by Kaija Saariaho
Songs for Eve for soprano and piano by Ezra Laderman
Now and Then for flute, viola, soprano, and harp by Earl Kim
“From dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19
ARTISTS
Jessica Abel, soprano Amanda Matson, soprano
Jackie Capecci, viola Julia Wilcox, piano
Melissa Wertheimer, flute Jacqueline Pollauf, harp
Lilly Winger, visual artist
