Good evening everyone, good evening, of course,
to those who are here tonight in large numbers, in this beautiful Maurice Fleuret space,
at the National Conservatory of Music and Dance of Paris.
Tonight, it is the Department of Early Music, led by Pascal Bertin,
and also the Vocal Disciplines, led by Jean-Marc Demeuret,
that are being showcased.
A few words specifically about the Department of Early Music.
It is a department that benefits, of course, from the extreme quality of its professors,
who are all musicians recognized on the international stage.
Moreover, each season, specific projects, like tonight,
involve prestigious guests.
Also noteworthy, the students have access to a magnificent collection of instruments.
What's also interesting in the philosophy of this department,
is the way it's never disconnected from the historical continuity.
I mean, this work on ancient instruments is constantly linked
with a reality that comes later in time.
Baroque is put into perspective, along with what is called the classical period
or the pre-romantic period.
Of course, this is the spirit of this program.
Tonight, this will also be the focus of my first question to our esteemed guest,
the violinist and conductor Sigiswald Kuijken.
Later, we will discuss other topics, more related to staging
with Marie Kuijken, after the Mozart Symphony that opens our program
and just before the Intermezzo by Haydn, 'La Canterina,' which will close it.
So, my first question to Sigiswald Kuijken.
Why have you chosen, in conjunction with Haydn's Intermezzo,
this early Symphony by Mozart, which is certainly not one of his most famous or most played pieces.
It's a symphony from 1773.
Mozart was 17 years old.
He was still in Salzburg, but he had already traveled, notably to Italy.
Perhaps this is already a first clue to the explanation.
I think Mozart was a very likeable young man when he was 17 years old.
Somewhat ahead of his time, he had already been influenced by many sources.
The first was his father, of course, who was not a great composer,
but who was a skilled tradesman.
After his travels, he benefited greatly.
He was accepted into the Academy in Bologna when he was around 14-15 years old,
which was quite exceptional.
So, this symphony, it's already composed by someone who knows his craft.
Why did I choose this symphony and not another?
Because, as you know, there are 41 symphonies by Mozart, right?
It's because I wanted a piece with flutes.
And you might ask why.
That's the pragmatism of musicians.
Indeed, and I believe it's necessary to think this way.
Because in 'La Canterina', which is, let's say, the main piece of our evening,
there are two flutists who play only in the first number.
After that, in those times, they were expected to,
switch to oboe and even the English horn.
Now, it's not like that anymore, flutists no longer play the oboe.
So, the two flutists who play in the Haydn,
I preferred that they play something else as well.
So I found a Mozart symphony where there are flutes instead of oboes.
There aren't many of those.
And it gives a completely natural, completely different color.
It's in G major, but here the flute parts are placed, let's say,
a fifth higher than the normal oboe parts.
And that creates a different sonic spectrum.
And I believe that's the only reason.
And it's a very lovely symphony.
So there's no hesitation.
When you, like you have been for years, delve into the repertoire of what's broadly known as ancient music,
you realize that many musicians like you encroach upon the classical and even romantic territories.
But how far can we go with this?
With this concept of historically informed music, can we go almost up to our times?
To push it to the absurd, we could go up to last night.
One could even imagine playing Pierre Boulez's 'Le Marteau sans maître' on an ancient instrument from the 1950s, right?
There, we're pushing into the absurd, and I myself am convinced,
personally, I do not say that everyone will think like me,
that the further we advance in the history of music,
the less the use of so-called "correct" instruments
is really an absolute condition.
I think one should view this from a distance
and with a certain humor as well.
I believe what's important is not to mix up the big picture,
I mean, the instruments used before the French Revolution.
It's something different than after,
but it's mainly the mentality of the musicians that has changed.
The Revolution was something significant.
Maybe one day, we will... I don't know.
But it's something very strong
and thus the mentality of the instrumentalist changes
and also the instruments, the preferences for certain sounds,
the virtuosity, the overflowing expression, and all that,
it's typically post-Revolution.
Before, composers and musicians were more like craftsmen,
tradespeople.
Haydn had the rank of a valet at Esterházy.
– Even though he was Kapellmeister.
– Yes, but he never complained about it.
It's inscribed in another world.
Musicians were employees of this Mr. Kapellmeister
and of Prince Esterházy.
And that's normal.
So, we have a different education when we start from that place.
If later, we are children of the Revolution,
we will do individualistic things and will not let ourselves be dominated.
– A final question, Sigiswald.
We often use the term classical.
Classical music, for the general public,
encompasses all music from practically Monteverdi up to today.
The classical style, according to Charles Rosen, is much more specific.
It defines an era, a style, and even certain musical tools, compositionally speaking.
So, regarding this Mozart symphony we're about to hear,
we hear a sonata form in the first movement.
That's quite characteristic.
But in the last movement, there's a fugato.
This will come back later, as we well know, in Mozart's music.
But is this a remnant of the past, this fugato?
– I think it's both a remnant and also a sign of Mozart's curiosity,
who, being a member of the Academy in Bologna,
among other things, had to demonstrate that he was proficient in counterpoint,
fugatos, things that were not really the language of the time in terms of gallantry,
but they were part of the past.
So, he proved that he mastered them,
and increasingly afterwards, in the quartet, you will see that he is very strong in that area.
And Beethoven, as well as Haydn –
– Exactly.
– We'll let you return to your instrument
and the musicians will take the stage
for Mozart's Symphony No. 27 in G Major,
K.199, of course,
performed by the ensemble of the Paris Conservatory under the direction of Sigiswald Kuijken.
So, Marie Kuijken, good evening.
We're going back a few years compared to this Mozart Symphony.
'La Canterina' is an intermezzo in music.
What exactly is an intermezzo?
Is it a kind of interlude intended to be inserted between two acts of a more serious opera?
Yes, initially that's how it was.
It's a form that originated in the first half of the 18th century.
In this idea, characters from the serious opera would take a more comedic pause.
In the second half, it evolved.
It's interesting to see that Haydn, on his manuscript, wrote "Interlude,"
but on the libretto, it's written "Opera buffa."
The two forms were already starting to blend and influence each other.
We're in 1766, the time when Haydn was appointed Kapellmeister at the Esterházy court.
What do we know today about the context, the way it was created there?
Do we have any documents? Do we know how it was staged?
Yes, there aren't specific documents about this opera,
but there are many general theatrical sources from that period that can be read and studied.
Some are quite general, others are very specific
and show exactly the rules of how one was supposed to behave on stage
and what was done and what was not.
It wasn't like today; it wasn't rigid.
There are two important aspects.
One is the visual aspect, which aimed to create as if there was always a living painting.
How to say? If at the opera you could do a freeze-frame, the action should always look beautiful.
And this is one aspect, so in the rules of how to carry oneself,
One should not have their back like this for instance
It was an offense to the king who might be in the audience listening
and who himself also had an education in how to comport and all that.
The king danced, etc.
Another important aspect is verisimilitude.
It means that the ideal, obviously these are ideals we try to reach,
we never completely achieve them, that's for sure.
But verisimilitude means that the action should appear real.
It isn't, obviously, because they are actors, they are singer-actors.
But how to make it seem real?
In the 18th century, they were well aware of how we function.
That is, if someone has a thought or a feeling, hears something, sees something, it starts there.
First, there's a reaction in the heart, in the eyes, in the face,
about what they think, what's happening, or the emotion that's coming.
First the eyes, which are the mirror of the soul.
From the eyes and face, it moves to the body, which makes a gesture, motion, or something like that
And only after that, it goes into the voice, into the words, or into the singing.
And if we respect this, it was really in the sources,
we find a lot about this aspect.
If we respect this, we are good actors and the action will appear believable.
And then it's something very joyful because there's also parody involved.
Absolutely, yes. In fact, a major part of the comedic aspect of this opera
is the parody of the "opera seria."
In fact, the opera seria was more static,
had more grand and more pathetic gestures, we would say today.
And the comic opera, the opera buffa, was livelier, faster,
and could mock the opera seria a bit.
That was an aspect that was done quite a lot.
Thank you for this staging and for these words just before,
so 'La Canterina' an intermezzo in music with Victoria Jung in the role of the singer,
Gasparina, Sahy Ratianarinaivo as the singing teacher Don Pelagio,
Makéda Monenet as the supposed mother Apollonia
and Juan Medina in the role of the merchant's son,
Don Ettore, and of course the ensemble of the Paris Conservatory,
conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken and staged by Marie Kuijken.
What a delicate little face you have with this makeup!
Blessed be the one who invented it!
Oh, see the difference there is between the white of Madam Celia and this given to me by the maid of Marchioness Impiastro
with this you can wash yourself, you can scrub your face, and it won’t come off
you saw last night at the theater, what a pretty figure the baker's wife made
and yet she really has a color between green and black, as if she's been smacked and hit in the face with a bat,
and yet this makes her look so beautiful
Here it is, I've already said it
Blessed be he who invented it!
The ornament of theaters, the fifth element of us women!
Someone is knocking, who could it be?
It must be the Master, now... Oh, Don Ettore!
What does this rude man want?
You tell him, that my father has threatened to whip me if I receive him at home
He has nothing more to give me, that's the problem
But, my blessed daughter, do you want to ruin us with your father?
He's back! We're locked in, we can't open up
Ah, madam! You treat me like this?
Kick out this madman with a stick!
Madam, why such disdain?
Break your neck!
Well then, this diamond circlet, which I took from my mother, I'll bring it as a gift to Angelina,
Diamonds? Oh well, who's out there?
Daughter, it's Don Ettore
Don Ettore?
Madam, at your service
My dear, it's been two months since I've seen you!
Daughter, what are you doing, if your father finds out?
What do I care, I want to love him to spite my father
Blessed girl, you know what you're doing
Is your mother well?
Yes, and see, this is hers; I took it and give it to you along with this cloth from Holland
But what if she notices?
She loves me, I'll tell her, and she'll keep quiet
Mother, see, what a beautiful, rich thing, this great lady's fabric, Don Ettore gave me!
Oh, what a beautiful thing! (It's worth three doubloons, the whole gift.)
Ah, poor girl!
She has no one who gives her even a sigh,
with the hard work, we think only of eating,
you see the life we lead, always closed in
I thought that the one who knocked just now was a merchant, who wanted to give me a fabric dress to hear me sing
And why would you not accept it?
Who? What are you saying? At the house of Gasparina Zuffoli?
No one steps foot inside here; who do you take my daughter for?
Easy, madam, I didn't say anything
Now listen, Gasparina, I would have lunch with you this morning
At your service! But we must hold back a little, until the lesson is over and the Master leaves
I serve you, my soul, but who is this Master?
Oh, he is an eccentric man, he would scold me right away
He is an old acquaintance. Uh, the door, damn it!
What will we do? Who is it?
A: The Master! G: The Master!
Hide this sword! How will we spin it?
Damnation!
Sir Master, I pay you my respects
So, two lire per palm? This man here is a seller of Dutch cloth,
he has brought us some fine stuff that I need, and he gives it away for nothing
What's the cost?
For three canes length, it's forty-eight lire
Nothing less?
What do I know?
Of course, if he has set a reasonable price, he cannot say more
Let's make it thirty lire!
My mother bought it for sixty
What? Oh wow! What is he saying?
The mother runs the business, he goes around selling. (What a fool!)
Come on, hurry up, this poor man!
Here it is!
Take it!
Nice trick!
Go, go down to the café! When the Master has left, I will call you from the balcony
I salute you all
At your service
Come closer and listen to this aria that I wrote last night
see, it's in D major, with the horns coming in
and they strengthen with the mutes
Oh, this solo oboe exit!
Listen a bit! Recitative!
What should I ever do?
Spouse…
will I see you lifeless?
And will you breathe out that soul?
And will you close those lights,
those sweet lights?
Go to the tyrant!
Oh, God! I, belonging to another and no longer yours?
What should I ever do?
Should I to marry the wicked tyrant?
Should I to behold my deceased spouse?
What will you do, my miserable heart?
What do you say?
Viva!
Bravo, signor Maestro!
Come on! Sing with me!
What should I ever do!
Spouse!
Softly, softly...
Will I see you lifeless?
Hold on...
Lifeless is like this...
Madam, go knit something! Don't interfere!
And will you breathe out that soul?
To breathe means open your mouth!
And will you breathe out that soul?
Witness this humiliation
Suffer her, Maestro. You know how she is!
And will you close those lights, And will you close those lights,
those sweet lights!
Ah, those sweet lights!
Your sweet lights
"Yours" does not belong there
I'm talking about you!
It needs "Your lights" for more grace, don't you understand?
Here: "And will you close…"
That stinking mouth! Get the Old Lady to leave!
Madam, a bit of chocolate!
Give me the key! "And will you close that soul,
And will you breathe out those lights?"
Long life to signor Maestro!
(Oh, may she break her neck)
How are you, miss?
At your service
I did not sleep all night
Because of the aria?
Thinking of you, clever girl
Oh yes, I already believe you
Dear are those eyes
Oh, the lady mother!
Mr. Maestro, do you want to blind her?
“To close the lights” means the action of shutting the eyelids
What a great fright this mother of yours!
Oh, this is the problem; if she realizes that I'm pretending, she'll makes me tremble.
Every singer has this fright
(So we would have the simpleton believe)
Well, I want to marry you,
What do you say? Speak!
Talk to the Old Lady about it!
Curse this triviality! Always with the Old Lady!
I want to know if you hold others in your heart
Tell me the truth!
Ah, traitor! Is this how you treat me?
Uh, I would give you...
Ah, viper!
The Old Lady enters here again
Uh, she enters... !
What is it?
You watch yourself, another time!
What fault do I have? Those sudden entrances are difficult
It's true; This fright of these entrances, we must put a stop to it.
Clever girl, how much you know!
Your student!
You have already won over the master, my dear daughter
Let's go, it's getting late
Are you leaving?
Yes, my dear daughter. (See, those glances!)
What a poor clod!
But you're going to wear him out with so much prudery
You who are in the trade, take heed of my mastery, you understand?
You speak the truth. But isn't Don Ettore coming yet?
Come upstairs!... what a blockhead!
I certainly left it here
The Master has left Come! What a fool!
He must have broken his neck, right. Haven't you seen him?
Have you one eye? Hurry up, it's already lunchtime
Devil, what do I hear!
Come on, hurry up the stairs Come on, come on, poor animal!
Oh, rage! Oh, jealousy! She goes on and on without shame;
May I forget all the notes, May I lose my hearing and the beat,
If I don't get revenge on you
Let's hide here, let's see the end of his treachery;
After I've spent so much, given her a house and furniture, taught her music,
She deceives me like this? Ah, faithless women! Hanged and quartered be he who believes in you!
You see, you must come to terms with it!
I have always been spying, but I've never seen him
Oh, come on!
I had to give way to the signor Maestro
Now I give way to you; Ah, such are human affairs
Bu why "give way" at all? You are crazy!
But why did you make me pretend to be a seller of these fabrics,
Having the Maestro pay for them?
It shows that he loves you, and you...
Ah, foolish! He owes me fifteen zecchini;
He had nothing to wear, so I try to settle it as best I can
Ah false, ah feigned, more false than falsetto itself!
But how much does he still owe?
Four zecchini
Don't press him for the rest
No, I want to pay
Tell me, madam, do I owe it?
Oh, ruin!
What are you doing?
Quiet, goat face! Take this,
Here is the money!
Quick to the table, now that you have arrived
Ah, my downfall has come!
Signor Maestro!
Signor cuckold, adieu!
Wicked, deceiver, traitor
Don't shout!
For pity's sake!
My lord, kill her, for all she is worth
I want to shout from the balconies: These women, my lords,
Are false and assasins; let's just say they're singers, trust me!
What a disaster!
What misfortune!
For the worry and fear I can barely stand
We throw ourselves at your feet
Away from me, ungrateful people, you will be castigated
My fabric, my diamonds, Tut! Those tears won't help,
Now I'll have you imprisoned
Ah, we are ruined!
What shall we do?
In doing it your way, I find myself reduced to this state
Had you listened to me, you wouldn't have run this risk
You should have broken your neck when you came into the house,
Ragged swindler!
Yes, fine lady, don't get me started
Speak, speak, so you may burst!
Good sir, please execute your duty with rigor
This house is my property,
These women must go away;
Hurry up, good sir!
What could this possibly mean?
Virtuous lady,
It means, you are to be evicted from this house
Which is mine, along with all the furniture,
That you compensate me for the rent
And then go in peace, far from me, wherever you like
The jig is up
Its time to cut and run;
Now, let's take what's ours and go!
Imprison her, she's her mother
Me? I don't know her
Speak of it to her, even kill her, my gentlemen!
Evict, evict, out quickly!
Wait, what kind of treatment is this?
Let me first find another house to rent
What house? Sir bailiff, if she doesn't leave willingly, you know what to do
Slow down, unworthy henchman;
Don't lay hands on a virtuous woman!
Virtuous about what?
Drag her away!
Ah dear Don Pelagio!
Pity!
I'm deaf
Oh God!
Oh, may my tears move you to pity!
There's no one to help me,
There's no one who hears me
Afflicted and sorrowful,
I have no more voice
Miserable girl! Where will she go?
If she had stayed just a little longer,
She would have already seen my tears come out
Truly, the punishment is too harsh;
But what worse does that ungrateful one deserve?
Come on, porters, bring these things into my house!
Careful, there's some of my stuff that I left in there
Like what?
A little box full of makeup,
A comb and a real mirror
You had left all this capital
Did you find it?
Here it is
Where are you going?
Desperate to throw myself into some ditch
(Poor girl! I can bear no more.)
I know that I don't even deserve to be looked at by you,
I confess my fault,
But first, I humbly ask for your forgiveness,
Then I'll leave, farewell!
(Oh I might die.) Listen, daughter, I forgive you;
I give you the back rent,
And so it won't be said that I am so cruel,
you may stay in the house, until you find another arrangement
Oh heavens! This is a favor I do not deserve;
Oh, how good you are!
Let me at least kiss your hand
No, no! (Now, what should I do?)
Wait, porter, leave her the bed as well;
Let my grace be extended today!
What do I hear! Ah, another kiss I want to press upon that hand
Hey there, porters, leave her the harpsichord as well;
Study and wait! See how good I am,
Forgetting so many of your faults: But pity is the trait of heroes
I see it, and am confused; Ah, another time let me kiss your hand!
Porters, slowly, slowly; leave her every thing!
What a generous soul! Ah, I want to throw myself at your feet
And never leave again
Calm youself, what is this?
Porters, go into the house and bring all my things here!
But alas, I feel faint
What is it?
The great fear, the anger, the fasting...
Oh heavens, help!
Madam! Don Ettore!
Ah, poor thing,
How cold she is!
If only I had the carafe of lemon balm to revive her...
I am called here
I too am called here
Oh dear, I can't find it
But what do I see?
Ah, my daughter has fainted!
Oh poor me, oh poor me!
Take this!
Take that!
Piano!
Oh dear, this is the purse
What a good smell these diamonds have!
Oh good, she can smell it, poor thing,
She's out of her senses
Apollonia!
(Pretend well, my blessed daughter, It's part of the trade.)
Ah, poor daughter!
She's a bit of a vixen
Come on, show some spirit, my dear!
Awaken, my earthly goddess,
Your loving windows,
which without I am in the dark
Ah, brighten those eyes,
Look around, dear daughter,
(Never let yourself be caught off guard!)
I don't understand, be it shame Or rather feigned love;
Enough, I don't want to trust
Ah, I feel restored,
I already find myself healed,
Gently. Alas, I faint again
This is a purse
It revives me
This is joy
What a scent
it truly consoles me
This ring cheers the heart for its price, not the scent;
Too cunning is this one
It revives me, it truly consoles me
My beloved!
My dearest!
Dear, dear!
Darling, darling!
You're sweet, you're nice,
My dearest, dear!
Don Ettore: This ring is on its way, Don Pelagio: I want to offer away my purse
I want to taste my destiny, I'm prepared to triumph
Would you offer it to me?
I do not regret it
This as a gift?
I present it to you
Long life to us, long life to the Maestro!
He no longer resembles a disaster
That can dismay us
If all of us can live in peace
And join in joyous song
We can remain happy together
Subtitles by Michael Jurado