Frank Martin's "Songs of Ariel" (1950) are taken from Shakespeare's "The Tempest," and he later incorporated these choral pieces into his 1952 opera "Der Sturm," based on the same play.
Album & Artwork
The album's concept is inspired by William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" (1611), exploring its themes through a diverse musical program.
Performer Biography
Simon-Pierre Bestion, the director of La Tempête, founded the ensemble Europa Barocca and the choir Luce del Canto in 2008, which later merged to form La Tempête in 2015.
Compositional Technique
For the instrumental pieces by Matthew Locke, the conductor freely added percussion parts, suggesting this could have been common practice in Locke's time as many pieces were folk-inspired dances.
Interpretation
Instead of Purcell's stage music, the album features his sacred works, mostly written around 1680-82, which the conductor considers his finest and most intimate.
Interpretation
The conductor, Simon-Pierre Bestion, was convinced to combine music of sometimes very distant languages by Matthew Locke's "The Tempest" music.
Interpretation
The album features a mix of musical styles and periods, not limiting itself to works specifically written for Shakespeare's play, to reflect the plural spirit of "The Tempest."
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