ASPECT Chamber Music Series: Music in the Court of Louis XIV
$30+
- Margaret Carpenter Haigh, soprano
- Parker Ramsay, harp
- Kevin Payne, lute
- Arnie Tanimoto, viola da gamba
"Elegance," wrote the French philosopher Blaise Pascal, "is a means of showing one’s power." There is no more impressive demonstration of that than the Palace of Versailles, Louis XIV’s stupendously conceived "total work of art," in which architecture, painting, sculpture, music, theatre, ballet, even garden design, were intended to proclaim the supremacy of Catholic Christianity and the majesty of Louis himself as its divinely-appointed ruler.
The music of Versailles was a treasure house in itself, by no means all of it hymning Louis’s own magnificence. There are stunning love-songs, sublime religious music, opera in which song and dance were fused as never before, expressions of wonder at the riches of remote cultures, even music of profound lamentation. Hero or monster, Louis knew talent where he saw it, and at his magnificent court it was assembled and celebrated as never before in western culture – and perhaps never since.
Illustrated talk by John Brewer.
About Margaret Carpenter Haigh, soprano
Praised as "fiery, wild, and dangerous" (Classical Voice North Carolina) with "a talent for character portrayal" (Chicago Classical Review), soprano Margaret Carpenter Haigh captivates audiences with her "flawless intonation" and "perfect vocalism" (Classical Voice North Carolina). She is in demand as a specialist interpreter of early music throughout North America and has been featured with ensembles including the Memphis, Winston-Salem, and Portland Symphonies; Messiah Festival of the Arts; Bach Akademie Charlotte; Arizona MusicFest; Apollo's Fire; Evansville Philharmonic; and her own ensemble L'Académie du Roi Soleil. Margaret resides in New York City where she is a member of the Choir of Trinity Wall Street.
http://www.margaretcarpenterhaigh.com/