Eya presents a rare hidden gem: Les Trois Maries is an early 14th-century liturgical drama originally performed at a Benedictine women's convent in Origny-Sainte-Benoite, a small village located in northern France. It tells the story of the visit of the three Marys to the sepulcher following the burial of Jesus, originally performed by the nuns on Easter Day.
This piece beautifully illuminates the emotional journey of the women following the crucifixion, painting these biblical figures in real, human colors. Dramatic scenes are interwoven with medieval polyphony, punctuating the climactic moments of the story until its joyous finale.
Part plainchant and part trouvère song, Les Trois Maries is one of the most sensitively-wrought examples of the liturgical drama genre, and is one of only a very few examples to illustrate a gospel narrative from a woman’s perspective. The program also features 13th- and 14th-century polyphony from the Messe de Tournai, the Montpellier Codex, and the Bamberg Codex, in addition to traditional plainchant.
with:
Crossley Hawn, soprano
Allison Mondel, soprano, symphonia, music director
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, mezzo-soprano
and special guests:
Richard Giarusso, baritone
Niccolo Seligmann, vielle