Hannah Francis, James Gaddarn, English Symphony Orchestra, Philip Langridge - Maconchy: Héloïse and ...

Tracklist
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01. Héloïse & Abelard, Scene I: Opening Chorus-Resurrexit
02. Héloïse & Abelard, Scene II: In the Cloister of Notre Dame
03. Héloïse & Abelard, Scene III: In Canon Fulbert's House
04. Héloïse & Abelard: Interlude
05. Héloïse & Abelard, Scene IV: In Brittany
06. Héloïse & Abelard, Scene V In Paris: I. In Canon Fulbert's House
07. Héloïse & Abelard, Scene V In Paris: II. Outside Abelard's House in the Cloister
08. Héloïse & Abelard, Scene VI At The Convent: I. Plainsong Prelude
09. Héloïse & Abelard, Scene VI At The Convent: II. Héloïse with Novices
10. Héloïse & Abelard, Scene VII: O Quanta Qualia
11. Héloïse & Abelard, Scene VIII: Abelard's Planctus
12. Héloïse & Abelard, Scene IX: Naenia (Lament Sung at Abelard's Graveside)
The story of Héloïse and Abelard, ill-starred lovers of the early twelfth century, is universally known, and a mountain of books has been written about them, some scholarly, some largely fictional. In making this libretto the composer has avoided the works of fiction and drawn only on Abelard's Historia Calamitatum in which he tells the tragic story in an open "Letter to a Friend", his letters to Héloïse, and most of all on Héloïse's passionate letters to Abelard. Two of Abelard's Latin Hymns, written at her request for Héloïse and the nuns of the Paraclete, are included; also his Planctus or Lament and a tenth-century love-song, both sung in English, and a popular Latin song for the Students. Héloïse emerges as the stronger and more remarkable character, despite Abelard's eminence as a philosopher, his brilliance and magnetism: students flocked to hear him from all parts. Héloïse herself was a distinguished scholar and later became the renowned Abbess of the Paraclete and founded six daughter houses. She was revered and beloved by everyone. But the Cantata is concerned only with her relationship to Abelard, and ends with his death. The Cantata is in Nine Sections. For those passages sung in Latin an English translation by William Le Fanu is given in the booklet.