The Voice of Nature with Beth Taylor
From France to the United Kingdom, Scotland to Ireland, and a stop in Germany, music and poetry come together in this celebration of nature and love with an enchanting array of songs. The deeply expressive and richly nuanced voice of Beth Taylor unites with the artistry of pianist Esther Gonthier for a musical moment of intricate and multifaceted emotions.
Artists
Beth Taylor, mezzo-soprano
Esther Gonthier, piano
Program
Cécile Chaminade, L’été: Ah! Chantez, chantez! [Summer: Ah! Sing, Sing!] (4 min)
Arthur Honegger, Trois chansons de la petite sirène [Three Songs of the Little Mermaid], H. 63: (3 min)
- I. Chanson des sirènes [Mermaids’ Song]
- II. Berceuse de la sirène [Mermaid’s Lullaby]
- III. Chanson de la poire [Pear Song]
Cécile Chaminade, Viens, mon bien-aimé! [Come, My Beloved!] (2 min)
Charles Villiers Stanford, La belle Dame sans merci [The Beautiful Merciless Lady] (6 min)
Robert Schumann, Lieder und Gesänge, [Songs and hymns] vol. IV, op. 96 (9 min)
- I. Nachtlied [Night Song]
- II. Scheeglöckchen [Snowdrops]
- III. Ihre Stimme [Her Voice]
- IV. Gesungen! [Singing!]
- V. Himmel und Erde [Heaven and Earth]
Lili Boulanger, Reflets [Reflections] (2 min)
Johannes Brahms, 4 Lieder, op. 96: I. Der Tod das ist die Kühle Nacht [O Death, that is the cooling night] (3 min)
Johannes Brahms, 4 Gesänge, op. 43: I. Von Ewiger Liebe [Of Eternal Love] (4 min)
Reynaldo Hahn,
- I. Études latines: II. Néère (4 min)
- II. Rondels: VIII. Quand je fus pris au pavillon (1 min)
- III. Chansons grises: V. L’heure exquise (3 min)
Judith Weir, Sweet Little Red Feet (2 min)
Benjamin Britten (arr.) , Folksongs Arrangements, vol. 3—British Isles from Somerset: Oh Waly, Waly (4 min)
Hamilton Harty, The Sea Wrack (5 min)
Beth Taylor
Mezzo-sopranoBeth Taylor, One of today’s most electrifying mezzo-sopranos, appears regularly in events and venues such as the Salzburg Festival, BBC Proms, Glyndebourne, Berlin Festival, the opera houses of Zurich, Berlin, Frankfurt and Lyon, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Philharmonie de Paris, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and the Palau de la Musica of Barcelona and of Valencia. Her repertoire includes Bradamante (Alcina), Cornelia (Giulio Cesare), Arsace (Semiramide), La Cieca (La Gioconda), Anna (Les Troyens), Erda (Das Rheingold), Mahler’s Second Symphony, Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Bach’s B minor Mass. She has worked with Maestros Gardiner, Gardner, Marcon, Metzmacher, Nelson, Pichon and Runnicles. Beth Taylor is a grand finalist of the 2023 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition and the recipient of the 2022 Elizabeth Connell Award.
Esther Gonthier
pianoEsther Gonthier holds an esteemed position in the Quebec world of vocal arts. She regularly works with the Opéra de Montréal, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and the Orchestre Métropolitain as a rehearsal pianist, vocal coach, and assistant to the conductor. She also works with voice students at McGill University and the Université de Montréal, as well as with the young artists of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, with whom she joyfully shares her expertise.
Esther has been an official pianist for the Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM) since its first edition dedicated to voice in 2002. She is also the rehearsal pianist for the semi-finalists and finalists of Voice 2025, for individual rehearsals with Guest Conductor Patrick Summers.
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