Après la Tempête,
a songbook for Shakespeare
Project presentation
"Apres la tempete: a songbook for Shakespeare" is a chamber opera that alternates between repertoire from the Elizabethan era and original music. The narrative, set against the backdrop of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," retells the story through the perspectives of secondary female characters: Miranda, Claribel, and Sycorax. Three stories, three narratives, are woven together by new versions of the mythical songs of Ariel ("Full Fathom Five," "Where the bee sucks," "Come into this yellow sands"). An original instrumental ensemble combines both modern and ancient instruments, creating an electric and electrifying rendition of the Renaissance consort.
A shortened concert version premiered by Elise Chauvin, Grace Durham, Katalyn Karólyi and l'Ensemble L' Itinéraire at the Messiaen Festival in July 2023.
Michelle Agnes Magalhaes (composition originale), Aurélia Hetzel (livret)
Instrumentation: 1 soprano 2 mezzo-sopranos, theorbo, baroque guitar, traverso, sackbut, baroque violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, electric guitar, percussion, and electronics.
The piece was commissioned by Ensemble l'itinéraire and received support from the French Ministry of Culture (programme l'aide à l'écriture)