From left: Domen Marinčič, Emma-Lisa Roux, Joel Frederiksen, Hildegard Perl
ENSEMBLE PHOENIX
(Munich, Germany)
Joel Frederiksen, director
“A DAY WITH SUZANNE”
A TRIBUTE TO LEONARD COHEN
With French Renaissance Chanson
Sunday, July 13, 2025 | 3:00 PM
The Indiana History Center
450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
(Pre-Concert Chat begins 30 minutes prior to concert)
Ensemble Phoenix Munich present a truly unique program pairing the songs of Cohen with chansons and dances from the sixteenth century.
A great modern singer-songwriter, a "troubadour," passed away in 2016. This program, is a tribute to his art and establishes a link to the French Renaissance chanson.
Leonard Cohen, who liked to call himself a "chansonnier," grew up in French-speaking Montreal, Canada. He is appreciated both as a poet and for his sensitivity to combining words and music. This project connects Cohen musically and poetically with previous generations of songwriters. Orlando di Lasso's famous 16th-century chanson Susanne ung jour meets Cohen's Suzanne. Josquin des Prez's Adieu mes amours or courtly dances published by Pierre Attaingnant in Paris in 1529 combine with Cohen's songs and the eras converge. With knowledge of Renaissance musical practices, new diminutions on Cohen's music emerge, including original chordal accompaniments for viola da gamba or lute based on late 16th and 17th century models
“…a triumph in creative play and thoughtful synthesis… an extremely rich listening experience. For Cohen lovers, it’s wondrous if not uncanny to hear your favourite songs dropped off in a different universe… That Frederiksen (and Emma-Lisa Roux) sing while playing the lute – a confident nod to the troubadour tradition – is at the heart of why many of the performances sound so organic. I desperately wish Cohen could have heard just how beguilingly fabulous his songs sound with two violas da gamba and the gentle plucking of lutes.”
Joel Frederiksen, director
Emma-Lisa Roux, renaissance lute
Domen Marinčič, viola da gamba
Hildegard Perl, viola da gamba