Michel Pignolet de Monteclair: Europe: Duo pour Chant

In his solo cantata “Europe”, the Rameau contemporary Montéclair cooks up a truly European dish by combining stylistic elements from French and Italian music. The text is based on the ancient Greek tale that has often been depicted in the visual arts. Now, however, the “Rape of Europa” is transported to the pastoral ambiance of the 18th century. An English and German prose translation of the vocal text is also included in the appendix of this edition. In our editorial series “Chamber Cantatas from the Baroque and Early Classical Periods”, French music has played a relatively minor role to date. This edition thus represents a notable stylistic enrichment of this series.