A Day with Suzanne - French Renaissance chansons meet songs by Leonard Cohen

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.

Ensemble Phoenix Munich
Emma-Lisa Roux - soprano, lute
Hille Perl - viola da gamba
Domen Marincic - viola da gamba
Joel Frederiksen - bass, lute, direction