Oh Susanne!

Abendmusik presents a program that reveals the story of Susanne and the Elders, a biblical apocrypha of a strong woman threatened with rape by two men.She must either lie with them both or be exposed as an adulterer. Susanne chooses protest and chooses the potential punishment of death rather than succumb, but she is saved by her own outcry and with support from Daniel, who descends to earth on her behalf, the elders are exposed as frauds and sentenced to death.

The story was set as a chanson in the renaissance period by a number of composers. This program presents several musical arrangements with each form reinforcing the beauty of the melody and Susanne’s tenacity; each lending the other strength in the wake of an experience that tested resolve but ended jubilantly.

Given today’s current events, this story stands as a model for all women who have been compromised by similar situations and who have had to suppress the memory of such events until the window of opportunity opened recently to cry out as Susanne cried out in protest.

Judson Griffin, violin
Malgorzata Ziemnicka, violin
Lawrence Lipnik, viola da gamba
Carlene Stober, viola da gamba
Patricia Ann Neely, viola da gamba
Guest Jason Priset, lute

Visit www.gemsny.org for more info!