Actually, the metamorphosing horse Fauvel went thataway several centuries back. Whoever wrote the lavish “Roman de Fauvel” manuscript in Paris, circa 1310, got a head start on today’s HTML mavens by about 700 years. The 14th century scribe/programmer combined text, musical notation, and imagery on each page to produce a multisensory blast of a work….one that Camerata has been reinterpreting with success for a number of seasons, on video, on CD, and live, most recently in Jackson, for the Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music.

What pleased us most about our Jackson friends was their support in bringing the fabulous illustrations from the “Fauvel” manuscript onstage, just behind the performers. We hadn’t had this pleasure since a run in Paris a few seasons back, at the Cité de la Musique, so thanks to the Academy our “complete” Fauvel show had its U.S. première. As always, Michael Collver outdid himself in equine cool, and our newest cast member, Michael Barrett, acquitted himself elegantly on tenor and coconuts. Our grab shot from the afternoon tech rehearsal will give you an idea.

Meanwhile, presenters, the medieval miniatures are vividly digitized for the 21st century, and Camerata’s unique “Fauvel” production, with a made-for-today’s-economy cast of six, is hot to trot right into your concert series….

“Glorious and life affirming”

“A vibrant artistic experience….exquisite”

Anne Azéma did not require the budget of Avatar with which to produce The Maria Monologues, but thanks to her unique gifts, and to a stellar cast of Deborah Rentz-Moore, Lydia Brotherton, and Robert Mealy, Camerata earned ovations in Boston and New York (two shows at the Cloisters), and the kinds of reviews, in print and online, that musicians dream about getting. Night becomes day, the news cycle turns, and we were pleased that on Oscar evening, with so many minds and eyes focussed on Hollywood, our Boston media were also lavish in their praise of this intense, intimately involving musical program based on centuries-old material. And above all that our audiences, who needed no special gadgets to take in the show, other than their ears and hearts, were so deeply appreciative.

To read the reviews that have come in so far, try these links:

Vibrant portraits of two icons in Boston Camerata’s ‘Maria Monologues’ – The Boston Globe

Mary in the Middle Ages in Glowing Program by Boston Camerata – The Boston Musical Intelligencer

photo: The Maria Monologues in concert. Deborah Rentz-Moore as Mary Magdalen, Lydia Brotherton as the Angel, a scene from the Origny Mystery Play.

This article, introduced and moderated by Camerata Music Director Emeritus Joel Cohen, explores the common bonds between Western and Eastern musical traditions, dating all the way back to its roots. Featuring input from Karim Nagi, Anne Azéma, Kareem Roustom and Mehmet Sanlikol, this mini-symposium presents a cross-cultural exchange between today’s Medieval and Near Eastern Musicians.