Le Sommeil, collective of musicians originally from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, has released a new EP and two videos to herald their upcoming debut album, featuring works by George Frideric Handel, Marin Marais, and John Eccles, drawn from operas inspired by the myth of Semele,
Building on their previous programme, which delved into the relationships
between dreams, myths, and archetypes inspired by Carl Jung’s philosophy,
Le Sommeil continues to bring a distinctive perspective to Baroque music. Their motto, “Night through dreams
tells the myths forgotten by the day” (C. G. Jung), encapsulates their mission: to revive stories and emotions that resonate universally yet remain hidden beneath the surface.
The performances feature Margarita Slepakova – mezzo-soprano, Elena Abbati and Soko Yoshida – violins, Giulio Padoin – cello, Pablo FitzGerald – archlute, Cristiano Gaudio – harpsichord. The videos were filmed by award-winning cinematographer Wawrzyniec Skoczylas and produced by Slepakova, in an abandoned Alsatian synagogue, now a vibrant art centre called le ventre. Founded by artists Mimi von Moos and Willem Mes, this historic venue bridges tradition and contemporary art.
The video above, O Sleep is available on YouTube, and you can also catch their video, No, no I’ll take no less on YouTube. The Semele EP is available from BandCamp.
