Des Monstres et prodiges

Lee Hartman

General Info

Year: 2017
Duration: c. 24:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Ragnarok Press
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $75.00 | Score Only (print) - $25.00

Movements (played without pause)

I. Des Monstres...
II. The First - Glory of God
III. The Second - His Wrath
IV. The Third - Too great a quantity of seed
V. The Fourth - Too little
VI. The Fifth - Imagination
VII. The Sixth - Narrowness or smallness of the womb
VIII. The Seventh - Indecent posture of the mother
IX. The Eighth - A fall or blows
X. The Ninth - Heredity of accidental illness
XI. The Tenth - Rotten or corrupt seed
XII. The Eleventh - Mixture or mingling of seed
XIII. The Twelfth - Artifice of wicked spital beggars
XIV. The Thirteenth - Demons and Devils
XV. ...et prodiges

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
Horn in F I-II

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Des Monstres et prodiges [On monsters and marvels] by Ambroise Paré (c. 1510-1590) is a medical treatise from 1575. In it, Paré--a noted surgeon and medical philosopher--catalogued what he "found" to be the common causes of birth defects or as he called it "the 13 reasons for monsters." Paré's work is a fascinating read, epitomizing much of the 16th century and his own reconciliations between science and religion. This balance of observable fact and divine (or in some case profane) intervention is clear in his reasonings and in his famous quote: Je le pansai, Dieu le guérit ("I bandaged him and God healed him").

I stumbled across Paré's work during an exhibition at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, which houses a collection of medical oddities. I was immediately struck by the impressive woodcuts, the "Monster of Ravenna" in particular. Reading the plaques on which he listed the causes of birth defects (the titles of each movement) compelled me to seek out and read this book, and, consequently inspired this double wind quintet.

- Program Note by composer

Media

Audio: Midwest Chamber Ensemble (Lee Hartman, guest conductor) - 2018
Video: Midwest Chamber Ensemble (Lee Hartman, guest conductor) - 2018

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Midwest Chamber Ensemble (Prairie Village, Ks.) (Lee Hartman, conductor) - 28 January 2018

Works for Winds by This Composer

Ave Maria volgarizzata da Dante (as arranger) (2019)
Concertante (2005)
Concerto for Vibraphone (2009)
Des Monstres et prodiges (2017)
Emerald (2023)
...in fragile bark, o'er a tempestuous sea, the common harbor... (2016)
i/xhale (2017)
Mehter Suite (2019)
Sapphire (2013)
Selections from "The Nutcracker Suite" (as arranger) (2013)
Snow Ride (as arranger) (2022)
Song for Edie (2015)
Toccata and ... (2020–21)
Tornado (2004)
Trobairitz (2019–20)
Winter Night (Sleigh Ride) (as arranger) (2016)

Resources

Lee Hartman website Accessed 21 January 2020
Mütter Museum "Imperfecta" exhibition website Accessed 23 January 2020
Paré, A. (2015). Des Monstres et prodiges. Gallimard: Paris.