André Caplet

Conte Fantastique d’après La Masque de la Mort Rouge

For harp and string quartet

“Merci, Edgar!” said French composer, André Caplet, upon reading the words above from Poe’s Masque of the Red Death. Maybe he said that, maybe he didn’t. Doesn’t matter! These are the qualities Caplet brings to life in his work for harp and string quartet, Conte Fantastique d’après La Masque de la Mort Rouge (1924). Glare. Glitter. Piquancy. Phantasm.

A pandemic rages. An eccentric aristocrat invites hundreds of nobles to ride out the storm in his castle, enjoying opulent parties and masked balls. There are seven chambers, each decorated to the point of embodiment of a different color: Blue, Purple, Green, Orange, White, Violet and Black. In the outer rooms, the vibe is light and merry. As the action progresses deeper into the castle, things take a decidedly morbid turn. Vincent Price makes a cameo (I think). 

Are you intrigued? We visit Echolands Winery for this performance sure to echo in the annals of WWCMF lore for years to come.

Artists: Timothy Christie, Viola; Elizabeth Landis, Harp; Vanessa Moss, violin; Maria Sampen, Violin; Sally Singer Tuttle, cello