François Rabelais (c. 1494 – 1553) lampooned everyone, with officialdom a particular target. When church and royal courts were burning troublemakers across Europe, how did he get away with it? Because everyone, from cardinals and queens to drapers and dairymaids, thought his fantastical stories, filthy jokes, and scurrilous lists were the funniest things they had ever heard. Rabelais saw his world descending into conflict, and used humour to appeal for compassion and humanity, especially towards those who challenge the status quo. We are all fools, he said - let’s be honest about it and cut each other some slack.

 

But despite the popularity of his books with princes, his message went unheeded. The more heretics the inquisitors burned, the more the passion of Lutheranism hardened into the grimness of Calvinism. Eventually France would descend into the Wars of Religion (1562–98) and Europe would be ravaged by the atrocities of the Thirty Years' War. Rabelais’ message was prophetic, and is as relevant now as it was then.

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“Le quart de cœur de Rabelais” tells Rabelais’ life story in music, showing how he skated ever closer to the edge, fell off it, and managed to make his way back. It is a suite of 12 pieces that centre on song themes, explore dance rhythms, use multi-layered textures, and incorporate improvisational passages that draw on modern jazz.

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Read the programme notes below.