The New Amorous World (rev. 2023) by Lembit Beecher - Cantori New York commission

Performed on March 5, 2023, as part of Cantori New York's winter concert series at Church of the Holy Apostles, 296 9th Ave, NYC.
We first commissioned Lembit to write "The New Amorous World" in 2014, and commissioned an extensive new movement (#6) in 2023. This was its world premiere.
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THE NEW AMOROUS WORLD
by Lembit Beecher
00:00 I. The Calculus of Harmony
2:43 II. Interlude
3:48 III. Manias Relating to Love
8:50 IV. Passionate Attraction: Attractive Work
10:58 V. The Archibras: The Arm of Harmony
14:22 VI. Passionate Attraction: The Court of Love
20:42 VII. Interlude
21:51 VIII. Blind Savants
26:38 Applause
Lyrics at: cantorinewyork.com/s/Chimeres...
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I was first introduced to the work of the French utopian philosopher Charles Fourier through my father, Jonathan Beecher, a history professor at UC Santa Cruz, whose doctoral dissertation on Fourier evolved over the course of my childhood into a 600-page biography. Fourier's writing teems with wild ideas couched in a strangely methodical style. He imagined bacchanalias of free love organized to the last detail. Seemingly preposterous ideas, like a belief that we would develop a prehensile tail called an Archibras many generations into utopia, coexisted with intricate models, lists and timetables of day-today life. And though Fourier's trust in the better side of human nature often seems frustratingly naive, some of his beliefs seem profoundly forward thinking. Here was a thinker who at the turn of the 19th century was an ardent proponent of women's rights, gay rights, and to a certain extent, gender self-identification. There is a joyous, optimistic spark in Fourier's work that stands in stark contrast to the realities of life in the revolutionary France in which he came of age.
Though we may not spend our lives mentally organizing utopian fantasies, we all think about ways in which the world could be better. Reading Fourier’s strangely sympathetic mix of the pragmatic and fantastical makes me question my own dreams for the world: which ideas will seem naive and which will seem profound in 200 years? For all of Fourier’s idiosyncrasies, he recognized the difficulties and pain of society around him (which he refers to as ‘Civilization’) and presented a solution (which he called ‘Harmony’). Central to Fourier’s vision was the idea that attraction, both to each other and to our work, could serve as the foundation of societal order; quite an alluring idea! There are many aspects of Fourier’s ‘Harmony’ that are funny or ludicrous, and I tried not to shy away from these, but my goal in this piece was to present glimpses of Fourier's utopian vision with sincerity, not irony. Maybe we need more naiveté in this world?
-Notes by Lembit Beecher
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Featuring:
Nicolee Kuester, horn
Laura Weiner, horn
Violetta Maria Norrie, harp
Audio: Swan Studios NYC / Andreas Meyer
Video: Jacob McCoy / Richard Berg
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Cantori New York is an acclaimed chamber chorus specializing in new & neglected music.
cantorinewyork.com
Mark Shapiro, Artistic Director
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

[@theodorewiprud3070]

Cantori New York are amazing and essential. What a beautiful work and committed performance.

[@lembitbeecher]

Thank you for all the care, expressiveness, and musicality you gave to this beautiful performance!