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Pantagruel

 

Hero of Rabelais's Pantagruel and succeeding books. ‘Penthagruel’ was known in popular culture as a small devil who threw salt into the mouths of drunkards at night; he first appears in Rabelais as a mythical giant associated with drought and insatiable thirst. These associations are dropped in later books, where even Pantagruel's gigantic stature is only rarely evoked: he becomes primarily an embodiment of ideal wisdom in contrast to the foolish and self-preoccupied Panurge. ‘Pantagruélisme’ is defined in the earlier books as a joyful, positive attitude of mind; later, it becomes ‘a certain gaiety of spirit composed of a contempt for worldly things’. ‘Pantagruélion’ is the magic herb—a universal panacea having properties similar to hemp—which Pantagruel and his friends take with them on their voyage.

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Pantagruel is an international Early Music ensemble specialising in semi-staged performances of Renaissance music. The group was formed in Essen, Germany at the end of 2002 by the English lutenist Mark Wheeler (Lutes, Citterns & Gittern) and the German born Dominik Schneider (Renaissance Recorders & Flutes, Gittern & Vocals). With the arrival of the Scottish Soprano Hannah Morrison in 2004 the ensemble began to perform throughout Europe. Recent Pantagruel performances have taken place at the Münster Baroque Festival, Utrecht Early Music Festival, Aachen Bach Festival and the National Portrait Gallery in London. In 2009 Morrison left due to artistic differences and was replaced by Danish Soprano Anna Maria Wierød.

Named after Pantagruel, the hero of Francois Rabelais’s 1532 Novel, they have adopted the book's motto "do what thou wilt" to describe their fresh approach to early music. They combine serious musicological research with their experience not only in classical music, but also in rock music, jazz, theatre and dance, and their performances further expand classical concert conventions by using renaissance practices of medley, improvisation and gesture.

Discography

  • 2006: Elizium - Elizabethan Ballads, Ayres & Dances
  • 2008: Laydie Louthians Lilte - Ballads, Ayres & Dances from 17th Century Scotland

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Copyrights:

French Literature Companion. The New Oxford Companion to Literature in French. Copyright © 1995, 2005 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pantagruel" Read more