How often does one get a glimpse into the life of a monastic nun from the 12th century? International mezzo soprano Linn Maxwell presents her new play, Hildegard of Bingen and the Living Light, about the 12th century German Abbess Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), who was moreover the first known woman composer. Way ahead of her time--by centuries!--in a male dominated world, Hildegard challenged the established authority of the Church, both philosophically and musically. Accompanying herself on authentic medieval instruments including psaltry, organistrum and medieval harp, Linn Maxwell performs seven of Hildegard’s original songs. Actual letters and writings will transport us to the turbulent times of the Crusades in Western Europe. Hildegard’s eternal, universal message of spiritual truth, holistic healing and caring for the earth is more urgent today than ever.
“Hildegard is reborn as mezzo Linn Maxwell…hypnotically beautiful songs.” The London Times
“A Special Gem! A compellingly vivid evocation of one of the most remarkable churchwomen of the Middle Ages, exquisitely graceful renderings of Hildegard’s sacred songs...!” The Stage Newspaper (London)
“A Profound Engagement…it is work like this that can keep the beauty of medieval music alive!” BroadwayBaby.com
Come to the Acton Institute to see the last public performance of Hildegard of Bingen in Michigan this year!
Linn Maxwell has performed on the stages of major orchestras including Chicago Symphony, Berlin Radio Orchestra, Cleveland and Toronto (Raymond Leppard conducting), and Seattle. Her operatic engagements include San Francisco (Placido Domingo conducting), Cincinnati Opera, Hungarian State Opera, Netherlands Opera (with Nicholas Harnancourt), Strasbourg, Lyon, Toulouse, and recital halls across the United States and in 27 foreign countries. Recent engagements have included the 2010 Beijing (China) Modern Music Festival and the 2010 Edinburgh (Scotland) Fringe Festival.
Off-Broadway she played two roles in the Music Theatre Group production of Virgil Thomson’s The Mother Of Us All, and in 2009 portrayed Mrs. Peachum in Kurt Weill’s Threepenny Opera at New York’s Riverside Theatre. Linn has performed cabaret and one-woman shows in New York City and made her European cabaret debut in March 2006 at the International Theater, Frankfurt, Germany. The Frankfurter Rundschau said of her show, Broadway Yesterday and Today, “Linn Maxwell captured the hope within the songs and revived a bygone era…Her performance was marked with a glowing perfection.” Her one-woman musical, Lilli Marlene, played 3 weeks off-Broadway in 2008 at the Abingdon Theatre to critical acclaim.
From the start of her career, Linn has been acclaimed for her outstanding voice and diction, as well as her interpretation of many different musical styles. As a winner of Joy in Singing, she made her New York recital debut at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. The concert garnered praise from the New York Times: “A true mezzo soprano, ample in size yet easily modulated in either registral extreme and graced with an appealing plangency of timbre.” And the San Francisco Chronicle wrote of her Carmel Bach Festival performance, “Her technique was flawless, her control spun out the long florid passages; her tone and phrasing were beautiful.” She has recorded for RCA Red Label, New World Records, Albany Records and others.
For more information on Linn Maxwell and Hildegard of Bingen and the Living Light please visit www.hildegardofbingen.net.
Read more about Hildegard of Bingen in the newest edition of Acton Institute’s Religion & Liberty.
This event is co-sponsored by the Acton Institute, Calvin College, Aquinas College, Diocese of Grand Rapids, and Holy Family Radio.
