l'amour et la vie
Love and life as only the French understand them.
Wednesday, June 1, 2005 at 8PM
Trinity St. Paul's Centre
For Immediate Release - Toronto, May 9, 2005: Talisker Players, Toronto’s effervescent chamber ensemble, concludes its season on Wednesday, June 1 with L’Amour et la vie - an exploration of the eccentric and intensely romantic world of the French symbolist poets at the turn of the 20th century. Mezzo-soprano Vicki St. Pierre and baritone Alexander Dobson, two of Canada’s most charismatic young singers, along with soprano Melanie Conly, a newcomer with a bright future, join the instrumentalists of Talisker Players in this lush and lyrical programme.
From the brand-new to the well-known, the eclectic mix of music around this theme constitutes a fascinating programme enhanced by a variety of styles and colours. Highlights of the concert include Gabriel Fauré’s gorgeous song cycle, La bonne chanson, and the premiere of Ombres, a commission from the innovative young composer Dewi Minden. Set to a poem by Jules Supervielle, this virtuosic set of variations for mezzo soprano, violin and cello is dramatic and always lyrical. La bonne chanson, originally written for baritone and piano, will be performed in the composer’s own rich arrangement for piano and string quintet.
Along with the Fauré, French composers are represented by Ernest Chausson’s dreamily romantic Chanson perpétuelle, a setting of poetry by Charles Cros for soprano, piano and string quartet. The concert also features the beautiful but little-known Three Poems in French by the distinguished American composer Earl Kim. Written in 1989, the piece is a setting of poems by Verlaine and Baudelaire for soprano, mezzo-soprano and string quartet.
Gems by two Toronto composers round up the programme: Fragments of Verlaine by Alexander Rapoport, for mezzo soprano and string quartet, was originally written as the score for a film adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s The Eternal Husband. L’Amour du mensonge by Daniel Foley (poetry by Baudelaire), for baritone and string quintet, dates from 2002 and is dedicated to the composer’s sister.
As always, this Talisker Players programme includes the spoken word: the celebrated actor Jan Filips reads excerpts from the delightful recent book, The Flanneur: A Stroll through the Paradoxes of Paris, in which the expatriate American essayist Edmund White unforgettably describes the people and places of Parisian society, rich and poor, past and present.
Vicki St. Pierre is a versatile singer whose voice has been described as "rich with both darkness and brilliance", and "a strong meaty voice that conveys a myriad of nuance." The New-Brunswick native has appeared with Festival Vancouver in Early Music Vancouver's production of Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea, Toronto Philharmonia's production of Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, and with the Cleveland Opera in Coronation of Poppea. More recently, she received praises for her memorable interpretations of Handel's Messiah and Bach's Christmas Oratorio with Tafelmusik. Her 2004-2005 season includes debut appearances with both the Edmonton Symphony and the Calgary Philharmonic orchestras, Handel's Messiah with the International Symphony, and a return engagement with Opera Atelier. She looks forward to a series of solo recitals in Canada and France with acclaimed pianist James Bourne.
The exciting young baritone Alexander Dobson has been lavishly praised for his musicality and dramatic awareness on both the opera and recital stage. In high demand across Canada and abroad, his busy schedule calls for a mix of repertoire spanning three centuries. Recent career highlights include appearances with Manitoba Opera, the Orchestre Métropolitain in Montreal, the Vancouver Symphony for its New Music Showcase as well as the Toronto Operetta Theatre and concerts with the Aldeburgh Connection and the Mississauga Symphony. Mr. Dobson looks forward to the world premiere of The Midnight Court, an opera by composer Ana Sokolovic, to be presented by Queen of Puddings Music Theatre in Toronto in June 2005. The production will travel to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (U.K.) in 2006.
Soprano Melanie Conly makes her debut with Talisker Players. Praised for her “passion and charm” (Now Magazine) and for her “sweet voice delivery” (Toronto Star), Ms. Conly studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts. Her opera roles include Kate in The Ballad of Baby Doe, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Olympia in The Tales of Hoffman, Lucy in The Telephone, Despina in Cosi fan Tutte, and Monica in The Medium. Recent oratorio engagements include Messiah with Chorus Niagara, The Creation with Ensemble Tryptych and numerous collaborations with the Mercredi Musique Chamber Ensemble and Chorus.
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Media Contact: Francine Labelle/flINK
416-654-4406
labellefrancine@rogers.com
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