Délices italiens en compagnie de Pentaèdre !

Pentaèdre présente :

Rossini, opéra
et autres délices italiens

Le quintette à vent Pentaèdre
Sandra Murray, piano
M Traiteur - Jean-François Vachon, chef


Samedi 7 mars 2009, 14 h

Espace Dell’Arte
40, rue Jean-Talon Est (Métro Jean-Talon / De Castelnau)
Billets : 30 $
Renseignements et billetterie : 514-490-9613 #101
www.pentaedre.com http://www.pentaedre.com

Montréal, 17 février 2009 - Pentaèdre vous invite à un récital autour de la musique de La Cenerentola et de diverses fantaisies d’opéra, servis avec vins et bouchées à l’italienne.

Ce sont les sonorités colorées et parfois moqueuses des musiciens de Pentaèdre qui donneront vie aux rires et aux méchancetés de l’horrible belle-famille de Cendrillon lors du prochain concert de l’ensemble. C’est au moyen d’une transcription par le clarinettiste allemand Ulf-Guido Schäfer de l’opéra de Rossini La Cenerentola que les membres de Pentaèdre prendront plaisir à personnifier les colorés personnages du célèbre conte en usurpant les envolées lyriques normalement réservées à des chanteurs dans quatre extraits de ce chef-d’œuvre de l’opéra italien.

Pour ouvrir avec brio cet après-midi de musique opératique, Pentaèdre propose trois fantaisies mettant en vedette trois des membres de l’ensemble, accompagnés au piano de Sandra Murray,
ainsi qu’une exécution du virtuose et irrésistible Quintuor op.124 de Briccialdi.

C’est un rendez-vous pour un après-midi de plaisir musical et gustatif !

Au programme :
L. Bassi Fantaisie sur I Puritani
A. Pasculli Fantaisie sur La Favorita
P.-A. Genin Fantaisie sur La Traviata
B. Briccialdi Quintuor op.124
G. Rossini/U.-G. Schäfer Extraits de La Cenerentola

***

Depuis ses débuts en 1985, Pentaèdre se consacre à la découverte d'un répertoire de musique de chambre varié, original et souvent moins connu. Composé de cinq musiciens talentueux, dont la technique et la précision de jeu sont unanimement reconnues, Pentaèdre effectue des tournées au Québec, au Canada, aux États-Unis et en Europe. Récipiendaire du Prix OPUS 2002 du Meilleur concert de l’année, musique actuelle, contemporaine, électroacoustique, Pentaèdre collabore avec des artistes de renom et participe à des créations audacieuses, dont récemment l’opéra comique A Chair in Love ou L’Amour est un opéra muet avec les mimes Omnibus. Son enregistrement récent du Winterreise de Schubert (version de chambre de Normand Forget), avec le ténor Christoph Prégardien, s’est attiré des éloges de la critique internationale.

[Toronto] The Mayhem of Rossini's THE BARBER OF SEVILLE Returns to the COC Stage

Toronto, Ontario – The Canadian Opera Company’s spring run continues with Gioacchino Rossini’s opera buffa, The Barber of Seville. A comedy of mischievous mayhem and delightful absurdities, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville is eternally popular for its frothy charm and irresistible melodies. Director Michael Patrick Albano, last with the COC for the critically acclaimed Ensemble Studio production of Swoon, returns to stage this production. Peruvian conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, makes his company debut leading the COC Orchestra and Chorus for nine performances, while assistant conductor Steven Philcox conducts two performances. The Barber of Seville runs April 16 at 7:30 p.m., 19 at 7:30 p.m., 25 at 7:30 p.m., May 2 at 7:30 p.m., 4 at 2 p.m.,

8 at 7:30 p.m., 10 at 4:30 p.m., 13 at 7:30 p.m., 16 at 7:30 p.m., 21 at 7:30 p.m., and 23 at 7:30 p.m., 2008 and is sung in Italian with English SURTITLES™.

The Barber of Seville follows the young Count Almaviva who is in love with the charming Rosina. She is a prisoner in the home of her elderly guardian, Dr. Bartolo, who intends to marry her himself. To gain access to Rosina, Almaviva hires the services of Figaro, the irrepressible barber who spends as much time scheming as he does shaving. Last performed by the COC in 1999, this production brings together set designer John Stoddart and lighting designer Stephen Ross.

Beloved characters and sparkling arias make The Barber of Seville one of the world’s most popular and frequently performed operas. Singing the role of Rosina, the young and beautiful ward, is Albanian soprano Enkelejda Shkosa. Macedonian tenor Blagoj Nacoski, is her admirer, the ardent Count Almaviva. Ms Shkosa has sung with major opera houses around the world including Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Mr. Nacoski, who recently sang Almaviva with Polish National Opera, also appeared with Frankfurt Oper, Teatro Regio in Parma, and Zurich Opera. Both Ms Shkosa and Mr. Nacoski make their company debuts. Recently appearing with Welsh National Opera and the Metropolitan Opera, Russian baritone Rodion Pogossov makes his COC debut as the mischievous barber, Figaro. Returning to the COC are bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi as Dr. Bartolo, and bass Burak Bilgili as Don Basilio. COC Ensemble Studio bass Justin Welsh is Fiorello, Ensemble soprano Melinda Delorme is Berta, and Ensemble bass-baritone Alexander Hajek is the Notary.

The Barber of Seville, libretto by Cesare Sterbini, is based on Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais’ satirical Le barbier de Séville, which is the first in a series of three plays. The second instalment of the series, Le mariage de Figaro, known in the opera world as Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, opened the COC’s current season. The opera premiered in Rome in 1816 under the name Almaviva, ossia l’inutile precauzione, and Rossini maintained this title for four months before he switched it back to the play’s original name. The fame of Rossini’s popular opera quickly spread, and to this day is a mainstay of the operatic repertoire.

Single tickets for The Barber of Seville are on sale and may be purchased online at www.coc.ca, by calling 416-363-8231, or in person at the Four Seasons Centre Box Office (145 Queen St. W., Toronto). Ticket prices for all performances range from $60 to $275. Special young people’s tickets for all performances throughout the season are priced from $30 to $95. These ticket prices apply to those who are 15 years of age or under, accompanied by and sitting next to an adult.

Starting Saturday, March 22, 2008 at 10 a.m., $20 tickets will be available for patrons between the ages of 16 and 29 through the Opera for a New Age program presented by TD Bank Financial Group, and can be purchased online at www.coc.ca or in person at the Four Seasons Centre Box Office (145 Queen St. W., Toronto). Student group tickets are $20 per student and may be purchased by calling 416-306-2356. Remaining Opera for a New Age tickets will be released as $20 rush seats at 11 a.m. the morning of the performance, subject to availability.

Production Sponsor of The Barber of Seville: National Bank Financial

Presenting Sponsor of SURTITLESä: Sun Life Financial

Official Automotive Sponsor of the COC at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts: Jaguar Land Rover Canada

Official Media Sponsors: CTV and The Globe and Mail

Opening Night Sponsor of the COC: Hilton Toronto

The COC Ensemble Studio is Canada’s premier training program for young opera professionals and provides advanced instruction, hands-on experience, and career development opportunities. The Ensemble Studio is supported by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage, RBC Financial Group, and other generous donors.

BMO Financial Group Pre-Performance Opera Chats

The COC offers free 20-minute introductions to the opera and its themes in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 45 minutes prior to every performance.

Canadian Opera Company Web site

The Canadian Opera Company Web site, at www.coc.ca, contains information on all productions including synopses, historical background, and production photographs.

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For more information or to request production photographs via e-mail, please contact:

Melissa Than, Publicist, tel. 416-306-2369, fax: 416-363-5584, e-mail: melissat@coc.ca
Vanessa Somarriba, Assistant Publicist, tel. 416-306-2303, fax: 416-363-5584, e-mail: vanessas@coc.ca