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La Scena Musicale - Vol. 21, No. 1 September 2015

Baroque And Early Music

by Caroline Rodgers / September 1, 2015

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Montreal always plans beautiful concerts for Baroque and early music lovers. This Fall is no exception. Here are our suggestions for a fulfilling Baroque season.

The complete Bach Cantatas

The Arte Musica foundation continues their performances of the complete Bach cantatas at Bourgie Hall with special guests. On September 27, the Handel and Haydn Society and their conductor Ian Watson visit Montreal for the first time. The renowned Boston ensemble will perform four cantatas: Meine Seel erhebt den Herren, BWV 10; Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich, BWV 17; Wer sich selbst erhönet, der soll erniedriget werden, BWV 47, and Der Friede sei mit dir, BWV 158. On October 25, Bande Montréal Baroque takes over with three cantatas. On November 24, Montreal-based chamber choir VivaVoce will continue the series. The concerts take place every Sunday at 2pm. Three conferences on Bach cantatas are also on the program: on September 22 at 5:30 PM with François Filiatrault, October 20 with Karim Naser and November 24 with Gilles Cantagrel.

Incidence chorégraphique

The Incidence chorégraphique event should dazzle art enthusiasts of all kind! For the first time in Montréal, five dancers from the Paris Opera will dance to the music of Bach and Liszt, played by French pianist Edna Stein. The Italian Concerto, the BWV 599 Choral, the Chaconne in D minor and Liszt’s famous B minor sonata are on the program, for an evening that will be interesting for both the eyes and the ears. September 15, 16 and 17 at 7:30 PM, Bourgie Hall,

Ensemble Caprice and the Choir of the Theatre of Early Music

The Effervescence et mélancolie concert showcases the musicians of Ensemble Caprice as well as the voices of the Choir of the Theatre of Early Music. On the program: Vivaldi psalms and Handel’s Funteral Anthem on the death of Queen Caroline. Presented after a tour in China, under the direction of Matthias Maute and Daniel Taylor. Bourgie Hall, September 19, 8:00PM. ensemblecaprice.com - Renée Banville

Arion, Flutes and Vivaldi

Arion Baroque Orchestra starts off the season on a good note with a Vivaldi concert, Beyond the Four Seasons, featuring mezzo Mireille Lebel, violinist Enrico Onifri, and flautist Claire Guimond. October 9, 10 and 11 at Bourgie Hall. Moreover, the Croque-Baroque series begins with young flautist Alexa Raine-Wright. She is the winner of the National Flute Association’s Baroque Artist concert, that took place in Washington last year, and she took second prize of the Mathieu-Duguay early music competition at the Lamèque Music festival. The program includes works by Telemann and Bach. September 18, 12:00 PM, Galerie Gora.

Bach and Video

American violinist Gil Shaham, artist in residence at the OSM for the 2015-2016 season, performs Bach’s complete Sonatas and Partitas, accompanied by visual projections by filmmaker David Michalek. A great opportunity to discover these works under a new light! October 3, 7:30 PM, Maison symphonique.

Boréades comiques

The Boréades present a concert simply titled ‘Comique’. The unusual program consists of comic cantatas and concertos by French harpsichordist Nicolas Racot de Grandval (1676-1753) and organist Michel Corrette (1707-1795). The concert will feature three vocalists and eight instrumentalists, on October 8 at 7:30 PM, in Bourgie Hall.

The Song of Songs

A significant Bible excerpt on profane love, the Song of Songs has inspired countless Middle Ages and Renaissance composers. This universal theme has also inspired the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal to present a concert, Les désirs de l’âme, directed by Christopher Jackson, at St-Léon de Westmount Church, on Sunday October 18 at 3:00 PM.

Harpsichord in concert

Harpsichordist Luc Beauséjour and his musical accomplices (cellist Amanda Keesmaat, flautist Gregoire Jeay and harpsichordist Nicolas-Alexandre Marcotte) present a concert that celebrates both baroque and Québec composers. They will perform works by Maxime McKinley, André Hamel, Boismortier, Vivaldi, Kirnberger, and Devienne. October 23 at 8:00 PM, Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel.

Zhu Xiao-Mei at the Bach Festival

When winter will be just around the corner, the Bach Festival will take place from November 22 to December 5. This year, the festival welcomes the outstanding Chinese pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei. First, there will be a screening of the documentary The Return is the movement of Tao, which looks at Zhu’s approach to Bach, the dialogue of cultures and the links between the composer and the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, at Goethe Institute, November 29 at 11 am and 1 pm. The pianist will perform the Goldberg Variations twice in concert, on 1 and 3 December at 7:30 pm at the Bourgie Hall. Bach specialist Gilles Cantagrel presents the pre-concert conferences.

Translation: Michèle Duguay


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