Debuts and reappointments highlight COC 2016-17 season featuring 6 operas: Norma, Ariodante, The Magic Flute, Götterdämmerung, Louis Riel, and Tosca.
It’s that time of year again folks! Every January, Toronto opera lovers eagerly await the launch of the Canadian Opera Company’s upcoming season. I’ve been attending these announcements for many years now. It used to be a much more modest affair, in the form of a press conference at the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre on Front Street. The late COC General Director Richard Bradshaw was the main speaker, attended by members of the media, and the occasional COC board member and supporters from the President’s Council.
A few years ago, the event was moved to the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre in the new opera house, the Four Seasons Centre. It was moved again a couple of years ago to the main auditorium, complete with slick audiovisual presentation, even a performance or two by artists engaged for the new season, with the full COC Orchestra. At last season’s announcement, there was something like 1,000 people in attendance, including subscribers, supporters, donors, patrons, and, of course, the press. This event is important for marketing and publicity values alone, and a great way to attract potential subscribers.
Norma, Ariodante
The attendance at tonight’s launch was the biggest I’ve seen. I venture to say the 2,100 seat opera house was nearly full. Johannes Debus led the COC Orchestra in selections from the six operas being produced next season. The 2016-17 season is an excellent one, a combination of warhorses and the unfamiliar, the traditional and the avant-garde. The season opens with a blockbuster – Bellini’s Norma – with a dream cast. Sharing the role are two great sopranos, Sondra Radvanovsky (a terrific Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux) and Elza van den Heever (a superb Leonora in Il trovatore). American mezzo Isabel Leonard returns as Adalgisa. I was disappointed when she cancelled a Toronto recital last fall due to illness, so it’s great to know she’s coming back. Russell Thomas, our Hoffmann a few seasons back, is Pollione, and Dimitry Ivashchenko (a terrific Hunding last season) is Oroveso. Stephen Lord returns to conduct the eight performances from Oct. 6 to Nov. 5. It is paired with Handel’s Ariodante, conducted by Johannes Debus with Brit Richard Jones as director. Alice Coote, the Komponist in Ariadne a few seasons ago, sings the title role. Jane Archibald is Ginevra. Armenian mezzo Varduhi Abrahamyan debuts as Polinesso, and former Ensemble Studio coloratura soprano Ambur Braid sings Dalinda. Seven performances Oct. 16 to Nov. 5.
Götterdämmerung, The Magic Flute
“When it’s winter, it must be Wagner” – well, it’s been true for the COC lately! The last segment of the COC production of the Ring, Götterdämmerung, is slated for seven performances Feb. 2 to 25. The great American Wagnerian soprano Christine Goerke returns as Brunnhilde, partnering her is Austrian heldentenor Andreas Schager as the mature Siegfried. I last heard him in Bravissimo on New Year’s Eve 2014. And believe it or not, he was Tamino at Opera Mississauga, at least, a dozen years ago! A huge transformation to be sure, but he won’t be the first – none other than the famous German tenor Siegfried Jerusalem started out as Tamino and Max and “graduated” to Siegfried and Tristan! Estonian bass Ain Anger debuts as Hagen, and German baritone Martin Gantner is Gunther. Johannes Debus continues his first Ring Odyssey as the conductor. The COC tends to pair a heavy piece with a comedy. This time, it’s Mozart’s The Magic Flute, with Bernard Labadie making his belated COC conducting debut. Two former COC Ensemble tenors, Andrew Haji and Owen McCausland, take on Tamino, opposite Russian Elena Tsallagova and Canadian Kirsten MacKinnon as Pamina. I fondly remember Tsallagova as an enchanting Melisande in Munich last July. Two terrific Canadians, Josh Hopkins and Phillip Addis share Papageno. There’ll be a total of 12 performances from Jan. 19 to Feb. 24.
Louis Riel, Tosca
With 2017 being Canadian’s sesquicentennial year, it’s good to have a Canadian work – a new production of Harry Somers’ Louis Riel. I’ve only seen it in the mid 70’s in Ottawa, but a version of that production is also available commercially on DVD. Now, the COC, in conjunction with the National Arts Centre, is presenting a brand new production, with COC Music Director Johannes Debus conducting. Canadian baritone Russell Braun is Louis Riel, joined by Simone Osborne (Marguerite), James Westman (Sir John A. Macdonald), Allyson McHardy (Julie), Michael Colvin (Thomas Scott) and John Relyea (Bishop Taché). Seven performances from April 20 to May 13. The COC season closes with Tosca. It wasn’t that long ago that we had this Puccini warhorse starring Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka. She is back for a reprise, sharing the role with soprano Keri Alkema. Tenors Ramon Vargas and Andrea Carè share Cavaradossi, and German bass-baritone Markus Marquardt makes his Canadian debut as Scarpia. Canadian conductor, Keri Lynn Wilson is at the helm – she’s the first woman conductor at the COC mainstage since Anne Manson, who conducted A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2009. Twelve performances from April 30 to May 20.
COC Music Director Johannes Debus Renews Contract Through 2020/2021
In addition to the unveiling of this interesting season lineup, it was also announced that the contract of COC Music Director Johannes Debus has been renewed through the 2020-21 season. This is great good news. He’s a marvellous conductor, full of youthful energy and abundant creative imagination. His presence has elevated the already excellent COC Orchestra to a new level. If I may allow myself a little anecdote – I first experienced Debus’ conducting at the Bavarian State Opera in 2008, in a performance of Elektra. I was so blown away by this 34-year old conductor that I wrote him a “fan email.” Little did I know that by a huge stroke of coincidence, shortly afterwards it was announced that Debus would be making his COC debut in War and Peace! I wrote again to congratulate him, and he wrote back to say that not only would this be his first War and Peace but his first Prokofiev. And he only had a short time to prepare this monumental piece. Wouldn’t you know, Maestro Debus showed up with the whole opera committed to memory! The COC Orchestra musicians were bowled over by him, and within a year, Debus was appointed Music Director. Having secured him for the next five years, it means the COC Orchestra will be in good hands.
COC Ensemble Studio
Last but not least was the announcement of the new young artists joining the COC Ensemble Studio, a total of six singers – an unusually large number – and one pianist. They are sopranos Danika Loren and Samantha Pickett, mezzos Emily D’Angelo, Lauren Eberwein and Megan Quick, baritone Bruno Roy, and pianist Stephane Mayer. Current Ensemble artists who will be returning are singers Karine Boucher, Aaron Sheppard, Charles Sy and pianist Hyejin Kwon.
There you have it – all the ingredients for an exciting season ahead!
#LUDWIGVAN
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