Les Violons du Roy, conducted by Music Director Jonathan Cohen, with soprano Karina Gauvin and contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux, will be performing an all-Handel program titled Streams of Pleasure in Toronto on October 27. The title comes from the album recorded by Gauvin and Lemieux together in 2011.
Karina Gauvin has crafted an acclaimed career. Known widely as a Baroque specialist, she also performs Mahler, Britten, and other music of the 20th and 21st centuries across Canada and throughout Europe. Marie-Nicole Lemieux is a well known recital artist with a specialty in French and Russian songs, and German lieder. She has performed on some of the world’s most famous stages.
Les Violons du Roy was founded in 1984 by Bernard Labadie to explore period accurate performance of chamber works. Its members play modern instruments in interpretations informed by historical practice. Based in Québec City, they have performed all over Canada and throughout the world.
We spoke to current Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen about the tour
Jonathan Cohen: Q&A
What can the music of the Baroque mean to modern audiences? How would you describe it to someone who has never been to such a concert before?
I find the music of Handel particularly wonderful and the huge amount of high quality music from Handel I find constantly impressive. Born in Germany, Handel settled in London in 1712 in England where he spent most of his career. Along with Johann Sebastian Bach, Handel is celebrated as one of the great baroque composers. His music is theatrical and highly expressive, especially in his operas and oratorios, from which many of the arias and duets on our programme are taken. Something speaks directly to us from Handel, transcending the ages, and his music is extremely accessible to all people across time, including modern audiences.
What can you tell us about the soloists for the upcoming concert, Karina Gauvin and Marie-Nicole Lemieux? I know contraltos are rather rare in the opera world, and Marie-Nicole has had such a stellar career.
With great story teller singers such as Karina Gauvin and Marie-Nicole Lemieux, audiences will feel a direct rapport with the sentiments of the characters that Handel so vividly brings to life. Two of Canada’s most respected and wonderful artists, it is a vocal match made in heaven and just perfect for the dramatic beauty of Handel’s music. Les Violons du Roy has had a deep and enduring relationship with both Karina (since 1992!) and Marie-Nicole (since 2001!) and we always enjoy so much making music together.
The concert is going on a short Ontario/Quebec tour. What led to this particular repertoire, which was recorded in 2011? Are there any pieces that stand out in your mind?
Every piece on the program is of extraordinary quality. It’s what marks out Handel as one of the greatest composers of all time, the consistency of his creativity and quality during his whole career. But for me, on this program, I particularly love the oratorio Theodora. His penultimate oratorio written when Handel was 64 years old, Theodora is a tragedy and deals with the themes of sacrifice and love in the face of oppression. The intensity of the music burns brightly and is deeply moving. Karina and Marie-Nicole are both established Handelians and bring all their experience and skills to Handel’s music.
From the original recording in 2011:
In what way(s) does Les Violins du Roy today take its inspiration from its namesake court orchestras of the French royal courts? Is there an aesthetic or approach that you take with the ensemble and its repertoire that is relevant?
In its 41st year now, Les Violons du Roy has established itself in Canada, North America and across the world as a chamber orchestra with a special experience and understanding of the baroque and classical repertoire. The aethestic of Baroque music is captured in a collaborative and chamber music approach between musicians. Understanding the harmonic and rhetorical aspect of music is key for the Baroque repertoire which is also informed by the spirit of dance and folk music. The musicians are very specialized, experienced and capture all these vital elements in Les Violons du Roy which I enjoy very much.
What other upcoming projects are coming up soon, in addition to the Koerner Hall date?
Other notable upcoming concerts include Handel’s Messiah conducted by Bernard Labadie in Quebec City (Palais Montcalm) on the 12th and 13th December and in Montreal’s Maison Symphonique on the 14th December.
The Program
All of the music in the program for the Toronto concert is drawn from six of Handel’s oratorios. It includes:
- Judas Maccabaeus, HWV 63 ( Overture; Duet: “From this dread scene”)
- Alexander Balus, HWV 65 (Sinfonia (Act 3); Aria: “Fury with red sparkling eyes”)
- Joshua, HWV 64 (Duet: “Our limpid streams with freedom flow”)
- Solomon, HWV 67 (Overture: I. Sinfonia: Andante – II. Allegro moderato; Aria: “Will the sun forget to streak”; “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba”; Recitative and duet: “Thou fair inhabitant … Welcome as the dawn of day”
- Belshazzar, HWV 61 (Ouverture; Duet: “Great victor, at your feet I bow”)
- Theodora, HWV 68 (Overture; Recitative and aria: “Ah! Whither should we fly? … As with rosy steps the morn”; Recitative and aria: “But why art thou disquieted … Oh! that I on wings could rise”; Duet: “To thee, thou glorious son of worth”; Duet: “Streams of pleasure ever flowing”
Find tickets and more details about the concert at Koerner Hall [HERE].
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