{"id":111445,"date":"2025-02-03T13:30:12","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T18:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=111445"},"modified":"2025-02-03T13:30:12","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T18:30:12","slug":"scrutiny-canadian-cast-performs-conviction-coc-opera-de-montreal-production-la-reine-garcon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/02\/03\/scrutiny-canadian-cast-performs-conviction-coc-opera-de-montreal-production-la-reine-garcon\/","title":{"rendered":"SCRUTINY | All-Canadian Cast Performs With Conviction In The COC\/Op\u00e9ra de Montr\u00e9al Production La reine-gar\u00e7on"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Kirsten
Kirsten MacKinnon as Christine in the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s production of La Reine-gar\u00e7on, 2025 (Photo: Michael Cooper)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Canadian Opera Company\/Op\u00e9ra de Montr\u00e9al; La reine-gar\u00e7on. Julien Bilodeau (composer) & Michel Marc Bouchard (libretto); Kirsten MacKinnon as Christine; Philippe Sly as Karl Gustav; Wesley Harrison as Johan Oxenstierna. Angela Konrad, director, with the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra & Johannes Debus, conductor. January 31, 2025 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Arts, Toronto. Continues to February 15; tickets here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Set in the cold environment of mid-17th century Stockholm, it seems fitting that the Canadian Opera Company presents its highly anticipated co-commission and co-production with the Op\u00e9ra de Montr\u00e9al, La reine-gar\u00e7on, during its winter schedule.<\/p>\n

There is a tendency in this country to present new music during the winter months. (The Winnipeg New Music Festival comes to mind.) Why this is the case is a topic for discussion for another day. Nonetheless, I am always excited to experience new music, especially new opera on a grand scale.<\/p>\n

La reine-gar\u00e7on has the story line and themes of what we are accustomed to in grand opera. Based on the fascinating historical figure Queen Christine of Sweden, the story delves into Christine\u2019s internal conflicts and struggles. She confronts the prescribed expectations of her, but yearns for personal freedom.<\/p>\n

\"A
A scene from the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s production of La Reine-gar\u00e7on, 2025 (Photo: Michael Cooper)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Plot<\/h2>\n

These expectations are laid out in the first act. Count Karl Gustav, her cousin and army general, proposes marriage. She rejects him, insisting that her primary devotion lies in making her monarchy a model of sophistication. She is courted by Count Johan Oxenstierna, but she is secretly in love with her lady-in-waiting, Countess Ebba Sparre.<\/p>\n

Christine\u2019s dowager mother, Marie-Eleonore de Brandebourg brutally and crassly declares that Christine\u2019s duty is to bear heirs.<\/p>\n

In the second act, we see how Christine confronts these expectations. As part of her enlightened monarchy, Ren\u00e9 Descartes performs an anatomy lesson. She rejects her Lutheran faith, and converts to Catholicism in search of personal freedom. In this new found freedom, Christine proposes a life with her love, Ebba, but is devastated when Ebba rejects this life. Ultimately, Christine abdicates as queen, and bestows the crown to Count Gustav.<\/p>\n

\"Kirsten
Kirsten MacKinnon as Christine in the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s production of La Reine-gar\u00e7on, 2025 (Photo: Michael Cooper)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Visuals<\/h3>\n

For the most part, the set is minimal. Large background projections, often of the wilderness such as forest and tundra, were very effective with the bare set. It reflected the emotional content of the scene. A scrim was used to display snowfall and a dazzling aurora borealis. The costumes were mostly dark in tone, and heavy with fur. Textile designs and the sparse use of colour complemented the visual impact.<\/p>\n

A few elements did seem out of place and distracting. The anatomy lesson, which visually alludes to Rembrandt\u2019s “Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp”, seemed to be over emphasized. The dowager mother\u2019s companion, \u201cThe Albino\u201d seemed unnecessary.<\/p>\n

The Score<\/h3>\n

Julien Bilodeau<\/strong> uses the full extent of the large orchestra. The opera chorus, often offstage, is an extension of the sonic landscape that Bilodeau creates. The prominent use of the woodwinds effectively evokes the wintery winds, and the brass sonority evokes a vast tundra landscape. The orchestral music borders on being over-the top and at times feels like a melange of vignettes.<\/p>\n

The musical element that seems to tie the whole opera together is the Swedish kulning \u2014 a herding call, remarkably sung by Anne-Marie Beaudette<\/strong>. It is a recognizable element that comes back in moments throughout the opera. Its raw and primal emotional power is a metaphor for Christine\u2019s inner struggle for freedom.<\/p>\n

The vocal music for the soloist cast, while strong in delivery, could have benefited from more emotional depth and musical development. It seemed to me that Bilodeau focussed too much on creating music that conjured the external world, rather than music from within the characters. Perhaps, it was the text by librettist Michel Marc Bouchard<\/strong>, necessary to tell the story, that dictated more recitative like moments than interesting musical lines.<\/p>\n

\"A
A scene from the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s production of La Reine-gar\u00e7on, 2025 (Photo: Michael Cooper)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Performers and Memorable Moments<\/h3>\n

Notwithstanding the vocal music, this all-Canadian cast performed remarkably with conviction and commitment. Kirsten MacKinnon<\/strong> as Christine brought emotional complexity to her character, capturing both her sense of duty and her profound inner conflict. Philippe Sly<\/strong> as Count Gustav exuded a commanding presence, with a rich voice and dignified physicality. Owen McCausland<\/strong> portrayed Descartes with a nuanced sense of sophistication. Aline Kutan<\/strong>\u2019s portrayal of de Brandebourg was both commanding and gripping, perfectly capturing the queen’s madness, particularly in her high tessitura passages. Queen Hezumuryango<\/strong> portrayed Ebba with grace and innocence.<\/p>\n

Stepping in for Isaiah Bell on Sunday\u2019s performance, understudy Wesley Harrison<\/strong> delivered a standout performance as Count Johan. His comedic \u201cclic-clac\u201d recitative that pronounced his love for his legs provided a delightful moment of levity in an otherwise emotionally intense opera. His dynamic physical presence on stage was magnetic and vocally delivered with his clear tenor voice.<\/p>\n

The extraordinary performances, striking visuals, and thought-provoking themes come together to create a captivating opera experience. Braving the snow to see this new production will be well worth the journey. The receptive and appreciative audience on Sunday certainly thought so.<\/p>\n

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Extraordinary performances and thought-provoking themes come together in the Canadian Opera Company\/Op\u00e9ra de Montr\u00e9al production of La reine-gar\u00e7on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":115,"featured_media":111447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[41660,18,9567,43,52,63],"tags":[628,9503,2498,2642,40133,40351],"yst_prominent_words":[6885,8540,8545,28551,25240,8550,28548,6911],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-REVIEW-2025-02-03T132533.386.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-sZv","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111445"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/115"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111445"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111453,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111445\/revisions\/111453"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111445"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=111445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}