The Opéra de Montréal’s third production of the season is  Giuseppe Verdi’s  Il Trovatore. Leonora will  be played by Hiromi Omura (who got rave reviews for her portrayal of Madama Butterfly in 2008, also heard in Simon Boccanegra in 2010) and the title role by Korean tenor Dongwon Shin. Canadian baritone Gregory Dahl,mezzo-soprano Laura Brioli and bass Ernesto Morillo will also be heard, as well as Gaétan Sauvageau, Karine Boucher, Riccardo Iannello and Jean-Michel Richer (the latter three are members of Atelier lyrique). The premiere is tomorrow night and shows will also be held on January 24, 26 and 28.

Do you know Il Trovatore? But, of course, even without knowing it, as this video demonstrates.

It will be launched officially on January 31 but, just for you, here a few glimpses of Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà’s newest album, A Time for Us. It features some of the most beautiful movie soundtracks, all favourites of the violonist. She explains how she went about in  selecting the pieces:

“I have chosen musical moments that speak to me, film music that is particularly appealing, and great musical pieces that inspire images.
My relationship to this music is not the kind chosen by composers, who have created emotions that are attached to images, to a reality conceived for film. Rather, I was inspired by pure music, ignoring conveyed images, and taking it elsewhere in order to recreate my own musical universe. What I feel when I play these works comes from the music, and my approach has been comparable in all respects to the one I favour when working on my repertoire. That is why pieces that are first of all functional go beyond their role by defying time and, breaking out of their framework, become masterpieces. ”

Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà will also soon present two concerts featuring film music, one in Montreal (February 28, at Maison symphonique de Montréal) and one in Quebec (March 22, at Palais Montcalm).

The Liszt year is almost over and it would be a shame not to atttend one last recital tomorrow night, at Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur, especially when the pianist is  Serhiy Salov. Among others, he will perform the monumental B-Minor Sonata, the Six Paganini-Etudes and the explosive Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 and Mephisto Waltz. 

Ticket information can be found here…

Maison du Parc is marking its 20th anniversary of assisting individuals living with HIV/AIDS with a concert to be held tomorrow night, 7:30 p.m., at the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul.  Mozart’s magnificent Requiem and Exultate hubilate will be performed to mark this special occasion.

Guest artists are musicians from the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, soprano Marie-Ève Munger, countertenor Daniel Taylor, tenor Isaiah Bell and baritone Sanford Sylvan, and the choir of the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, all placed under the direction of Jordan de Souza.

The concert pays tribute to those who have lost their battle with HIV/AIDS and brings attention to those living with it, including the need for ongoing health care, education and prevention initiatives as well as continued support and understanding.

Admission is $25 at the door or tickets can be bought at 514.523.6467 or www.maisonduparc.org. Funds raised will support the initiatives and residents of Maison du Parc.

Ensemble Caprice is coming back from a short but intense tour in the US. They were in Washington a few days ago with their Vivaldi and the Gypsies program and their raw energy and wonderful artistiry certainly convinced the critic of the Washingtonian...

“That the experience was anything more than an intellectual exercise is due to the electrifying performances of the group’s best musicians. Lead violinist Julie Triquet gave virtuosic flourish to many of the Romani melodies, in which the technical demands at breakneck speeds were no less formidable than Vivaldi’s, requiring pitches to bend and slide, and the tone to growl and complain. The group showed admirable unity as the tempo was likewise distorted, slowing down and speeding up, the changes guided especially by the expert beat of percussionist Ziya Tabassian.”

To read the full review…