|
Lawrence Wiliford, tenor / Shannon Mercer and Teri Dunn, soprano
/ Peter McGillivray and Alexander Dobson, baritones / Larry
Beckwith, conductor/violinist / Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière,
director/dancer / Caroline Guilbault , production designer /
GabrielCropley, lighting designer
Thursday, May 5 & Friday, May 6 at 8 PM / Pre-concert chats at
7:15 PM / Enwave Theatre, 231 Queen’s Quay West / Tickets: $40 /
$35 / $20 / 416 973 4000 /
www.harbourfrontcentre.com
TORONTO, ONTARIO
- The Toronto Masque
Theatre (TMT) presents its final production of the season,
“Masques of Orpheus”, which features two deeply affecting
versions of the story synonymous with opera itself: Orpheus’
journey to the underworld, where he uses his music and poetry to
convince Pluto to restore
his beloved Eurydice to life. The productions’s repertoire
consists of La Descente d'Orphee aux Enfers by
Charpentier, and
Orpheus and Eurydice by James
Rolfe and Andre Alexis, originally commissioned for Toronto Masque Theatre in
2003.
“This program is one of the most important and deeply moving
projects we've ever done,” explains Larry Beckwith, TMT’s
founder and conductor. “By taking a little-known, but timeless
piece of 17th-century French music theatre about
Orpheus, and commissioning a new Canadian work to go beside it,
TMT served notice as to what it’s all about. I love
Charpentier's music; it is touching, simple, sophisticated and
elegant. I also love James Rolfe's music. He has taken the
profound nature of Andre Alexis' text and created something
quite haunting. His use of the old instruments, especially the
recorders, is nothing short of brilliant, and his final chorus
is so sublime. It sums up the whole program brilliantly.”
Lauded for his luminous projection, lyrical sensitivity, and
brilliant coloratura, American-born Canadian tenor
Lawrence Wiliford is
in high demand in concert, opera, and recital repertoire ranging
from works by Monteverdi to contemporary composers. Mr. Wiliford
has collaborated with conductors such as Richard Bradshaw, Jane
Glover, Bernard Labadie, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Trevor Pinnock,
Helmuth Rilling, and Pinchas Zukerman. He is recognized for his
interpretation of Bach and other Baroque composers. His opera
credits include Handel’s Acis and Galatea, Mozart’s
Così fan tutte, and Die Entführung aus dem Serail,
Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, Britten’s
A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Turn of the Screw,
Rameau’s Pygmalion and Gilbert & Sullivan’s The
Pirates of Penzance. Mr. Wiliford champions English and
North American art song, leading to engagements across North
America and at the Aldeburgh Festival in England. He has
recorded on the ATMA Classique & NAXOS labels.
Her voice has been described as luminous and her acting witty
and feisty — Shannon
Mercer is an artist of uncommon musical artistry whose
artform embraces repertoire ranging from early to contemporary
music. Her award-winning discography includes her new release,
Salsa Baroque, O Viva Rosa by Francesca Caccini, the 2009
JUNO Award-winning Gloria!: Vivaldi’s Angels, Bach and
the Liturgical Year, Wales ~ The Land of Song, Mondonville,
English Fancy, (Analekta) and Marin Marais’s Sémélé
(Glossa). She also starred in the comic opera Burnt Toast
and Monty Python funny-man Eric Idle’s Not the Messiah,
both now available on DVD. She also sings the role of Blais
Grenier for Mulroney: The Opera, premiering in movie
theatres on April 16, 2011. Highlights of her 10-11 season
include a tour in Canada of Ana Sokolovic's Love Songs, a
one-woman virtuosic tour-de-force opera produced by The Queen of
Puddings Music Theatre which met with enthusiastic response at
the 2010 Holland Festival, Bach’s St. John Passion with
the Arion Baroque Orchestra (to be recorded by ATMA), as well as
the same work with the Portland Baroque Orchestra on their tour
to Seattle.
Toronto Masque Theatre’s 2010-2011 Season is generously
sponsored by the
Julie-Jiggs Foundation, Roger D. Moore and Brian D. Freeland.
Toronto Masque Theatre is supported by
Canada Council for the
Arts, Ontario Arts
Council, and the
Toronto Arts Council.
Toronto Masque Theatre’s 2011/2012 season (pretty much)
confirmed!
Tickets available in the summer.
www.torontomasquetheatre.com
Nov. 11-13, 2011, EnWave Theatre
CRAZY TO KILL
by John Beckwith and James Reaney.
Kimberly Barber, Doug MacNaughton and Shannon Mercer, directed
by David Ferry,
guest musical direction by Greg Oh.
Feb. 2-4, 2012, Enoch Turner Schoolhouse
MASQUES OF LOVE
Patricia O'Callaghan, Ken Whiteley, Terry McKenna, GIles
Tomkins, Teri Dunn, Vicki St. Pierre, Martin Julien and many
others! Featuring Omar Daniel's "Neruda Canciones", written
especially for TMT in 2006.
May 11-13, 2012, Hart House Theatre
CONVENT OF PLEASURE
A series of short 17th-century works celebrating the
power of women.
More fabulous repertoire and cast TBA, directed by
Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière.
|
|
Masques of Orpheus
