Canadians Invade Washington 18Th Century French Opera at Opera Lafayette

sm22-5_BI_p48_OperaLafayetteV2_sm22-4_BI_pXX 2017-01-27 12:24 PM Page 48 CANADIANS ABROAD CANADIANS INVADE WASHINGTON 18TH CENTURY FRENCH OPERA AT OPERA LAFAYETTE completely staged production – was performed at Paris’s Royal Opera of Versailles using recently discovered backdrops from a 1780 staging of the opera. Since 2011, OL presents a second performance of its annual productions (now increased to three a year) in New York and its board of 22 now includes 6 members from New York. When suggested adding a third performance in Montreal, Brown is cautiously open, asking for venue recommendations. Pierre Gaveaux was an 18th century French Group Photo: Jason Starr (film director), Nicole Chaney (stage manager), Lisa Mion (Production Manager), Emilie Martel (assistant director) Keven Geddes (Jaquino),Pascale Beaudin (Marceline), tenor who created the role of Jason in Alexandre Sylvestre (Dom Fernand), Kimy Mc Laren (Leonore/Fidelio), Jean-Michel Richer (Flores- Cherubini’s Médée. At the age of 31, he tan), Tomislav Lavoie (Rocco), Oriol Tomas (stage director), Dominique Côté (Pizare), Ryan Brown published the first of his 35 operas. Leonore (conductor), Marie-Eve Scafone, rehearsal pianist photo by pierre-etienne bergeron. ou l’amour conjugal based on the libretto by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly premiered on 1798 was by WAH KEUNG CHAN Marianne Fiset have appeared in our produc- very popular in its day. “Unfortunately, it’s tions and recordings,” says Brown following a been overshadowed by Beethoven’s version,” here in North America can you see run-through of Gaveaux’s Lenore at a says Brown, who has the knack for finding 17th- and 18th-century French comic rehearsal space in Montreal’s Centre Pierre- obscure gems. The story of a woman opera featuring an all French-Cana- Péladeau. Indeed, for Leonore, Brown has (Leonore) who impersonates a boy in order to Wdian cast? The unlikely answer is assembled an all-Canadian cast, consisting of find her husband (Florestan) who has been Washington, DC. The city’s company Kimy McLaren as Léonore (flown in from her locked up in prison still resonates with audi- Opera Lafayette (OL) has been performing home base in California), Jean-Michel Richer ences today due to its revolutionary overtones. obscure French Baroque opera for 17 years. as Florestan, Tomislav Lavoie as Rocco, Brown is not This is all due to its founder, conductor Ryan Pascale Beaudin as Marcelline, Dominique making claims that Brown, a humble violinist trained at Oberlin Côté as Pizarro, Kevin Geddes as Jaquino, and Gaveaux’s work is a and Juilliard with Dorothy DeLay, who has Alexandre Sylvestre as Dom Fernand. masterpiece. As the gradually built a company worthy of envy. On Additionally, the artistic direction has strong January 18 run- February 19, Opera Lafayette will revive Pierre Canadian roots with stage director Oriol through proceeds, Gaveaux’s Lenore ou l’amour conjugal (1798), Tomas, set and costume designer Laurence it’s clear why a work which inspired Beethoven to write Mongeau, and lighting designer Julie Basse. Lenore was popular Fidelio. It’s part of a Brown’s plan to present It’s the first time Brown has held his music at the time. There is both works side-by-side for the company’s 25th and staging rehearsals outside of Washington. comedy at the anniversary in 2019. “Most of the cast is from Montreal and they all beginning as Mar- Back in 1994, Brown started the company are friends,” says Brown who flew into celline, the jailor out of the basement of his Capital-Hill home, Montreal on January 3, along with his brilliant Rocco’s daughter, calling it Les Violons de Lafayette after the production manager Lisa Mion, to begin has become smitten Marquis de Lafayette (a French aristocrat who rehearsals the following day. “It also made with Leonore disguised as Fidelio, dismissing fought with the winning side in the American perfect economic sense. Instead of bringing 10 the advances of Jaquino. The story takes a Revolutionary War). He was intrigued by people to Washington and housing them, it dark turn when the scene changes to the dun- French Baroque music. “At Juilliard, harpsi- was easier to bring two people to Montreal.” geon where Florestan is held and tortured. chordist Albert Fuller introduced me to It seems somewhat surprising that OL hasn’t The music is delightful and dramatic, but Rameau, and I found his music new and tried this before, but the company’s baby steps missing a memorable hit aria. The all-Cana- fascinating,” says Brown. Enticed by epic approach has definitely paid off. dian ensemble cast a wonderful spell, with the stories from history, myth and literature, One of OL’s specialties is finding connec- dramatic highlight the Leonore-Florestan duet Brown began to present French Baroque tions between well-known and forgotten as they are finally reunited, sung wonderfully opera in concert in 1998 starting with Charp- works. In 2008, it presented an evening of by Kimy McLaren and Jean-Michel Richer. entier’s Actéon. By 2001, he changed the antecedents to Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Brown is happy with the results (only a few company’s name to Opera Lafayette. In 2005, exploring the sources that inspired Mozart staging notes need to be given to the cast), and it released the first of ten recordings on Naxos, and Da Ponte. In 2012, it produced Paisiello’s returns to Washington the next day. “I like the Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice, heeding advice Barber of Seville and in 2014, it offered the idea of letting the music percolate for the next from New York Baroque Dance Company second part of its ambitious Cosi fan tutte three weeks before we meet again in Wash- founder Catherine Turocy to help build a fan project, which paired Mozart’s opera with ington with the orchestra.” The production base. By 2012, OL began producing fully- François-André Danican Philidor’s Les will be video recorded for a DVD release, staged productions, and it hasn’t looked back. femmes vengées, which Brown presented as a another step forward for the company. LSM Not only does French opera have a dance sequel to Cosi, set 10 years later, with all the sequence, but French comic opera is infused couples more or less happily married. Pierre Gaveaux’s Lenore ou l’amour conjugal, Opera with plenty of spoken dialogue. From the start, OL has also been expanding its reach. The Lafayette, Sunday, February 19, 3 PM, Washington, Brown tapped into Canadian imports for 2012 production of Pierre-Alexandre DC, Thursday, February 23, 7:30 PM, New York, NY. French-speaking casting. “Nathalie Paulin and Monsigny’s Le roi et le fermier – OL’s first www.operalafayette.org 48 FÉVRIER/MARS 2017 FEBRUARY/MARCH.

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