Vancouver Early Music Festival 2010: Staged Theatrical Works by Monteverdi

“VISIBILIA”
A marriage of sacred & secular works
Imagination is how man alters his perception
and Music, Dance and Theatre are indispensable tools
for awakening the imagination.

< Stage photo from this production of “Il Combattimento” (Click on photo to enlarge)

Montevedi’s Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, composed in 1624, was first performed in Venice during Carnaval. The text was taken from “Gerusalemme liberata”, a famous dramatic epic poem about the crusades, written by Torquato Tasso in 1574. In the story, Tancredi, a Christian crusader, challenges an enemy Sarasin to an unusual (what is unusual about this fight?) fight. They fight until his opponent drops to the ground, suffering a deadly wound. When his victim pleads to be baptized before dying, Tancredi realizes, with horror, that he has mortally wounded Clorinda, a young girl whom he deeply loves.

Monteverdi left enough dramatic indications in the score for us to imagine what this production could have been like. In his preface for the performers, Monteverdi writes:

The battle between Tancredi and Clorinda, a musical setting of the description by Tasso. If you wish to perform this in a theatrical manner, the characters should enter unexpectedly (after some madrigals without action have been sung) from the part of the chamber in which the musicians are performing. Clorinda should enter, armed and on foot, followed by Tancredi, armed and on a cavallo mariano; and then the narrator should begin to sing while the characters move and act as the text dictates. The steps and gestures of the performers shall be regulated by the demands of the text, being neither too much nor too little, and diligently observing the tempi, the rhythm and the steps, while the instrumentalists observe the loud and soft sounds; and the Narrator is to regulate the timing of his words in such a way that a sense of unity is conferred upon the whole; Clorinda will only sing when she is supposed to, when the Narrator is silent; the same applies to Tancredi. The instruments, four viole da braccio (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), and a continuo of great bass viol and harpsichord, must be played in a manner consistent with the emotions expressed in the words; the Narrator’s voice must be clear and steady, and of good declamation; he should be placed well apart from the instruments in order to be heard better. He is not to use any vocal ornaments nor trills except in the canto beginning with the word ‘Notte’; elsewhere his declamation should imitate the passions described by the words.

The inspiration for Le Nouvel Opéra’s production VISIBILIA comes from two places. First, a term found in Stefano E. D’Anna’s marvellous book “The School for Gods”, which is also a business school found in Italy New York and London. The full term is Visibilia ex Invisibilibus: “the visible, what we touch and see, comes from the invisible, the world of ideas… of creativity… the world of Dream”. Secondly, it comes from the Greek word “skopos”, the origin of which is skeptomai (to peer about, to consider) and the meaning of which is 1] watcher or overseer 2] the goal, end in sight or top of a mountain. In our staging, the “skopos” is likened to the idea of a messenger who, simply by his presence, affects man’s perception and helps him see and comprehend what his eyes cannot grasp. The emotions are therefore incarnated by the dancers (modern and baroque) and the choreography makes the visible invisible, as does Monteverdi’s exuberant and exquisite music.

The performance begins with a text from Song of songs - “Ego Dormio”:

I sleep, and my heart is awake
The voice of my beloved knocketh, saying:
“Open to me, my sister, my dove,
my immaculate one.”

Monteverdi’s set this text as a beautiful duet for soprano and bass (female and male) and is followed by solos, duos and trios from Monteverdi’s Selva Morale e Spirituale (Moral and Spiritual Forest), as well as a solo violin sonata by Fontana which will be danced.

The second part opens with the troubling “Lamento della Ninfa” for soprano and three male voices, who comment on the distraught nymph’s cries and movements, disturbing the fleeting joy and reached in the first part. This is done very simply so that, in keeping with Monteverdi’s wishes, nothing prepares the listener for the surprise that awaits when the drama of Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda begins.

“We focus not on the visible things but on the invisible things
since the visible things only last a certain time where
as the invisible things last forever” (2 Cor.Iv.18)

Suzie LeBlanc

Suzie LeBlanc was born in New-Brunswick of Acadian heritage. Critically acclaimed by the international press for her luminous presence, vocal magic and impeccable phrasing, she enjoys performing a wide range of musical styles from the Renaissance and Baroque periods to French Mélodies, German Lieder and Acadian traditional songs.

In 2008, she made her debut in the film world as the lead character in the feature film Lost song, directed by Rodrigue Jean. The film won the City TV’s Best Canadian Feature Film Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, Best Acadian picture at FIFA (Moncton) and was chosen as one of the Top Ten films of the year in Canada. Before this, she had starred in the music documentaries More than a thousand kisses and Suzie LeBlanc and a man named Quantz, both for Prometheus Productions, and more recently in Suzie LeBlanc: A musical quest, directed by Donald Winkler. Her passion and research into Acadian traditional music has resulted in two recordings: La Mer ... read more

Colin Balzer

With assured musicality and the varied tonal palette of a lieder specialist, Canadian lyric Colin Balzer's current season includes a debut on the distinguished Philadelphia Chamber Music Society series, Messiah with the Edmonton and Toronto Symphonies, his Atlanta Symphony debut in the Mozart Coronation Mass under Roberto Abbado; Mozart's Idomeneo and Mass in C in Salzburg under Marc Minkowski; Bach's St. Matthew Passion and Cantatas with Philippe Herreweghe and Collegium Vocale Gent and Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni with Louis Langree conducting at France's Aix-en-Provence Festival. In 2010-11 New York hears his solo recital debut at the Frick Collection, as well as Messiah with Kent Tritle conducting both Musica Sacra and the Oratorio Society of New York, the latter at Carnegie Hall. In addition he participates in the Boston Early Music Festival performances and recording of Steffani's Niobe.l ... read more

Tyler Duncan

British-Columbia-born and New York-based baritone Tyler Duncan enjoys international renown for bringing consummate musicianship, vocal beauty and interpretive insight to recital, concert and – increasingly – operatic literature.

In spring 2010 he debuts at the American Spoleto Festival in the role of Friendly in the 18th-century ballad opera Flora. He has sung Demetrius in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Princeton Festival; roles in Lully’s Armide with Houston’s Mercury Baroque; Purcell’s The Faerie Queen with Early Music Vancouver; Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in Rotterdam and Utrecht; the title role of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro on a Swiss tour with the Munich Chamber Orchestra under Christoph Poppen; and the High Priest in the Richard-Strauss adaptation of Mozart’s Idomeneo conducted by Ion Marin at the Strauss Festival in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Forthcoming on the CPO label is his Boston Early Music Festival recording of the title role of John Blow’s Venus ... read more

Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière

A recipient of grants from the Canada and Quebec Arts Council, Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière has a multidiciplinary background in music, acting (specializing in commedia dell’arte) and dancing. She is an associate partner with Toronto Masque Theater, le Nouvel Opéra and she is the artistic director of Les Jardins chorégraphiques in Montréal.

For over 15 years she directed, choregraphed or danced with many groups in Canade, United State and Europe. She was invited in many festivals : the Boston Early Music (Lully’s Psyché), Vancouver Early Music (Rameau’s Pygmalion), New Zealand Chamber Music festival, Festival de Lanvellec in France and the Festival Musicale Estense in Modena Italy ( with les idées heureuses) and The International Baroque festival in Lamèque. She has directed and choregraphed, for five years, the closing show of the Festival Montréal Baroque. She created Mozart a Milano (2006)and Purcell Fairy Queen (2009)who was both nominated ... read more

Isabeau Proulx Lemire

With impressive versatility, the actor and singer Isabeau Proulx Lemire has traversed an ever-broadening spectrum of musical styles and dramatic characterizations. Beginning his artistic career as an actor, Isabeau Proulx Lemire worked with different renowned companies such as Le Cirque Éos, l'Opéra de Québec, l'Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, Les Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France, le Carnaval de Québec.

Today, very much in demand as a singer, he encompasses a rich variety of genres, embracing works from the Baroque (Le Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal, Montreal Baroque) and Classical Periods (Université de Sherbrooke, Chœur de l’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec). In addition, he does not hide his interest for popular music (Marie-Denise Pelletier Christmas Show, Cirque du Soleil's Corteo album) and even jazz (Âmes, Corps et Désirs, Karen Young). ... read more

Alexander Weimann

Alexander Weimann, who in 2009 became the music director with Vancouver’s Pacific Baroque Orchestra, is one of the most sought-after ensemble directors, soloists, and chamber music partners of his generation. He has traveled the world as a member of the ensemble Tragicomedia; as a frequent guest of ensembles such as Les Boréades, Cantus Cölln, Freiburger Barockorchester, Tafelmusik, and the Gesualdo Consort; and as musical director of Les Voix Baroques and Le Nouvel Opéra.

During the 2008 season he led the Portland Baroque Orchestra in Handel's Messiah, conducted the Pacific Baroque Orchestra on a tour of Canada and the USA, and performed Bach's Harpsichord Concertos as soloist with Les Violons du Roy. Both the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra regularly invite him to play as soloist.

After working as an assistant conductor at the Amsterdam, Basel, and Hamburg opera houses, he directed his own productions of Pergolesi's La Serva Padrona with the Freiburger Barockorchester; Pepusch's Beggar's Opera at the Palace Theatre ... read more

Monteverdi’s “Combattimento”:
A Theatrical Presentation

“VISIBILIA” – A marriage of sacred & secular works:
“Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda”,
“Il lamento della Ninfa” and “Selva Morale e Spirituale”

Suzie LeBlanc

Colin Balzer

Tyler Duncan

Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière

Isabeau Proulx Lemire

Alexander Weimann

Monteverdi’s “Combattimento”: A Theatrical Presentation

“VISIBILIA” – A marriage of sacred & secular works: “Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda”, “Il lamento della Ninfa” and “Selva Morale e Spirituale”

Suzie LeBlanc

Colin Balzer

Tyler Duncan

Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière

Isabeau Proulx Lemire

Alexander Weimann

Monteverdi’s “Combattimento”:
A Theatrical Presentation

“VISIBILIA” – A marriage of sacred & secular works:
“Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda”,
“Il lamento della Ninfa” and “Selva Morale e Spirituale”