CANADA
The Pearl Fishers/Master Class
FÉSTIVAL D’OPÉRA DE QUÉBEC
From Jul. 27th to Aug. 7th, Festival d’opera de Quebec celebrated its 10th anniversary—one year late due to the pandemic. It did so with four sold out performances—albeit at reduced capacity due to governmental health regulations—and nearly 100 outdoor activities fronted by emerging opera artists. On the Festival program were the premiere of a new Quebecois operetta Peau d’âne (Donkeyskin), an evening of French opera arias, Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, and Terrence McNally’s Maria Callas-themed play, Master Class (Les Leçons de Maria Callas).
A full production on the stage of the Grand Theatre not being possible, the Festival partnered with Jeunesses musicales du Canada to present a production of The Pearl Fishers at Theatre de la Bordee that will tour Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes next season.
Abridged and reduced to just four characters, Bizet’s opera was given a sombre and effective staging by Alain Gauthier with sets by Pierre-Luc Boudreau. These consisted of stylized fishing nets from which escaped luminous spheres representing giant pearls and wooden slats which allowed us to imagine a Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) village and its temple dedicated to Brahma.
Two fishers, Nadir and Zurga, both love the priestess Leila, but renounce her in their vow of eternal friendship. Nonetheless, love wins out and Leila and Nadir defy their oaths, raising the ire of Zurga and the high priest Nourabad.
Impressive in her red robe, soprano Carole-Anne Roussel (Leila), winner of this year’s Prix d’Europe, reigned over the production: her voice at once round and crystalline, generous but never forced. She worked wonders in her cavatina, the second act vocalise, and in her temple prayers. By turns fervent and passionate, the audience was moved as she begged Zurga to spare Nadir (“Je fremis, je chancelle”).
Tenor Louis-Charles Gagnon, already heard several times in past Festivals, demonstrated beautiful projection and clear diction, although this could have been further refined, especially in the romance, “Je crois entendre encore”.
Baritone Bruno Roy presented an authoritative Zurga, passionate and jealous, who demonstrated the full breadth of his talent in the great third act duet with Leila, with its clash of love and rage. Equally worth a mention—the strong interpretation of the famous duet that reunites Nadir and Zurga: “Au fond du temple saint.”
Olivier Bergeron, another baritone, sang Nourabad, a role originally written for bass, as well as a few chorus parts. Without being too powerful, his voice is pleasant, smooth and refined.
A special mention should go to pianist Holly Kroeker, a veritable one-woman orchestra who notably recreated the spectacular storm at the end of the second act at the piano.
Terrence McNally’s Master Class is inspired by the classes that Maria Callas gave at Juilliard in 1971-72. The French translation by Michel Tremblay, which has been a brilliant success in Quebec for a decade now, was presented at Theatre du Diamant. Actress Sophie Faucher is transformed into the imperious diva, larger-than-life, nostalgic, giving three young singers difficult-to-hear advice in this excellent production by Jacques Leblanc.
Pianist Anne-Marie Bernard, whose skill is known across Quebec, showed obvious pleasure in playing “the accompanist”, serenely calm regardless of what was happening.
The three young, vocally strong and judiciously chosen singers performed their roles well: soprano Catherine Saint-Arnaud is the sensitive Sophie de Palma, intimidated by Callas. She sings “Ah! Non credea mirarti” as well as the cabaletta from Bellini’s La sonnambula.
Baritone Dominique Cote with his extensive vocal range, humorously glided into the tenor role of Anthony Candolino. Having bravely sung “Recondita armonia” (Tosca), he waited vainly for Callas’ comments, who had nothing to say to him.
Soprano Klara Martel-Laroche performed the role of Sharon Graham, a young ambitious), she explodes (“Je ne vous aime pas!”), giving the maestra a piece of her mind.
