Early Music Vancouver (EMV) announces its first ever presentation of Henry Purcell's iconic Baroque masterpiece, and England's first and most beloved opera Dido and Aeneas on Thursday, July 30, 2015, 7:30pm at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC as part of the EMV 2015 Summer Festival.
"Dido and Aeneas is a perfectly crafted mix of exquisite arias, moving choruses, and a delicate balance of melancholy and humor - it is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest operas ever written," says Matthew White, Artistic Director of EMV. "In particular, its stunning finale, Dido's Lament, is one of the most instantly recognizable and moving pieces in the operatic canon."
Based on Virgil's epic The Aeneid, the mythic love story tells the tragic tale of Queen Dido's love and subsequent abandonment by the Trojan hero, Aeneas. First performed in 1688 at the Josias Priest's girls' school in London, the work is Purcell's first and only all-sung opera and is considered one of his most theatrical compositions.
Toronto-based soprano Monica Whicher, who has given critically acclaimed performances of Dido with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Opera Atelier, will play the fated queen. Whicher frequently performs with a litany of prestigious international orchestras, opera companies and chamber music festivals, including recent collaborations with conductors Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Helmuth Rilling, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Trevor Pinnock, and Andrew Parrott.
"Monica Whicher's dignified Dido reached a magnificent climax in her confrontation scene with Aeneas: Here, Whicher completely entered the Purcell 'zone', catching every nuance of emotion as his harmonies and rhythms set Dido's words aflame." -
The Globe and Mail
The accomplished supporting vocalists of Dido and Aeneas hail from around the world and include: renowned English tenor Charles Daniels - an EMV favourite who appears on over ninety recordings; GRAMMY-Award winning, Miami-based countertenor Reginald L. Mobley; young Quebec sopranos Pascale Beaudin and Jacqueline Woodley, and frequent EMV collaborator baritone Sumner Thompson as Aeneas.
The combined ensemble performs under the musical direction of conductor and harpsichordist Alexander Weimann. The Vancouver-based artist is one of the most sought-after ensemble directors, soloists, and chamber music partners of his generation whose work can be heard on more than 100 recordings. Recently relocated from Montreal, the GRAMMY and Juno Award winner is Music Director of both Pacific Baroque and Seattle Baroque Orchestras, and a frequent guest conductor and collaborator with groups including Quebec's Les Violons du Roy, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and Boston Early Music Festival. Weimann is also notably a frequent recital partner with Canada's star soprano Karina Gauvin.
ABOUT EARLY MUSIC VANCOUVER (
earlymusicbc.ca)
For 45 years, Early Music Vancouver (EMV) has dedicated itself to fostering an understanding and appreciation of musical treasures from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods. Currently under the leadership of Matthew White - renowned countertenor and founding director of the Que?bec-based ensemble Les Voix Baroques - EMV continues to garner international acclaim as the largest presenter of early music in Canada, and as one of the most active and innovative organizations in its field in North America.
EMV is proud of its educational outreach initiatives that include its popular, annual summer festival at UBC's School of Music; a new Baroque Mentorship Orchestra; community lectures; and instrument instruction and preservation.
The EMV Summer Festival: Music for Queens runs July 26 through August 7, 2015, offering a diverse lineup of instrumental and vocal music written by, for, and about great Queens in history. The Vancouver Early Music Festival is one of the largest festivals of its type in North America and runs over two weeks in July and August every year. It is a superb series of concerts featuring faculty and guest artists from all over the world. Highlights this year include the return of Sequentia ensemble for Medieval music in a program centered around the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, Montreal's Les Voix Humaines Gamba Consort and recitals by solo artists including soprano Ellen Hargis, baritone Tyler Duncan and lutenist Robert Barto.
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