Canadian Opera Firm/Opéra de Montréal; La reine-garçon. Julien Bilodeau (composer) & Michel Marc Bouchard (libretto); Kirsten MacKinnon as Christine; Philippe Sly as Karl Gustav; Wesley Harrison as Johan Oxenstierna. Angela Konrad, director, with the Canadian Opera Firm Orchestra & Johannes Debus, conductor. January 31, 2025 on the 4 Seasons Centre for the Arts, Toronto. Continues to February 15; tickets right here.
Set within the chilly atmosphere of mid-Seventeenth century Stockholm, it appears becoming that the Canadian Opera Firm presents its extremely anticipated co-commission and co-production with the Opéra de Montréal, La reine-garçon, throughout its winter schedule.
There’s a tendency on this nation to current new music through the winter months. (The Winnipeg New Music Competition involves thoughts.) Why that is the case is a subject for dialogue for one more day. Nonetheless, I’m at all times excited to expertise new music, particularly new opera on a grand scale.
La reine-garçon has the story line and themes of what we’re accustomed to in grand opera. Primarily based on the fascinating historic determine Queen Christine of Sweden, the story delves into Christine’s inner conflicts and struggles. She confronts the prescribed expectations of her, however yearns for private freedom.
The Plot
These expectations are specified by the primary act. Depend Karl Gustav, her cousin and armed forces common, proposes marriage. She rejects him, insisting that her major devotion lies in making her monarchy a mannequin of sophistication. She is courted by Depend Johan Oxenstierna, however she is secretly in love along with her lady-in-waiting, Countess Ebba Sparre.
Christine’s dowager mom, Marie-Eleonore de Brandebourg brutally and crassly declares that Christine’s obligation is to bear heirs.
Within the second act, we see how Christine confronts these expectations. As a part of her enlightened monarchy, René Descartes performs an anatomy lesson. She rejects her Lutheran religion, and converts to Catholicism in the hunt for private freedom. On this new discovered freedom, Christine proposes a life along with her love, Ebba, however is devastated when Ebba rejects this life. Finally, Christine abdicates as queen, and bestows the crown to Depend Gustav.
The Visuals
For probably the most half, the set is minimal. Giant background projections, typically of the wilderness similar to forest and tundra, had been very efficient with the naked set. It mirrored the emotional content material of the scene. A scrim was used to show snowfall and a blinding aurora borealis. The costumes had been principally darkish in tone, and heavy with fur. Textile designs and the sparse use of color complemented the visible influence.
A number of components did appear misplaced and distracting. The anatomy lesson, which visually alludes to Rembrandt’s “Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp”, appeared to be over emphasised. The dowager mom’s companion, “The Albino” appeared pointless.
The Rating
Julien Bilodeau makes use of the total extent of the big orchestra. The opera refrain, typically offstage, is an extension of the sonic panorama that Bilodeau creates. The outstanding use of the woodwinds successfully evokes the wintery winds, and the brass sonority evokes an unlimited tundra panorama. The orchestral music borders on being over-the high and at occasions looks like a melange of vignettes.
The musical component that appears to tie the entire opera collectively is the Swedish kulning — a herding name, remarkably sung by Anne-Marie Beaudette. It’s a recognizable component that comes again in moments all through the opera. Its uncooked and primal emotional energy is a metaphor for Christine’s inside wrestle for freedom.
The vocal music for the soloist solid, whereas robust in supply, might have benefited from extra emotional depth and musical improvement. It appeared to me that Bilodeau focussed an excessive amount of on creating music that conjured the exterior world, fairly than music from throughout the characters. Maybe, it was the textual content by librettist Michel Marc Bouchard, needed to inform the story, that dictated extra recitative like moments than fascinating musical strains.
The Performers and Memorable Moments
However the vocal music, this all-Canadian solid carried out remarkably with conviction and dedication. Kirsten MacKinnon as Christine introduced emotional complexity to her character, capturing each her sense of obligation and her profound inside battle. Philippe Sly as Depend Gustav exuded a commanding presence, with a wealthy voice and dignified physicality. Owen McCausland portrayed Descartes with a nuanced sense of sophistication. Aline Kutan’s portrayal of de Brandebourg was each commanding and gripping, completely capturing the queen’s insanity, notably in her excessive tessitura passages. Queen Hezumuryango portrayed Ebba with grace and innocence.
Stepping in for Isaiah Bell on Sunday’s efficiency, understudy Wesley Harrison delivered a standout efficiency as Depend Johan. His comedic “clic-clac” recitative that pronounced his love for his legs offered a pleasant second of levity in an in any other case emotionally intense opera. His dynamic bodily presence on stage was magnetic and vocally delivered together with his clear tenor voice.
The extraordinary performances, placing visuals, and thought-provoking themes come collectively to create a charming opera expertise. Braving the snow to see this new manufacturing will likely be properly well worth the journey. The receptive and appreciative viewers on Sunday actually thought so.
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Albert Wong is a author, composer and musician primarily based in Toronto. He’s energetic within the choral neighborhood and sings with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Babεl. He additionally has a specific curiosity in gamelan music, and performs Balinese gendèr wayang with Seka Rat Nadi.
