A celebration of French Baroque opera-ballet at Versailles

By Laura Servidei, 04 December 2018

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“exploited every dissonance Rameau had to offer with beautiful phrasing and dynamics”

Reviewed at Château de Versailles: Royal Opera House, Versailles on 2 December 2018

Charpentier, Actéon

Rameau, Pigmalion

Opera Atelier Toronto

David Fallis, Conductor

Marshall Pynkoski, Director

Gerard Gauci, Set Designer

Michael Legouffe, Costume Designer

Colin Ainsworth, Actéon, Pigmalion

Meghan Lindsay, Aréthuze, Galatée

Mireille Asselin, Diane, L'Amour

Allyson McHardy, Junon, Hyale, Céphise

Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, Choreography

Edward Tracz, Dancer

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra

Chœur Marguerite Louise

Opera Atelier's long delayed La resurrezione

John Gilks, 6th April

The young Handel's homage to Counter Reformation Rome, La resurrezione, is effectively brought to life by Opera Atelier with glittering sets and fine, stylish singing.

****1

Opera Atelier's strengths reinforced with Monteverdi

John Gilks, 19th April

Opera Atelier's return to the earliest part of the repertoire with Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria showcases their strengths in a relatively restrained production anchored by a strong ensemble cast.

***11

High-concept Handel can't obscure spectacular singing

Catherine Kustanczy, 23rd October

Opera Atelier’s latest production mixes traditional-specific touches the company is known for, and more high-concept inclusions. The results are mixed — but the singing is spectacular.

**111

Beauty triumphs in Opera Atelier's Persée

Catherine Kustanczy, 26th April

With sumptuous design, delightful choreography, and exceptional musicality, Opera Atelier’s Persée is a feast for the eyes and ears.

****1

The Magic Flute as great musical comedy from Opera Atelier in Toronto

James Karas, 6th April

Opera Atelier espouses truth in advertising: The Magic Flute, they tell us, is a Singspiel in two acts. You can call it a play with songs, a musical comedy, even an operetta, but hardly an opera in the traditional sense. Call it what you will, this is Opera Atelier’s fourth production of the work in the last 22 years.

***11

Opera Atelier leaps into the Romantic era with a spectacular Freischütz in Toronto

James Karas, 27th October

Opera Atelier has made its reputation as a producer of 17th- and 18th-century operas for more than a quarter of a century, based at the elegant Elgin Theatre in Toronto since 2000. This year it has made a leap into another era and another century with a gorgeous production of Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischütz.

****1

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Laura Servidei

Mathematician, science nerd, translator of popular science books, obsessed opera fan since the teen years. Day job: business analyst in a software house developing systems for the financial industry. Amateur choral singer. Main musical interests: baroque music and Italian opera. Originally from Italy, currently based in Sweden. I make a mean eggplant parmesan.

A celebration of French Baroque opera-ballet: Actéon and Pigmalion at Versailles