Philippe Sly Hits the Jackpot in Montreal Voice Competition

By Robert Markow, 11 June 2012

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

Reviewed at Maison symphonique, Montreal on 8 June 2012

Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Prelude to Act 1

Tchaikovsky, The Queen of Spades (Pique Dame): Ya vas lyublyu (Yeletsky's aria)

Massenet, Le Cid: Pleurez mes yeux

Bach, St Matthew Passion, BWV 244: Mache dich, mein Herze, rein

Verdi, La traviata: Sempre libera

Estacio, Daybreak

Delibes, Lakmé: Sous le dome épais

Bizet, Les Pêcheurs de perles: Au fond du temple saint

Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia: Largo al factotum

Menotti, The Consul: To this we've come

Mozart, Don Giovanni, K527: Madamina "Catalogue Aria"

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Alain Trudel, Conductor

John Brancy, Baritone

Olga Kindler, Soprano

Philippe Sly, Bass-baritone

Emily Duncan-Brown, Soprano

Andréanne Paquin, Soprano

Won Whi Choi, Tenor

Yuri Gorodetski, Tenor

Sidney Outlaw, Baritone

Rafael Payare and his Montrealers show off their jazz chops

Ian Cochrane, 11th March

Rafael Payare boldly programmes Kinan Azmeh's Suite for Improvisor and Orchestra in a diverse concert bill that also features long-standing Principal Flute Timothy Hutchins.

****1

A national treasure revisits Montreal: Angela Hewitt plays Mozart

Ian Cochrane, 28th February

Angela Hewitt joins the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for an exquisite rendering of a Mozart concerto, and Leonard Slatkin conducts Tchaikovsky's Winter Daydreams.

****1

Last minute jump-in Hankyeol Yoon saves the day in Montreal

Ian Cochrane, 21st January

Virtuosic Alina Ibragimova joins the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for a dynamite performance of Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto, while youthful conductor Hankyeol Yoon leads polished Rachmaninov.

****1

Payare, Lamsma and the OSM: Korngold and Bartók in Montreal

Ian Cochrane, 3rd December

The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM), conductor Rafael Payare, and violin soloist Simone Lamsma joined forces in a program that featured seminal works by two musical titans who settled in the United States after fleeing Europe in the mid-twentieth century.

****1

Faust’s bargain, Berlioz’s triumph in Montréal’s season launch

Ian Cochrane, 17th September

Rafael Payare leads a fevered account of desire, damnation and sonic grandeur, ably supported by Karen Cargill and Andrew Staples.

****1

Benjamin Grosvenor’s Ravel sparkles in Montreal

Ian Cochrane, 1st May

The British are coming! An exciting evening of Ravel and Vaughan Williams with conductor Andrew Manze and pianist Benjamin Grosvenor in Montreal.

****1

More reviews...

Robert Markow

Formerly a horn player in the Montreal Symphony, Robert Markow now writes programme notes for that orchestra and for many other musical organizations. He taught at Montreal’s McGill University for many years, has led music tours to several countries, and has written for numerous leading classical music journals.