Concert Program Special Projects

On this page:

Le Voyage d'hiver
A Chair in Love
Cosi
A Musical Tale for Young Audiences
Contact Us

Le Voyage d'hiver
"On my travels I cannot decide"

Normand Forget, Artistic Director
Phillip Addis, baritone
Joseph Petric, accordion
Pentačdre, 5 musicians

An adaptation for wind quintet and accordion by Normand Forget, Voyage d'hiver is presented in a concert version. It takes its source in Die Winterreise cycle by Franz Schubert (lyrics by Wilhelm Müller).

Voyage d'hiver is inspired by the "Schubertiades" evenings, when Schubert would play the piano for his friends, poets, singers, musicians or painters. A long romantic poem, Voyage d'hiver conveys powerful emotions through its sentimental themes: nature, affliction, grief, fate and love. Music reaches summits in colours, while lyrics tend to contemplative narration.

On a cold winter evening, satisfied with good food and wine, guests are carried away by the entrancing sound of the accordion, joined by the flute, the oboe, the bassoon, the horn. Then the singer joins in... the journey begins.

Presented February 25, 2004 at the Sanctuaire du Trčs-Saint-Sacrement, January 25, 2005 at Claude-Champagne Hall, a coproduction with the Société musicale André-Turp.

2007-2008: concert in Montreal on September 13, 2007 with tenor Christoph Pregardien; two concerts in Waterloo and Halifax; CD recording (ATMA label).

A production of Pentačdre, quintette ŕ vent inc.

A Chair in Love
A new opera by Welsh/Canadian composer John Metcalf and Quebec playwright Larry Tremblay

Truman, an "urban angst" film maker wakes up to read the reviews of his film which premiered last night. He is heralded as a genius who "can make us believe in coitus between a knife and a spoon." He rushes home, feeling in his heart a desperate need to love, goes back to his studio and falls in love with his chair. His dog gets jealous and complications ensue...

A Chair in love is unique. Firstly, it is that rare thing - a contemporary comic opera. Secondly, it is an "adult" opera suitable and accessible to youth audiences. Thirdly, the instrumentalists are dramaturgically, compositionally and scenographically integrated into the stage action.

A Chair in love is conceived for four singers: Truman (baritone), the Chair (soprano), the Dog (bass), and Dogtor/Doctor (mezzo) and the wind quintette Pentačdre. Direction, Keith Turnbull. Music Direction, Normand Forget. Stage Design, David Gaucher. Costume Design, Linda Brunelle. The piece is unconducted.

A Chair in love is collectively developed by Normand Forget, David Gaucher, John Metcalf, Larry Tremblay and Keith Turnbull. Production by Le Chien qui chante. Coordinating producer, Keith Turnbull.

A Chair in love toured in Wales, from October 14 to November 4, 2005.

Montreal premiere: June 6 to 17, 2006 at ESPACE GO.

Russian premiere: July 7 to 17, 2007 in Moscow.

Cosi

A silent opera based on Cosi fan tutte by Mozart, presented by Pentačdre and Omnibus le corps du théâtre. An original concept prepared by Normand Forget, from Lorenzo Da Ponte's lyrics and Mozart's music, arranged by Ulf-Guido Schäfer for wind quintet. Direction by Jean Asselin.

With: Roxane Chamberland, Sylvie Chartrand, Christian LeBlanc, Martin Vaillancourt (mimes) and Pentačdre's five musicians.

Somewhere in a pastoral scenery, five musicians breathe out twenty-two musical excerpts from Mozart's famous opera Cosi fan tutte, inspired by a love and treason story. Two women and two men play along this eternal theme (...). Jean Asselin.

July 18, 2006 - Festival international de Lanaudičre (Lavaltrie Church).

October 2006 - recording (CD available in February 2007).

February 13 to March 3, 2007 - Montreal - Espace Libre.

Cosi for young audiences
Pentačdre and Omnibus are presently working on a version of Cosi aimed at young audiences, to be presented in schools, in Québec City and Montreal as of June 2007.

A Musical Tale for Young Audiences

A musical tale is presently in preparation by Ginette Anfousse (lyrics) and Mathieu Lussier (music). This story will be the centerpiece of a musical show Pentačdre has been presenting in Belgium and in Ontario. This time with a Quebec content. The show will premiere in 2007-2008, in collaboration with the Belgium Musical Youth organization.