In a school year marked with听distance,听challenges, and听a list of things听we听weren鈥檛 able to听do,听it brings extra joy to see the听culmination of work brought to life with brio and tenacity.听听
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It is听remarkable to witness the听creativity,听perseverance,听and听can-do听spirit of our听professors, coaches, directors,听and conductors.听And it should come as no surprise that the folks at Opera McGill found ways to deliver on the promise of听high-level听education and unique performance opportunities.听To our faculty,听it has always been a question of how.听How to thrive.听How to share. How to connect.听
This year marks the听very听first Lisl Wirth Unboxed Festival: two weekends of performances by Opera McGill. Works by Handel, Rodgers听&听Hammerstein, Verdi, and听Bologne听are sure to captivate and delight.听听
We caught up with some of the artistic staff to learn a bit听about the听productions听and听what they鈥檝e uncovered, discovered, and听can't听wait to share!听
WEEK 1 PERFORMANCES
Handel's Partenope with Opera McGill and the McGill Baroque Orchestra听will be听webcast听from Pollack Hall on
Thursday, March 25 at 7:00 pm
Friday, March 26 at 7:00 pm
Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella with Opera McGill and Chris Barillaro on piano will be webcast on
Saturday, March 27 at 4:00 pm
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Dorian Komanoff Bandy听conducts听students from the听McGill Baroque Orchestra and Opera McGill in Partenope.听
Do听you听have a favorite moment in the opera?听
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Dorian Bandy:听Partenope听is one of Handel鈥檚 liveliest and quirkiest operas. Throughout, Handel seems to delight in showing off his powers of musical invention鈥攏o two numbers are alike. At times, characters sing intimate arias accompanied only by harpsichord and cello; elsewhere, the colours are more extravagant, from the glittering filigree of Partenope鈥檚 Act I aria 鈥淚o听ti听levo鈥� to the hard-driving intensity of Emilio鈥檚 鈥淏arbaro听fato,听s矛鈥� in Act II or the joyful energy of 鈥淚o听seguo听sol听fiero鈥�, which听Rosmira听sings accompanied by two horns.
It鈥檚 difficult to pick out a favourite moment in such a spectacular and richly varied opera! From a purely musical point of view, one contender is Emilio鈥檚 Act I aria, a number that combines learned counterpoint with flashy vocal writing, and shows us Handel at his most exuberant and virtuosic. From a vocal perspective, anything our title heroine sings is dazzling. But deep down, my inner music-theory nerd has his own favorite moment: a deceptive cadence in the orchestral introduction to听Rosmira鈥檚听鈥淪e non听ti听sai听spiegar鈥� in Act I. Handel鈥檚 deceptive cadences are always lovely鈥攂ut this one is particularly so. Just when the melody should resolve to an E, the two violin parts join together on an unexpected A鈥攁nd at that very moment, the bassline (the element of the musical texture that affects the cadence) drops out, leaving us with a moment of harmonic suspense. When the bass rejoins one note later, we hear the pitch that defines the deceptive cadence. But, rather than lingering, Handel immediately pushes forward to the proper cadence, and we are left wondering whether what we heard was 鈥渞eally鈥� a deceptive cadence at all, or just a brief melodic detour. The moment is at once heartfelt and elegant.听
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What鈥檚 it like working on the production?听
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DB: This is my first time working with Opera McGill. I鈥檓 still relatively new to Schulich, having joined the faculty in 2019, and I鈥檓 delighted to be involved in such a vibrant and energetic department. (It鈥檚 been amazing to witness the ingenuity with which Patrick and the opera students have put this production together despite all of the obstacles such efforts face at the moment.) Although much of what I do here at McGill involves instrumental music, my professional life has always revolved around opera.听
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I鈥檝e found this production especially gratifying because it鈥檚 given me the chance to work with students from outside the Early Music department鈥攕omething I so rarely have the opportunity to do. I find few things as exciting as helping students discover the joys, freedom, and expressive intensity of historical performance. It鈥檚 also fun to give some of them the chance to sing for the first time with a baroque orchestra! Of course, it鈥檚 also a joy to work with the more experienced early music singers who are participating in the production, many of whom I know from other activities at McGill.
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Jonathan Patterson听directs and choreographs听Rodgers + Hammerstein鈥檚 Cinderella.
What鈥檚 the most out-of-the-box thing you had to do for this production?听
Jonathan Patterson: The most out-of-the-box thing about the Cinderella process was that although we rehearsed it like a play, we performed it like a film. We did not get up on stage and run from top to bottom听with the听cameras rolling.听We filmed it out of sequence听and听in several different locations. That being said, I听knew听I had to keep听in mind听where听the听cameras were听and what they would be capturing听at all times听while I was directing the show. Entrances, exits, and angles, are completely different on camera than on stage. The audience will only see what you want them to see听鈥� and they听will all see the same thing at the same time,听from the same point of view.听In听rehearsing听it like a play,听the actors were听able to drop in and out of scenes on filming day,听knowing听exactly听where they were in terms of the storytelling, the emotional stakes, and timeline of events.听听
Is there anything you鈥檝e听learned听in the putting together of this听production听that听you'll听box up and听take听with you?听
JP: It鈥檚 not a new thing听鈥斕齜ut was a great reminder!听鈥� when working in a school environment, it鈥檚 not about the听product, it鈥檚 about the听process.听As arts educators we work hard to help students听prepare for the real world. But we have to remember that they aren鈥檛 there yet,听and they get so much more from learning how the process works and being given permission to play and experiment in a safe environment听than just听focusing on听the final outcome.听
What鈥檚 one thing听everyone should know听about this听performance?听
JP: This was everyone鈥檚 reintroduction into the world of听in-person听collaboration,听after almost a year of being in isolation:听the first time singing in an ensemble again; the听first time worrying about staging again; the听first time听being part of a full production again. But with all those 鈥渇irsts鈥�, it still felt like coming home. And we were so glad to share this moment together.听
WEEK 1 PERFORMANCES
Watch them all on the Schulich YouTube channel
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Handel's Partenope with Opera McGill and the McGill Baroque Orchestra will be webcast from Pollack Hall on
Thursday, March 25 at 7:00 pm
Friday, March 26 at 7:00 pm
Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella with Opera McGill and Chris Barillaro on piano will be webcast on
Saturday, March 27 at 4:00 pm
Mark your calendars for the Week 2 operas as the Lisl Wirth Unboxed Festival continues
Un Giorno di Regno听| Saturday, April 10, 7:00 pm
L鈥檃mant anonyme听| Sunday, April 11, 7:00 pm
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