Arion Orchestre Baroque presents

Rigel and the Winds of Revolution

Arion presents fascinating works from the years surrounding the French Revolution. During those few decades, the French-naturalized composer Henri-Joseph Rigel established a well-deserved reputation, writing works that garnered praise from demanding Parisian audiences. His chamber music, concertos, and opera excerpts on the program will reveal all the lyricism and spirit this lesser-known composer has to offer. For the occasion, enjoy the sparkling presence of soprano Magali Simard-Galdès and the brilliant tenor Nicholas Scott, in addition to rising-star Canadian harpsichordist and fortepianist Mélisande McNabney.

Artists
Mathieu Lussier, conductor 
Magali Simard-Galdès, soprano

Magali Simard-Galdès is a Canadian soprano renowned for her shimmering tone, her refined musicality and her magnetic stage presence.

Her operatic repertoire includes the roles of Agnes (Written on Skin – Benjamin), Roxane (Cyrano – DiChiera), Gilda (Rigoletto – Verdi), Sophie (Werther – Massenet), Constance (Dialogue des carmélites – Poulenc), Mad Chorus (The Overcoat – Rolfe), Nicette (Le pré aux clercs) and Frasquita (Carmen). 

In recital, Magali has appeared at the Société d’art vocal de Montréal, the Festival d’Opéra de Québec, Mexico LiederFest, Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Wexford Festival Opera and Jeunesses Musicales Canada (2015 Maureen-Forrester Award).

On the orchestral stage, Magali Simard-Galdès has performed with L’Harmonie des saisons, I Musici de Montréal, Atelier lyrique de Tourcoing, Opéra Grand Avignon, at the Festival Classica, and at the Festival de Lanaudière.

Nicholas Scott, tenor

British Tenor Nicholas Scott has been p raised for his ‘sonorous timbre’ and ‘remarkable diction’, (Olyrix Le Stagioni: une saison d’hiver à Semur-en-Auxois 2018).

His season 2021/2022 started with Nicholas recording a new project Vivaldi project with Les Ombres. This was followed by a European tour of Campra Requiem with Les Arts Florissants and William Christie, his appearance at Theater an der Wien and Royal Opera Versailles in Lully Psychée with Les Talents Lyriques, his debut with L’arpeggiata at the Barbican Centre in London and his appearance at Atelier Lyrique Tourcoing in a new production of Purcell The Fairy Queen conducted by Alexis Kossenko. Recent engagements include a return to Zurich Opera to perform the role of Parque in Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie and a tour of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, through Europe and South America notably including Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. He also performed in Pagliardi’s Caligula, Damon in Acis and Galatea with Damien Guillon and Le Banquet Céleste, Charpentier’s La Decent d’Orphée aux enfers with Sébastien Daucé, and Monteverdi’s Selve Morale with William Christie and Paul Agnew with Les Arts Florissants.

Mélisande McNabney, fortepiano

Mélisande McNabney performs keyboard music of all periods, on harpsichord, piano and fortepiano. In August 2015, she received the third prize at the International Competition Musica Antiqua in Bruges, Belgium.

Very active on the concert scene, Mélisande is regularly invited to play with ensembles such as Les Violons du Roy, Arion Orchestre Baroque, Les Idées heureuses, the Theater of Early Music and Ensemble Caprice. She is a member of Pallade Musica and ensemble Les Songes, with whom she took part in numerous tours of Canada and the USA.

Mélisande is a graduate of the Amsterdam Conservatory where she studied harpsichord, continuo and fortepiano in the classes of Bob van Asperen and Richard Egarr. She was granted her Doctorate degree at McGill University in May 2017, under the guidance of Hank Knox and Tom Beghin, thanks to the support of the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program.

Benoît Dratwicki, artistic consultant

Program
RIGEL
Concerto en fa majeur pour clavecin, D11703
Sonata II en ré mineur de 3 symphonies pour le clavecin, op.16
Symphonie en sol majeur, op.12 n.2 
Pauline et Henri  (excerpts)
Blanche et Vermeille  (excerpts)
Alix de Beaucaire  (excerpts)

Friday, November 4, 2022 – 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 5, 2022 – 4:00 pm
Sunday, November 6, 2022 – 2:30 pm

To purchase your tickets visit: www.mbam.qc.ca/en/bourgie-hall/