MAZEPPA by Tchaikovsky
"If it at first it seemed a little foolhardy to mount such a big work on a small scale, any doubts were quickly laid to rest right from the opening women's chorus. You could just sit back, forget the spectacle and concentrate on Tchaikovsky's luscious vocal writing."
Wayne Gooding, OPERA CANADA

2012-2013 SEASON

GIOACHINO ROSSINI
ARMIDA
 Sunday, November 25, 2012

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL
ORLANDO
 Sunday, February 3, 2013

ALUMNI BASH
 Tuesday, February 12, 2013

JULES MASSENET
THAÏS
 Sunday, March 24, 2013

 

 
The upcoming 2012-2013 season features a dynamic progression of composers across three distinct musical eras — from Handel's ornate Baroque style in Orlando to Rossini's lyrical Armida and Massenet's late Romantic version of Thaïs. Don't miss this exciting lineup of performances.

Image: Sylvie Bélanger, Le double_ portrait, 2001 (detail). Courtesy the artist and Birch Libralato
 

JULES MASSENET
THAÏS

Sunday, March 24, 2013— 2:30pm
in french with english surtitles

Psychological. Erotic. Tragic.

This rarely performed French opera is an emotionally-packed tragedy. Massenet's late Romantic style conveys a sense of realism that is embedded in a sensual score.

The eastern influences woven into this story also have present day resonances. Thaïs tells the tale of an Egyptian courtesan in need of redemption. When an
ascetic monk attempts to convert her, he soon finds himself seduced by her beauty. His baser human desires lead to a struggle between good and evil.

Featuring
Raisa Nakhmanovich, Music Director and Pianist
Carolina Herrera Sanchez, Violinist
Robert Cooper, Chorus Director

Laura Whalen as Thais
James Westman as Athanael
Alain Coulombe as Palemon
Adam Fisher as Nicias
Christina Campsall as Albine
Lise Maher as Creobyle
Dina Shikhman as Mirtale
Leigh-Ann Allen as La Charmeuse
Gregory Finney as Le Serviteur

full synopsis