“With this prelude, Chants Libres offers the public a means to discover the essence of an operatic creation. This unique digital event truly writes itself into our DNA, as much at the level of creation as that of research. We hope that the listeners will be able to sense how it feels for the vocal milieu to be deprived of its voice, while also giving them a foretaste of our next opera.”

– Pauline Vaillancourt

The postponement of the creation of L’orangeraie has given us the opportunity to film a Prélude à l’opéra in the deserted Monument-National. Inspired by several excerpts from L’orangeraie and guided by constraints put in place for the performing arts due to COVID 19, this digital event will be aired on the web in January 2021.

Conceived and staged by Pauline Vaillancourt and co-directed with Manuel A. Codina, this prelude is a staged exploration of emptiness in all of its dimensions.

To this end, Mikaël, an author and the key character in Larry Tremblay’s work, accompanies us in this prelude with a minimal set. Performed by the actor Sébastien Ricard who is armed with the words of Larry Tremblay and the music of Zad Moultaka, he incarnates doubt, both of artists and of this time, reciting existing text and unplaying the missing pages.

At his side on the great stage of the Monument-National, musicians of the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne and singers, directed by Lorraine Vaillancourt, will have us discover first excerpts of the opera L’orangeraie, covid style.

Offering to us a collective exploration of the upcoming opera that leaves space for imagination… and for hope.
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