Additional Information
Love triangles, staged combat, pirates and the struggle between following duties or following his heart, all in an Atheniens scenery. Does are some of the elements that the public will see and hear in this new production of Georg Friedrich Handel’s Imeneo, presented by the young voice students of Opera McGill from March 28th to March 30th at the Paradox Theatre. One of Handel’s last operas, this production is staged by Patrick Hansen, professor at the Schulich School of Music and Artistic Director of Opera McGill. Considered a leading progressive figure in opera, he is an opera producer equally established as a stage director, conductor, vocal coach, collaborative pianist, and artistic administrator, having spent the last forty years on the creative and producing teams for over 300 operas. With his productions having been seen all over North America and in Europe, this production of Imeneos will mark his 100th show with Opera McGill. A few hours before the premiere, Patrick Hansen answered the questions of PAN M 360 collaborator Alexandre Villemaire, talking about the story of the opera, his inspirations and his work as a teacher.
PAN M 360 : Where does Imeneo stands in Handel’s catalogue of over 40 operas? Are there any stylistic differences in the music or in the writing?
Patrick Hansen : It is his penultimate opera right before he wrote The Messiah and turned to oratorios, so this is Handel at his most evolved, musically speaking. Some of the arias have a depth to them and are quite extended. Others, more bare bones and minimalist. There’s a bass aria where you can hear where “The People That Walked in Darkness” came from.
PAN M 360 : What is Imeneo’s story, and what are its underlying themes?
Patrick Hansen : It is a simple story – a hero rescues two women from pirates and takes them home to Athens. Then he demands to marry one of them, against her and her fiancé’s wishes. The entire opera is about this ancient Athenian woman coming to grips with deciding to follow the dictates of the patriarch and the hero instead of following her heart. The themes of duty and rational thought versus love and personal choice sit deep in the show. It’s still an important reminder about how in today’s world there are still so many women not being allowed to decide for themselves how their life should be led.
PAN M 360 : One of the last times Imeneo was performed by Opera McGill was in 2011. At the time, you were also the director of that production. Did you reuse any of your ideas from that production, or did you start from scratch? What was your inspiration?
Patrick Hansen : This is one of my favorite productions from my past, so I decided to do a direct remount, with minor changes. The venue is different, which causes some staging decisions to change. The lighting is much more evolved and we get to use the Paradoxe Theatre venue as a vessel for some dramatic lighting moments. Each cast is different. Back in 2011, we had a double cast and this time around we also have a double cast – so two productions, but four different casts. So, there’s always subtle differences. The ornaments are entirely different, of course!
The inspiration comes from the film “Hero” by Zhang Yimou. In it, a hero who might not be a hero tells a tale. During the course of the film, we realize that each time the story is told, the truth changes. This opera, where each act is about Rosmene not being able to decide what to do, tells essentially the same story each act. So, I decided to create three different versions of the Truth. Each act is its own universe. The characters are slightly different each act. They are not the same because the truth is not the same. The story is told through the Act One lens of violence, the Act Two lens of relationships that build and break, the Act Three lens of a much more abstract, mind-altering version. Tirinto, the fiancé, starts off as more of a poet and ends up a warrior. Imeneo starts off as a brutish bully/hero and ends up with more humanity. Each character undergoes change. The lighting design is also inspired by the saturated colours of the film as well.
PAN M 360 : In an academic context, are there any challenges in finding operas that are accessible, both for the public and the singers, but also formative for the students?
Every show we choose is chosen because we feel it will teach our students something essential. We always choose shows that our students can successfully perform. So we never just choose a show because we want to do a Rigoletto, for example. We make these repertoire choices with who will be returning to the school and who may be coming to start their studies. Our challenge is usually orchestration – we can’t do something with a huge orchestra that might overwhelm the singers. But we do balance between canonic works, new opera, baroque opera, and musicals/operettas.
PAN M 360 : This production will be your 100th Opera McGill show! What are you most proud of after all these years at Opera McGill? What knowledge and experience would you like to pass on to the young singers?
Patrick Hansen : I’m so proud that over 1000 students have participated in Opera McGill in some capacity – onstage, offstage, as rehearsal pianists, in the orchestras, creating the sound recordings, creating the video for the webcasts. Opera McGill is much more than just the voice students. They learn that collaboration at this level means so many people all coming together to create art – and each person’s contribution is just as important as the next. Collaboration is how the world evolves. And when people stop collaborating and working together for a shared experience, the world turns ugly and falls apart.
PAN M 360 : This may be a tough question, but in all the productions you’ve staged, is there one that has left a particular mark on you and the cast?
That’s an impossible question! There have been a million great moments – mostly in the rehearsal room during our hundreds of thousands of hours of rehearsing or coaching or staging.
PAN M 360 : If you had to describe Imeneo in just one word, what would it be?
Fractals
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Imeneo
Dorian Komanoff Bandy, conductor
Patrick Hansen, stage director
