All is Love

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All is Love, which opened Thursday night at Koerner Hall, is a remount of the 2022 Opera Atelier show which, for various reasons, nobody much saw.  It’s a staged series of quite eclectic (mosly) opera and ballet excerpts around the theme of “love”; which means pretty much anything goes.

Soprano Meghan Lindsay as Mélisande with Artists of Atelier Ballet in Act One of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande in Opera Atelier’s fully-staged production of ALL IS LOVE. Photo by Bruce Zinger-2

Most of the scenes are short and include both singing and dancing though there are a few pure ballet scenes and a couple without dancers.  The most memorable bits are probably where it strays most from traditional OA territory.  For example, we get the opening scene of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande.  It’s nicely staged and very well sung indeed by Douglas Williams and Meghan Lindsay and it’s fascinating to hear the orchestral music played by Tafelmusik.  I do hope we get to see an OA version of the full opera some day.

Soprano Meghan Lindsay as Mélisande and bass baritone Douglas Williams as Golaud in Act One of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande in Opera Atelier’s fully-staged production of ALL IS LOVE. Photo by Bruce Zinger.

Other non-traditional elements included Chris Bagan and Measha Brueggergrossman-Lee’s inriguing mash up of Purcell’s “Sweeter than Roses” and Hahn’s “À Chloris” and Edwin Huizinga and Tyler Gledhill’s Inception.  I’ve written about both of these pieces before.

Opera Atelier Artist-in-Residence soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee with Artists of Atelier Ballet Eric Da Silva as Amour and Tyler Gledhill as Morpheus in Opera Atelier’s fully-staged production of ALL IS LOVE. Photo by Bruce Zinger.

Other things I particularly enjoyed included a cheeky version of Purcell’s “Two daughters of this aged stream” from Meghan Lindsay and Cynthia Akemi Smithers and assorted extracts from Handel’s Semele by Colin Ainsworth, Jesse Blumberg and Smithers.  There was also some rather nice trouser role Purcell and Handel from Danielle MacMillan.

Soprano Meghan Lindsay as Mélisande with Artists of Atelier Ballet in Act One of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande in Opera Atelier’s fully-staged production of ALL IS LOVE. Photo by Bruce Zinger-1

There was, of course, the Opera Atelier ballet doing their thing and Tafelmusik being excellent in the pit with effective conducting (especially in the Debussy) from David Fallis.  Projections by Gerald Gauci based on his own paintings considerably enhanced the visual experience.Soprano Karine White, soprano Cynthia Akemi Smithers, baritone Jesse Blumberg, and Artist of Atelier Ballet Eric Da Silva as Amour in Opera Atelier’s fully-staged production of ALL IS LOVE. Photo by Bruce Zinger.

It was all smoothly directed by Marshal Pynkowski and produced a pretty seamless flow of attractive, well performed singing and dancing but it didn’t have a lot of dramatic punch.  I really look forward to OA’s next season which features two proper dramatic works!

Opera Atelier Artist-in-Residence soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee with Artist of Atelier Ballet Eric Da Silva as Amour in Opera Atelier’s fully-staged production of ALL IS LOVE. Photo by Bruce Zinger.

All is Love runs at Koerner Hall until the 14th.

Photo credits: Bruce Zinger

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