Messiah, Handel
Dates: July : 28 August: 02 - 08 - 12 - 17
Messiah is one of the most enduring and popular choral works, especially in the English-speaking world, where in many countries it has become an annual Christmas tradition to perform the work.
The texts of Messiah are laid out as a quasi-narrative. Part I corresponds to Advent and Christmas in the Christian year, with the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of a Messiah being followed by the account of the birth of Jesus. Part II tells of Christ's crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and the spread of the gospel through the world. Part III shifts in emphasis to a more personal human experience of faith in Christ, before concluding with a joyous celebration of victory over death.
What Handel created in Messiah was an astonishing blend of elegant, Italianate melody alternating with virtuosic vocalism for the soloists and, for the chorus, a madrigal-like lightness which contrasts to the composer's characteristic ceremonial style. But more than any of his other works Messiah is supremely meditative, producing moments of great beauty and holiness.
The evening performance Ad Libitum
Date: August: 14
This year the Festival presents a recital evening, Ad Libitum, during which the artists have a free hand and choose the programme: they perform opera extracts or songs of their choice, alone, singing a duet or in an ensemble.
This format met with a huge success a few years ago, and the Festival is pleased to bring it back again, by popular demand.
Cocktail Concerts
Dates: July: 27 - 30 August: 10
These cocktail concerts are a great Lyrique-en-mer tradition and attract many regulars. Our artists perform extracts from the summer's repertoire, as well as a few arias of their own. The atmosphere is warm and intimate and the concerts are held in two remarkable venues:
> L'Ouvrage de Beau Soleil: this a Napoleon III military fortification which overlooks the port of Le Palais.
> Chateau Fouquet: this small chateau was built in 1658 by Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV's superintendent of finances. Only ruins remain and the concerts are held in the open air.
At the end of the concert, audience members are offered a glass of champagne and the opportunity to chat with Festival artists.
Recital by Tamara Matthews
Date: July: 31
Soprano, Tamara Matthews, a popular festival artist who returns to Belle-Ile for her fourth visit, presents a solo recital, accompanied by the pianist David Gross. They perform a series of songs by Britten, Strauss, Fauré and Poulenc on the theme "Tribute to Belle-Ile".
L'Immeuble de Morgane
Date: August: 11
A musical show for all the family, from 4 years upwards.
Morgane's delightful and funny songs are about the adventures of the inhabitants of her apartment building. The neighbour across the way and his terrible small "chiwawa", the Senegalese meals on the third floor at her friend Babacar, the neighbour on the sixth floor who sings in his bath, the lullaby of the young mother on the 4th floor, the little witch's stange birthday party on the top floor, and many other adventures are depicted in a humorous and gentle way.
Accompanied by her close friend, the pianist Olga Vassileva, she comes on the stage to tell her stories, to sing them and even to perform them on her clarinet.
An hour-long show, created and written by Morgane Robinson, who uses French as her playground, playing with the French language and dragging the audience along with rhythm and emotion.