David Bontemps: La Flambeau

by Catherine Daniel, Suzanne Taffot, Alain Trudel, Orchestre Classique de Montreal

Overview

The time is coming when a systematic review of compositional projects originating during the COVID-19 pandemic might profitably be undertaken. Often, pandemic isolation forced composers to think in chamber terms, and so it is here with the one-act opera La Flambeau by composer David Bontemps, based on a play by Faubert Bolivar. Both the composer and the playwright are of Haitian origin, and the work marks something of a milestone for the representation of Black Canadians in opera. The work has a compelling, stripped-down kind of dramatic effectiveness. There are just four characters, in a setting that is not explicitly specified as Haiti but is a society in which Afro-Caribbean spirituality flourishes. The male lead, simply called Monsieur, is a pompous intellectual at work on a speech. His wife, Madame, interacts with the couple's housekeeper, Mademoiselle, who is raped by Monsieur; Monsieur is judged by a fourth figure, L'Homme, a representative of the Yoruba spirit world, and turned into a zombie in the end. The story is rendered by Bontemps with great economy of means. The music is tonal, with a natural fusion of dialogue and expressive melodic elements. Bontemps includes Caribbean elements, most notably a pair of maracas, but does not overplay the Haitian element, which is all the more powerful as a result. There is a sparse 16-member chamber orchestra, made up of members of the Orchestre classique de Montréal carefully controlled by conductor Alain Trudel. The singers are dramatically involved, and although physical buyers will get a complete libretto in the booklet, it may not be necessary for French speakers; the language and diction are clear and persuasive. This recording from the ATMA Classique label is especially recommended to chamber opera presenters; it is likely to succeed in metropolitan France and perhaps even in the anglophone world. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	03/15/2024
Label:	Atma Classique
UPC:	0722056288026
Rank:	175619

Tracks

Disc 1

1. La Flambeau, opera~Ouverture
2. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 1. Res Publica
3. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 1. Tu sais qui j'ai vu?
4. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 1. Ce qui m'attriste
5. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 1. Je parle à Maman
6. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 1. La République
7. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 1. Ma femme parle aux morts
8. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 1. Verse du rhum
9. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 1. Je ferai trembler ces gens
10. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 2. Je ne la vois pas
11. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 2. Pardon Monsieur
12. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 2. Ça c'est la République
13. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 2. C'est La Flambeau
14. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 2. Mademoiselle brille!
15. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 3. J'aime ce travail
16. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 3. Parrain Ogou
17. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 3. Ce pot d'argile
18. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 3. Maman t'aime aussi
19. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 3. Quelle tristesse que cette femme
20. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 3. Une voix dans la nuit
21. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 3. Car la misère est une guerre
22. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 4. Main. C¿ur.
23. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 4. Bague Ogou a!
24. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 4. Je t'aiderai à la retrouver
25. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 4. Trop bon!
26. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 4. Tombée
27. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 4. Ne pleure pas, Maman

Disc 2

28. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 5. Anonse
29. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 5. Nous sommes ici, Monsieur, pour te juger
30. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 5. La terre des pères de nos pères
31. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 5. Nous châtierons et purgerons
32. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 5. L'as-tu fait?
33. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 5. C'est ainsi que c'est arrivé
34. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 5. C'est trop tard
35. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 5. Pardon Papa Ogou
36. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 5. Il est minuit
37. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 6. Là-bas
38. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 6. J'ai juré
39. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 6. Maman
40. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 7. Cette fête au quartier
41. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 7. Madame a fui la maison
42. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 7. Monsieur Zombi danse!
43. La Flambeau, opera~Tableau 7. Finale

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Suzanne Taffot   Primary Artist,Soprano (Vocal)
Catherine Daniel   Primary Artist,Mezzo-Soprano (Vocal)
Alain Trudel   Primary Artist,Conductor
Orchestre Classique de Montreal   Primary Artist,Orchestra
Brandon Coleman   Bass Baritone
Paul Williamson   Tenor (Vocal)

Technical Credits

Giovanni Battista Guadagnini   Instrument Design
Claude Dauphin   Liner Notes
Nicolas Lupot   Instrument Design
Pietro Guarneri   Instrument Design
Michel Ferland   General Director,Artistic Director
Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume   Instrument Design
Yves Archambault   Cover Art
David Bontemps   Composer,Producer,Liner Notes
Adeline Payette Beauchesne   Booklet Design
Brent Calis   Photography
Bob Hatcher   Photography
Kevin Calixte   Photography
Ricardo Morejon   Technical Assistance
Guillaume Lombart   Executive Producer
Joannie Lajeunesse   Booklet Editor
Nataq Huault   Mixing,Editing,Engineer,Producer
Colleen Mason   Liner Note Translation
Derek Chase   Photography
Gerolamo Trucco   Instrument Design
Paul Williamson   Photography
James Adeleye Adeniji   Translation Supervisor
Steve Gerrard   Photography