Paraphrases for a New World
Paraphrases on La Reine-Garçon is a collection of piano pieces based on the Opera La Reine Garçon: as this will be performed at the Canadian Opera Company in February 2025 on its main stage, Sherkin's recital is designed to accompany its production by presenting Bilodeau's musical style as well as providing a taste of the opera itself. The Paraphrases will reveal many thematic aspects of the opera: The struggle of Christina, Queen of Sweden, the characters surrounding her (Descartes, her two suitors - Gustav and Johan and her irascible mother) and her quest for free will. Each piece has a duration of approximately five minutes and develops the musical material of the opera for the piano. Through these six pieces, the listener will be transported on a condensed journey that recounts the highlights of the opera while being able to appreciate a pianistic writing that is both virtuosic and poetic
"The knack for story-telling that Quebec composer Julien Bilodeau commands is on full display in his piano music, just as much as in his operatic works. A master of pacing and colour, Bilodeau also wields a prodigious dexterity of dimensionality and emotional sincerity in his music"
February 5, 2025
​12:00-1:00pm
Toronto Arts and Letter Club, Toronto ON
Program:
Ligeti: Two études, No. 15: White on White
Sherkin: Tagish Fire Etudes No. 1: "Octania"
Bilodeau: Études du Printemps No. 2, 3 and 4
Sherkin: Variation on Punch's Resolve
Bilodeau: Quatre Paraphrases sur La Reine-Garçon
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"Adam Sherkin embarks on a tour of this recital program, including his solo debut in Montreal. Julien Bilodeau joins the presentation with artists' insights, talks and a behind-the-scenes look at the collaborative process with Sherkin. This is a window onto contemporary opera, keyboard side! The art of the concert paraphrase was perfected by Franz Liszt and his followers, brought back to life by British composer Thomas Adès and continued to great effect by Bilodeau. "
February 8th, 2025
​8:00-10:00pm
Tenri Cultural Institute - New York City
Program:
Ligeti: Three études,
No. 15: White on White;
No. 5: Arc-en-ciel;
No. 10: Der Zauberlehrling
Bilodeau: Quatre Études du Printemps
Adès: Blanca Variations
Sherkin: Variations on Punch's Resolve (from Birtwistle's Punch & Judy)
Sherkin: Tagish Fires Etudes
Bilodeau: Six Paraphrases sur La Reine-Garçon
the intimacy and impact of his piano music is gazed through two premieres on this programme: the four Spring Études, composed in 2011 before the composition of Bilodeau's first piano concerto, revised in 2024, and Six Paraphrases on La Reine-garçon(2025), written especially for Adam Sherkin and commissioned by Piano Lunaire. Sherkin includes his own set of Variations on Punch's Resolve(after Harrison Birtwistle's "Punch & Judy") and the Blanca Variations of Thomas Adès, plus two etudes by György Ligeti
The Canadian Music Centre in Toronto and Piano Lunaire are co-presenting Bilodeau in discussion about the current context of French-Canadian opera and creating large-scale vocal stage works in the French language for the 21st century.
