Michèle Losier
& Olivier Godin

If Maurice Ravel is to be believed, we are indebted to the French composer Charles Gounod for ‘having rediscovered a harmonic sensuality lost since the time of the harpsichordists’. It fell to other composers, such as Massenet and Saint- Saëns to pursue Gounod’s legacy, each in his own way, in works that are at times languorous, at times marked by emotional intensity. Michèle Losier made a big impression at La Monnaie as Sesto (La clemenza di Tito), before making us laugh as Berlioz’s heroine Béatrice. In this recital, the Canadian mezzo-soprano reveals yet another facet of her art – a fragility and sensuality characteristic of Gounod and Saint-Saëns. She invites us, moreover, on a unique journey that takes in unjustly neglected pieces by Bizet and Franck. It was Franck who wondered, ‘Apart from having loved, what else is there on earth?’

After their recital, Michèle Losier and Olivier Godin will be holding an autograph session in the Entrance Hall of La Monnaie, where you will also find their cd recordings available for sale.

PROGRAMME

• Works by Charles Gounod, César Franck, Camille Saint-Saëns, Georges Bizet, Jules Massenet