Les Ondes - 26/27 season
Les Ondes - 26/27 season
Italian passions, virtuosity, and rediscovered masterpieces
The 2026–2027 season presents three exceptional concerts, devoted to the rich world of the Baroque. From the flamboyant Italy of Giovanni Legrenzi to the dramatic passions of George Frideric Handel, and the masterful intimacy of Johann Sebastian Bach’s English Suites, these concerts showcase works of rare intensity, performed by some of today’s most outstanding artists.
The year 2026 marks the 400th anniversary of the birth of Giovanni Legrenzi, a major figure of the Italian Baroque whose influence on subsequent generations was immense. Still too rarely performed today, Legrenzi’s music reveals remarkable inventiveness, blending vocal expressivity, harmonic daring, and instrumental refinement.
This concert offers a true musical portrait through excerpts from operas, cantatas, and sonatas performed by four virtuoso musicians brought together for the occasion.Artistes
Artists : Hélène Brunet (soprano), Julie Rivest (violin), Camille Poirier-Lachance (violin), Elinor Frey (cello), Mélisande McNabney (harpsichord)
Giovanni Legrenzi 400th Anniversary :
Portrait of a forgotten master of the Italian Baroque
Sunday, November 22, 2026 — 3:00 PM 2026
Chapelle intérieure des Ursulines - 12, rue Donnacona, Vieux-Québec
This deeply theatrical work tells the mythical story of Cloris, who is prepared to descend into the Underworld to save her beloved Thyrsis. Between sorrow, tenderness, and virtuosic brilliance, this early work already reveals the full dramatic genius of the composer.
The program is enriched with dazzling instrumental works: the famous Musette from Concerto grosso Op. 6 No. 6, the spectacular Passacaglia in G minor for harpsichord, and a rarely performed dance suite from Terpsichore.
Artists
Anna-Sophie Neher (soprano), Mélisande McNabney (harpsichord and direction), Caroline Tremblay (recorder), Daniel Ramirez Escudero (oboe), Chloe Noelle Fedor, Julie Rivest, Edwin Huizinga and Yolanda Bruno (violin), Isaac Chalk (viola), Keiran Campbell (cello), Shanti Nachergaele (double bass) and Sylvain Bergeron (archluth)
Il Delirio Amoroso
Handel in Italy : passion, virtuosity, and theater
Friday, February 26, 2027 — 7:30 PM
Chapelle intérieure des Ursulines - 12, rue Donnacona, Vieux-Québec
Program
Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 6 No. 6, HWV 324 — Musette
Passacaglia in G minor, HWV 432
Dance suite from Terpsichore, HWV 8c
Il Delirio amoroso, HWV 99
Following a first installment praised for its sensitivity and depth, Mélisande McNabney continues her exploration of Johann Sebastian Bach’s monumental English Suites with Suites Nos. 1, 5, and 6.
By turns dance-like, meditative, and dazzlingly virtuosic, these works rank among the pinnacles of the keyboard repertoire. Performed on the harpsichord, they reveal the full architectural and poetic richness of Bach’s writing.
Artist
Mélisande McNabney (solo harpsichord)
J. S. Bach’s English Suites — Part II
Sunday, May 2, 2027 — 3:00 PM
Chapelle intérieure des Ursulines - 12, rue Donnacona, Vieux-Québec
Program
English Suite No. 1, No. 5 and No. 6