French Mélodie Immersion June 13-24
Singers and Pianists – Duos encouraged
« Best summer course I’ve ever attended »
« Amazing time. I was blown away by the faculty. »
DEBUSSY AND HIS ERA
"Mon âme est un paysage choisi" -Verlaine.
Visit the beautiful VISI paysage for 10 days of masterclasses, poetry analysis, dramatic recitation, diction, and cultural history.
Celebrate the fascinating repertoire of Claude Debussy, in honour of his 150th birthday, and explore the stunningly creative realm of Paris at the turn of the 20th century. The course will feature as many of the Debussy songs as you bring to learn! We will also explore songs of Massenet, Jean Francaix, Québécois composers – and any other favourites of your choice.
Learn from great experts with a direct lineage from Pierre Bernac and the essence of French style and gesture, in a bilingual environment that allows deep study with maximum comprehension for English speakers and a welcome ambiance for students fluent in French.
The course will be taught by Mme Rosemarie Landry, François Le Roux, Bruno Laplante, Cameron Stowe, Francis Perron, Sima Godfrey, and guest lecturers from the University of British Columbia. You will be carefully mentored in performance diction and dramatic recitation of poetic texts, with some exploration of Theatre techniques for performance practices.
The content will include the following topics through masterclasses, lecture presentations, and concerts.
Participants are asked to select repertoire from the categories below. The first two categories are mandatory, while all others are at your choice.
Your selection should constitute of 8 mélodies. Please feel free to propose your preferences!
Claude Debussy (1862-1918):
Select at least 3 mélodies from the repertoire, i.e. Chanson de Bilitis, Chansons de jeunesse, Ariettes oubliées, Cinq Poèmes de Baudelaire, Fêtes galantes, Trois Ballades de François Villon, Trois Chansons de France, etc.
Mélodies du Québec:
Every student should prepare one or two mélodies by Québécois composers such as:
Calixa Lavallée, Antoine Dessane, Alexis Contant, Guillaume Couture, Achille Fortier, André Mathieu, Lionel Daunais, François Morel, and others. Please inquire if you need help selecting and acquiring this repertoire.
Jules Massenet (1842-1912):
Any songs from his cycles
Jean Françaix (1912-1998):
Huit Anecdotes de Chamfort, l'Adolescence clémentine, Cinq Poèmes de Charles d'Orléans, Trois Epigrammes
Music from other composers of the Debussy Era
Fauré, Ravel, Duparc, Poulenc, etc.
Application Criteria and Deadline:
Deadline to apply is February 29, but you are welcome to inquire about limited late registration possibilities and waiting lists. If you have specific inquiries about the course, please send detailed questions to info@songinstitute.ca.
First: Submit your online application and pay the $50 application fee. Next: Compile and submit the required support materials to info@songinstitute.ca Additional materials may be requested.
Required Support Materials:
1. A résumé of your training and performance experience.
2.
A signed PDF letter of recommendation from your most recent teacher.
3. A digital photo (jpg format).
4. A recording or video of 2 contrasting French Mélodies. Arias are not accepted. Pianists should also include a solo piano work of their own choice. Recordings should be sent as mp3s, YouTube links, or other electronic format. Each file should be labeled with your name.
5. A comprehensive list of song repertoire you have performed.
6. A brief statement describing the level of your knowledge and experience in French music, literature and language.
7. Singers should include their selection of 8 mélodies as stated above.
8. Pianists applying without a partner are welcome to submit a wish list of mélodies/cycles they would like to work on. These preferences will be taken in consideration for the creation of duos.
Vocal/Piano duos are encouraged but not required. For this program only, tuition fees are reduced 20% for each applicant of a duo. Applications will be accepted until program maximums are filled. We strongly advise early application.
