Mercury Baroque will become the first Houston-based orchestra to tour Europe in nearly 10 years when it reprises its popular production of Lully’s opera Armide in Paris in September, 2010. The Paris production of Armide will feature the same cast and musicians as Mercury’s previous production in Houston in May of 2009 and also marks Mercury Baroque’s first European performances since the ensemble’s inception 10 years ago. This special production of Armide is a unique collaboration between Mercury Baroque’s Artistic Director Antoine Plante and renowned Stage Director Pascal Rambert, whose Théâtre de Gennevilliers will host the performances. Armide stars Isabelle Cals in the title role, Zachary Wilder as Renaud, and Sumner Thompson as Hidraot/Haine. Performances begin in Paris on September 18th, 2010.
In addition to the performances of Armide, Mercury Baroque will host a tour package for several of its Houston patrons. The tour features opening night tickets to Mercury Baroque’s Opera, guided tours of Versailles, the Cite de la Musique, Centre Pompidou and the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. Guests will also enjoy dinners with Mercury Baroque musicians and artists. KUHF’s Dean Dalton and his colleagues at Arte Travel have organized the tour and will serve as guests’ escorts in Paris. Dean Dalton has planned and executed KUHF’s respected music and art tours for many years. More information about the tour package can be found at www.mercurybaroque.org or by calling 713-533-0080.
Since re-imagining Baroque music is a large part of Mercury Baroque’s mission, Antoine Plante aimed to present a fresh, modern take on Armide. To accomplish that, Mercury enlisted the help of French Stage Director Pascal Rambert, known for his cutting edge and boundary pushing theater. Plante and Rambert’s Armide takes place in the Middle East during the time of the Crusades. Rambert’s modern staging is meant to simply reflect reality without making judgments. Contrary to the bold, modern staging, Mercury Baroque, under the direction of Artistic Director Antoine Plante, will be performing on period accurate instruments.
Mercury Baroque has been a dynamic member of the Houston arts community since 2000. Founded as a chamber ensemble, the group has grown into a Baroque orchestra performing a full subscription season of concerts in downtown Houston and touring both domestically and internationally. The organization continues to pursue its goal of building a strong tradition of Baroque music performance in Houston, starting with its educational outreach programs designed to train the city’s future musicians and create the audience of the future. This upcoming season will be Mercury Baroque’s 10th season.
