New opera by Haitian-Canadian composer puts Black performers, stories in spotlight
CTV
When the opera 'La Flambeau' premieres next week in Montreal, Black performers will be front and centre in an artistic medium where they have historically been under-represented.
When the opera "La Flambeau" premieres next week in Montreal, Black performers will be front and centre in an artistic medium where they have historically been under-represented.
The work by Haitian-Canadian composer and pianist David Bontemps explores topical themes such as women's rights and the need for social justice and compassion, while criticizing corruption, misogyny and the abuse of power.
Taras Kulish, the executive director of the Orchestre classique de Montreal, said he specifically chose the project because the chamber orchestra is on a mission to prove that the world of classical music consists of more than just "white male composers."
"We are very proud of this world premiere," Kulish said in an interview. "We really want artists from different backgrounds, whether it be from the LGBTQ community, or the Black community or Indigenous communities, to shine."
Bontemps, who was born in Port-au-Prince and moved to Montreal in 2002, composed the chamber opera in 2020 at the start of the pandemic.
"For me, it is the story that shines because the text has strong historical references to what the Haitian culture has retained of its African ancestry and its concept of being Creole," he said in an interview. "It's both historical and artistic, which is the link to (Black History Month)."
The opera tells the story of a dysfunctional couple, Monsieur and Madame. Monsieur is an intellectual with political ambitions, and Madame appears to have gone mad as she continues conversing with her deceased mother and uncle. The couple hires Mademoiselle, a young working-class woman from a small village, as their maid.