Marie Hubert: Fille du Roy - Karina Gauvin; Pierre McLean; Valerie Milot; Etienne Lafrance; Quatuor Molinari; Pentaedre; Clauce Lapalme

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In 1889, Oscar Wilde asserted: “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life,” arguing that rather than merely copy, life imitates art because life craves the expression found in great art. Karina Gauvin has turned this maxim on its head playing one of the most fascinating dramatic roles. Indeed, in Gauvin’s case, “art imitates life” – the life of Marie Hubert. 

Gauvin traced her lineage to Hubert, one of the 46 (of 327) “Filles du roi” that Monsieur de Bretonvilliers priest of the parish of Saint-Sulpice, selected to sail from Dieppe to New France, by royal decree of King Louis XIV. This is an enthralling story, and Gauvin tells it eloquently – before a single note, or phrase is sung – with charming booklet notes based on her great-ancestor’s diary entries. Gauvin then employs her fabled lyric soprano to turn the diary entries – 21 in all – into songs, the lyrics and music of which propel them into a rarefied realm. 

Gauvin is a priceless gift to music, an artist of the first order, broadening out from the Baroque repertory for which she is celebrated across the world. Her instrument is gorgeous: lustrous, precise and feather-light. Her musicianship is fierce as she digs into the expression of each word, brings ceaseless variety to soft dynamics and gives every phrase grace. 

She is accompanied by pianist Pierre McLean, harpist Valérie Milot, contrabassist Étienne LaFrance, Quatuor Molinari and the wind quintet Pentaédre. Claude LaPalme conducts and arranged the music.

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