Le Roi danse at Bourgie Hall

Arion Baroque Orchestra invites Montreal audiences on a journey to the heart of the French Grand Siècle with Le Roi danse

May 5, 2026

On May 16 and 17, 2026, Arion Baroque Orchestra invites Montreal audiences on a journey to the heart of the French Grand Siècle with Le Roi danse, a program conceived to mark the 300th anniversary of the death of Michel-Richard de Lalande, a key figure in the musical life of Louis XIV’s court. In partnership with the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles (CMBV), the ensemble, directed by Mathieu Lussier, offers at Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts two rare and sumptuous works by the composer: excerpts from the Ballet de la Jeunesse and the pastorale L’Amour fléchi par la constance.

For the first time since this project began, young singers join the orchestra in the main program, taking on secondary roles and singing as choristers.

Premiered in 1697, L’Amour fléchi par la constance unfolds a pastoral world where amorous intrigues and moral virtues play out against idealized landscapes, carried by exceptionally supple vocal writing. The Ballet de la Jeunesse, presented at Versailles during the January 1686 carnival, evokes the world of court entertainments, somewhere between dance, allegory and the celebration of royal power. In both cases, Lalande stands out for the grace of his vocal lines and the richness of his orchestral colours, which Arion’s period instruments promise to reveal in all their splendour.

Four outstanding voices and a new generation on stage

To bring these scores to life, Arion surrounds itself with four leading lyrical voices: sopranos Judith van Wanroij and Magali Simard-Galdès, tenor Philippe Gagné and baritone David Witczak. Under the direction of Mathieu Lussier, these singers embody the principal roles of the pastorale and the ballet, engaging in dialogue with the orchestra in a style that demands both virtuosity, finely chiselled diction and a strong sense of theatre.

The program also marks an important milestone for Arion Académie, the ensemble’s educational initiative. For several years now, preparatory workshops and mentorship activities have offered students from elementary school through university the opportunity to gain professional onstage experience during pre-concerts. For the first time since this project was launched, young singers are joining the orchestra within the main program itself, taking on secondary roles and singing as choristers. This integration gives concrete form to Arion’s commitment to training the artists of tomorrow and creates a direct bridge between emerging talent and professional practice.

Michel-Richard de Lalande, the sounding Versailles of Louis XIV

While Lully often embodies, in the collective imagination, the music of the Sun King, Lalande was one of its most influential architects, particularly in sacred music and grand court entertainments. By choosing to devote an entire program to this composer for the tricentennial of his death, Arion and the CMBV invite audiences to explore a lesser-known side of the great French repertoire, off the beaten path.

The partnership with the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles is not new; it is part of a multi-year collaboration aimed at reviving, in Montreal, scores that until now were often familiar only to specialists. For Le Roi danse, the scores of L’Amour fléchi par la constance and the Ballet de la Jeunesse were prepared by the CMBV, ensuring an approach faithful to the sources while allowing for a vivid, embodied performance.

Program

Michel-Richard de Lalande (1657–1726)

Ballet de la Jeunesse, S.136 (excerpts) (1686)

L’Amour fléchi par la constance, S.143 (1697)
Pastorale set to music

Scores prepared by the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles

Arion, a pioneer of early music in Quebec

Founded more than forty years ago, Arion Baroque Orchestra occupies a central place in Montreal’s musical life and stands as a pioneer in Quebec and Canada in the field of early music on period instruments. Since 2019, the ensemble has been under the artistic direction of conductor and bassoonist Mathieu Lussier, who is also artistic director of the Domaine Forget de Charlevoix and a professor at the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Music. Former associate conductor of Les Violons du Roy (2012–2018) and chamber musician with the ensemble Pentaèdre, Lussier has established himself as one of the most active figures on the Canadian baroque scene, with a particular affinity for the French repertoire.

Under his leadership, Arion continues to invite internationally renowned conductors and soloists while asserting a strong identity built around rediscovering the French and European baroque heritage. At Bourgie Hall, whose warm acoustics showcase the timbres of period instruments, Le Roi danse promises to be a unique opportunity to hear this music in an ideal setting.

Le Roi danse

Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 7:30 pm.
Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 2:30 pm.

Bourgie Hall, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
1339 Sherbrooke Street West

Tickets are available on the ensemble’s website or by phone at 514-355-1825.
Full program details and Arion’s season schedule are available at arionbaroque.com.

Images: Courtesy of Arion Orchestre Baroque

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