|
Created in 2003 in the Côtes d'Armor by its artistic director Gildas Pungier, the Chœur de Chambre Mélisme(s) has pursued a varied and always demanding musical journey since its inception. The residency at the Opéra de Rennes since 2016 has contributed to forging a unique identity in which the dual activity of Mélisme(s), chamber choir and lyrical choir, allows mutual enrichment of the repertoires covered.
Gildas Pungier's unique work on sound, the balance sought between the individual expression of male and female singers and the collective choir, the very diversity of the forms approached by the ensemble (a cappella repertoire, works for choir and piano or instrumental ensemble, oratorio, opera), give Mélisme(s) a unique color and great plasticity, allowing it to interpret with the same high standards a wide variety of repertoires ranging from the great classical composers to contemporary creation, from German romanticism to French and Breton composers (from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century).
Particularly interested in popular and traditional music, and convinced that it is an invigorating source for the interpretation of "scholarly" music, Gildas Pungier does not hesitate to draw inspiration from it, which regularly irrigates his work and the repertoires covered. by the choir. This is how the companionship with Marthe Vassallo, one of the great voices of Brittany, gave rise to numerous projects in which traditional music meets the music of Breton composers (Ladmirault, Le Flem, Ropartz).
Melism(s) also flourishes by taking “crossroads”, implemented by the transcription work of its musical director. This is how the encounter between the emergence of wind instruments in the 18th century and the voices gave rise to specially adapted versions of Haydn's Creation and W.A. Mozart's Mass in C, in collaboration with the ensemble at wind on period instruments A Venti. When the humor and poetry of directors Jos Houben and Emily Wilson meet the music of Rossini, the result is an offbeat staging of the Petite Messe Solennelle, noticed by national critics. More recently, a sung version of Camille Saint-Saëns' Carnaval des animaux was created with a text by Emmanuel Suarez. Finally, the link between gypsy music and the works of Johannes Brahms led to the creation in 2021 of "Brahms le Tzigane".
Convinced of the strength and enrichment of encounters, Gildas Pungier regularly calls on many artists and personalities from various backgrounds who walk alongside Mélisme(s) during its various projects, whether it be the soprano Sabine Devieilhe, the composers Eric Tanguy, Olivier Mellano and Karol Mossakowski, organist Thomas Ospital, pianist Adam Laloum, baritone Guillaume Andrieux, singer Keren Ann, designer Grégoire Pont and France Musique presenter Denisa Kerschova. Strongly established in its region of origin, the Chœur de Chambre Mélisme(s) is happy to collaborate regularly with the Orchester National de Bretagne, with the Ensemble Matheus of Jean-Christophe Spinosi, or even with Le Banquet Céleste of Damien Guillon.
From Breton venues to the biggest French stages (Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Halle aux Grains, Besançon, Compiègne, Lyon, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Dunkerque, Rouen, etc.) or to prestigious festivals (La Chaise Dieu, Noirlac, Annecy, Rocamadour, Besançon, Beaune, Sablé-sur-Sarthe, etc.), from the Philharmonie du Luxembourg to the Festivals of Utrecht and Ars Musica de Bruxelles, Mélisme(s) unfolds over a vast territory.
The Le Chœur de Chambre Mélisme(s) / Opéra de Rennes is honored to have counted among its members some of the most brilliant young singers of their generation, from the sopranos Sabine Devieilhe, Maïlys de Villoutreys and Elsa Benoit to the mezzo Ambroisine Bré via tenor Cyrille Dubois and baritones Jean-Christophe Lanièce and Timothée Varon. It is therefore committed to pursuing this mission of professional integration, particularly within the framework of projects in partnership with the Pont Supérieur d’Enseignement Bretagne-Pays de la Loire.
Passionate about transmission and the link with the public, Gildas Pungier makes it an important focus of his project with Mélisme(s): "Petites Cuisines Musicales" (filmed or in public, they allow the listener to hear a work with specially adapted keys to understanding) to common projects with children in primary school, from interventions in prison to links with amateur choirs, or with the DEMOS project in Central Brittany, it is a whole in-depth work that is deployed each season, making the choir a key player in cultural action in the region.
The first disc of the choir devoted to "Chansons écossaises, chœurs profanes" by Paul Ladmirault published by Skarbo in 2008 received 4 Diapasons. Released in 2009, the second disc of the ensemble “Kanamb Noël” is devoted to a cycle of popular Christmas songs harmonized and orchestrated by Gildas Pungier. The choir’s third album, released in 2013, is dedicated to César Franck’s 7 Paroles du Christ en Croix and was awarded 4 Diapasons as well as 4 stars **** by Classica Magazine. In 2021, a fourth disc was released, "Le Carnav(oc)al des Animaux", version for choir, instrumental ensemble and narrator of the work of Camille Saint-Saëns, arranged by Gildas Pungier, on texts by Emmanuel Suarez (4 **** stars of Classica Magazine.). In addition, this project of the “Carnav(oc)al des Animaux” gives rise to a collaboration with the company Artefacto giving rise to an augmented reality experience to (re)discover this version of the work in 2.O.
The Chœur de Chambre Mélisme(s) is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Communication / DRAC Bretagne, the Regional Council of Brittany, the Departmental Council of Côtes d'Armor and the City of Rennes. The Chœur de Chambre Mélisme(s) is in residence at the Rennes Opera. The Chœur de Chambre Mélisme(s) is a member of FEVIS. |
