Réjane Cardinal

Cardinal, Réjane

Réjane Cardinal. Mezzo-soprano, (Montreal 25 Dec 1926 - Montreal, June 11, 2000). She took private lessons from Roger Filiatrault (1941-43) and then studied with him for five years at the École supérieure de musique d'Outremont (École Vincent-d'Indy). Cardinal received a bursary in 1947 from the Sarah Fischer Concerts and another in 1948 from the Montreal Social Club. She studied interpretation with Charles Panzéra in Paris (1949-51) and gave several recitals during her stay in France. On her return to Montreal, she studied opera with Raoul Jobin. She toured Quebec (1951-2) for JMC (YMC), and in 1953 sang Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with the Variétés lyriques. She took part in several CBC broadcasts: Berlioz's L'Enfance du Christ (Marie, 1953), Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande (Geneviève, 1955), Poulenc's Dialogue des Carmelites (1960), and Puccini's Suor Angelica (1964). She toured Europe as a soloist with the Disciples du Massenet in 1960. At the Congrès du spectacle in Montreal she won the trophy for best operatic artist for her portrayal of the Mother in the CBC TV production (1961) of Menotti's opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. She sang Dorabella in six performances of Così fan tutte at the 1962 Montreal Festivals. Another JM tour (1962-3) took her to southwestern France, Brittany, and Normandy. On several occasions, she was soloist with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, and for the Théâtre lyrique de Nouvelle-France she sang Taven inMireille in 1965 and Charlotte in Werther during the 1968-9 season. Louise Lasnier wrote in Le Soleil (Quebec City, 26 Apr 1965): Réjane Cardinal unquestionably deserves full praise for her magnificent portrayal of Taven. She has shown herself to be a great interpreter, and an intelligent and subtle actress."