-On January 14, 1954, Radio-Canada launched a cultural program that has left its mark on Canadian television history: "L'Heure du concert".
The first program of "L'Heure du concert" features musical pages by composers Camille Saint-Saëns, Hector Berlioz and Léo Delibes, among others.
Presented 207 times until March 31, 1966, "L'Heure du concert" will offer viewers an exploration of the world of classical music.
Orchestral music, but also ballet and opera, will be featured on Sunday nights on Canadian public television.
During its existence, the program engaged an impressive 13,957 artists, 533 of whom came from abroad. "L'Heure du concert" presents the best Canadian and international talent.
Among the very long list of names are pianist Claudio Arrau (March 5, 1964), guitarist Andrés Segovia and choreographer George Balanchine.
Musician Pierre Mercure and television producer is the great orchestrator of "L'Heure du concert".
One of the pillars of "L'Heure du concert" is the Symphony Orchestra of Radio-Canada.
Created in 1952, the group, which included up to 80 musicians, performed dozens of concerts as part of this program.
Pierre Mercure will also present, in part or in full, several masterpieces of opera that had rarely been staged in Canada.
The range of works on offer is vast and extends from the work of composer Jean-Philippe Rameau "Les fêtes d'Hébé" to "Cosi fan tutte" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and "Le barbier de Séville" by Giochino Rossini.
"L'Heure du concert" gives a special place to contemporary arts, making them a remarkable addition to Canadian television.
Music and dance, but also 20th century painting, sculpture and poetry are in the spotlight.
Works such as "Le sacre du printemps" by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky and avant-garde artists such as French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez are presented to the Canadian public.
Pierre Mercure also uses "L'Heure du concert" to showcase Canadian talent.
A total of 13,424 artists from across the country have been seen during the existence of this program.
One of the first episodes featured Toronto pianist Glenn Gould. Special programs will also pay tribute to composers Claude Champagne and Roger Matton.
A few productions also had all-Canadian distributions.
This is the case, for example, of the ballet "L'enfant et les sortilèges" by composer Maurice Ravel.
The production "L'enfant et les sortilèges" stands out for another reason;
The episode, broadcast on December 27, 1956, shows technical prowess. Sound and image are produced both live and simultaneously. Frédéric Back and Robert Prévost illustrated and produced the animations, which were also new at the time.
These technical innovations of "L'enfant et les sortilèges" will strongly impress the participants of the International Music Congress held in Salzburg, Austria in 1957.
This episode is not the only one to be recognized on the international scene.
In 1965, director Pierre Morin and his team received an Emmy Award from the American National Academy of Television for Arts and Sciences for their production of the opera "Le barbier de Séville".
The award recognizes the outstanding value of a program produced outside the United States.
Supported by artistic advisor Gabriel Charpentier, Pierre Mercure is also surrounded by sound technicians, set designers and costume designers who all excel in their professions.
These craftsmen place imagination, fantasy and boldness at the heart of this show.
On January 29, 1966, Pierre Mercure died in a car accident while travelling in France.
In the months following his death, "L'Heure du concert" underwent several changes. On September 18, 1966, it was included in the "Les Beaux Dimanches" series.
"L'heure du concert" will contribute to the education and appreciation of classical music by many Canadians.
The program also featured several major television highlights and fostered the development of a multitude of Canadian artists in several fields of the arts.
