holidays recommended listening holiday music

HOLIDAYS RECOMMENDED L ISTENING

DÉCEMBRE 2014 DECEMBER / JANVIER 2015 JANUARY46

by RENÉ-FRANÇOIS AUCLAIR

During Christmas and the holidays, it’snice to get out the trusty old classics –not just Handel’s Messiah. It’s good tothink outside the box and have a few mu-sical surprises during the festive season.

Here are some listening suggestions to shakethings up while staying in the holiday spirit,along with our favourite recordings.

ORATORIO DE NOËL, OP. 12. CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)Vocal Ensemble Rastatt. Les Favorites. HolgerSpeck, direction. Carus. 2006. 83.352.

A young Saint-Saënscomposed this beauti-ful piece at 25, but it’sstill relatively unknownhere. The French com-poser drew his inspira-tion from J. S. Bach,choosing very gentleinstrumental textures like the harp and theorgan, which are omnipresent in this work. Asmall string ensemble and a few moderatevoices — and it’s Christmas magic at work. Su-perb.

REQUIEM AND MAGNIFICAT.JOHN RUTTER (b. 1945)Cambridge Singers. John Rutter, conductor.Collegium Records. 1986 and 1990. CSCD 504

At first glance, a massfor the dead may notseem like good Christ-mas music. But this,Rutter’s best-knownwork, is full of soundsthat evoke the holidayspirit from first listen.The British conductor and founder of theCambridge Singers followed the tradition ofGabriel Fauré by offering a very sweet, gentleRequiem. Pastoral ambiences (a sublime PieJesu) colour this work and create a feeling ofwatching Nativity scenes. This Requiem servesas a year-end homage to all those who haveleft us. Comforting.

MOTETSKARL JENKINS (b. 1944)Polyphony Choir. Stephen Layton, conductor. Decca.2014.

This ex-member of the‘70s prog-rock bandSoft Machine has be-come quite a re-spectable composer,especially of choralmusic. Like that ofArvo Pärt, the music ofJenkins is less austere, very accessible, andoften movingly beautiful. These a capellamotets stay close to the English choral tradi-tion but are subtly harmonised to suit moderntastes. The evocative titles of several pieces fitvery well with the Christmas spirit. These verybeautiful hymns are a continual wonder. Any-one who allows themselves to be lulled by thismusic will find a balm for the soul. Magnifi-cent.

JAPANESE CHILDREN’S SONGS.SHOKADiana Damrau, soprano; Orchestre Symphoniquede Montréal; Kent Nagano, conductor. Analekta.2014. AN2 9130

These Japanese songsmay discuss cherryblossoms in the spring,rivers flowing frommountains, and themoon beneath the stars,but the charmingmelodies for childrenwith their bright tones are reminiscent ofChristmas. The beautiful Montreal Children’sChoir does its part, while Damrau’s amazinglysimple voice and fine orchestration fromFrench composer Jean-Pascal Beintus makethis charming album a lovely surprise.

See Joseph So's reveiw of this album onpage 44.

JAZZ SUITES NOS 1 ET 2DIMITRI CHOSTAKOVITCH (1906-1975)National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; TheodoreKuchar, conductor. Brillant Classics. 2006. 8480

There’s almost nothing“jazzy” about thesesuites, apart from theirinstrumentation, whichcalls for a “variety or-chestra”. In principle,this festive music does-n’t evoke Christmas,but after midnight mass, the real party begins!And what better way to celebrate the wintersolstice than with traditional polkas, waltzes,and foxtrots? In this entertaining music,Shostakovich found a release from his turmoilunder a regime of terror. Waltz no 2 is thebest-known movement. Irresistible for its en-ergy and inspiration, this piece alone takes usfar from the year’s problems! Extraordinaryrecording quality.

WALTZESJOHANN STRAUSS (1825-1899) Wiener Philharmoniker. Willi Boskovsky, conductor.London/Decca. 1994. 2 cd. 443473-2.

The famous New Year’sconcert at Vienna’sMusikverein has fordecades been a well-es-tablished tradition.Conductor WilliBoskovsky was the con-cert’s most frequentconductor between 1955 and 1979. Of course,Strauss waltzes always feature on the program.For half a century, this anthology has been thebest choice to celebrate the end of one yearand ringing in another. With lively rhythmsand biting beats, these waltzes have lost noneof their youthful vigour. Irresistible.

A conversant music lover and collector, René-FrançoisAuclair shares his musical picks on his blog, Le Par-nasse Musical, which hosts over 200 CD reviews. Youcan visit the blog to hear excerpts from each of theworks mentioned above. www.leparnassemusical.com

TRANSLATION: REBECCA ANNE CLARK

LSM

HOLIDAY MUSIC

LSM ENGLISH TRANSLATION SUPPLEMENT

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bu ERIC LEGAULT (1996, revised 2014)

There are numerous recordings of Adam’sCantique de Noël (known in English as OHoly Night), in many languages andstyles. We have reviewed nine recordingsmade by opera singers in French.

ENRICO CARUSO [] (1873-1921), thetenors’ Tenor, the first star of the phonograph,sang on all the great stages of the world, evenin Montréal’s Mount Royal Arena in 1920. Thesound is relatively good for a recording madein 1916. Although he cracks slightly in the lastword, the singer’s reputation is confirmed byhis blended registers and control of breath andvolume. His French is pretty good, but themusical style is not very French: the glis-sandi galore make it sound like a barcarolle.He does the usual gruppetti and appog-giaturas; he even does one on “CHRÉ-tiens”, which is neither good nor bad, butsurprising, especially since it’s at the be-ginning of the song. The tone is rather softand intimate. The orchestral accompanimentis discreet; there is no chorus and no repeat.

RODOLPHE PLAMONDON [] (Montréal,1876-1940) was the first Canadian tenor tosing at the Paris Opera. The recording (1924Starr 18005; reissuedon Les Grandes Voixdu Canada, Analekta)has more surface noisethan the Caruso (1916).He has a nice voice, buthe has a quick vibratoreminiscent of Fer-nando De Lucia. Hesings only stanza 1 butdoes the high B-flat.His low notes are weakand sometimes sharp. He makesfewer glissandi than Caruso, buthe still has one foot in the gondola.He underscores heavily thecomma in “Minuit, Chrétiens”. He is accom-panied by pianist Rex Battle and by an uniden-tified violist who provides an original butsometimes overpowering counter-melody.

The French tenor GEORGES THILL [](1897-1984) had a distinguished career inFrance and recorded many 78 rpm’s. Thisrecording (1932; Col LFX 275) is one of the

best versions vocally: great easein the high notes and perfect pro-nunciation. The tone is enthusi-astic and powerful. He finds anoriginal compromise for the

“Chrétiens” ornament, sliding upduring the “chré”. He sings “ceuxqu’enchaînait le fer” withoutdropping down one octave. He isaccompanied by a discrete or-chestra, a great organ,church bells and a choir,

all under ArmandBernard’s baton.The pace is cheerful;there is no pause be-tween phrases, oreven between the two stanzas. Thechoir sings the repeat of the “Peuple àgenoux”, and mumbles a few “Noël” at

the end; their volume is low (except for onesoprano) and the text is barely intelligible.

RAOUL JOBIN [] (1906-1974), one of ourmost famous tenors, sang at the Paris Opera,the Opéra-Comique and the Metropolitan. Inhis recording (1945, RCA), the voice is power-ful and nervous, his diction is natural and

clear. His R’s are the voiced uvular fricativeof modern spokenFrench, as opposed tothe Italianate rolled Rof the great majorityof singers, but theyare not merely voiced,they are sung ring-ingly. The vowels arevery open (sometimestoo much so: “Peopleà genâ”). He neversings “NoÉl” tightlylike other tenors; it is al-ways a È, even the one onthe high B-flat, which isquite impressive. (Actually,it’s a bit “Noheul”, maybethat’s the secret…) There is an attempt at dy-namic variation: the tone is soft in the firsttwo-thirds of each stanza, and heroic in thelast two lines. Except for the repeat by thechoir, the piece is sung rather quickly, almostdancingly, and the pauses between verses areshortened. The organ playing is very ordinary;

the sudden diminuendo beforeeach stanza is almost comical. TheDisciples de Massenet erupt vio-lently on the repeat of “Peuple de-bout”, with a different phrasingfrom that of the soloist, and somevoices stand out. The tenor returnsjust in time to toss off a second B-flat, but he is swallowed up by thechoir.

Québec lyric tenor RICHARDVERREAU [] (1926-2005) sang onmany stages of the world, but heretired relatively early. In his

recital À l’église (c.1960, RCA), his voice isbeautiful, his final high note is powerful andwithout tension, but the low-lying phrase(“ceux qu’enchaînait le fer”) is hollow. The

style is quiet, powerful and solemn. The Dis-ciples de Massenet hadmuch improved since1945 (as had recordingtechniques). They comein gloriously at “Peupledebout” (which the tenordoes not sing), neveroverpower the soloist,and the voices are more blended. There is no

22

HOLIDAYS CANTIQUE DE NOËL

DÉCEMBRE 2014 DECEMBER / JANVIER 2015 JANUARY

REVIEW OF NINE RECORDINGS OF ADAM’S CANTIQUE DE NOËL

MINUIT, CHRÉTIENS

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repeat, and the soloistsings only the last “Noël,Noël, chantons leRédempteur”. The organaccompaniment is verysober, much better thanthe grandiose and melodi-cally irrelevant orchestral accompaniment inhis other Christmas recital (Concert, c.1960,RCA), in which the vocal performance is justas good.

MICHEL DENS [] (1911-2000) was aFrench light baritone, specialized in operetta.In his recording(1958-1966? reis-sued on the 2CDNoël! album, EMIFrance 1993), hedispenses, as always,a lesson in diction:the pronunciation ispointed and eachsyllable is perfectlye - n u n - c i - a - t e d .There are no glis-sandi. The voice is healthy,with good breath control,but ornaments are not hisforte. In the secondstanza, he sings “De notrefoi… les chefs de l’Orient”instead of “Le Rédempteur a brisé… ceuxqu’enchaînait le fer”, and the remainder ofstanza 3 — an odd choice. The accompanimentby the Orchestre de l’Association des ConcertsColonne, led by René Challan, is very good,not grandiose, but the chorus is sometimes in-trusive.

In his 1963recording (reissuedon the Fonovoxlabel), Québecbasso YOLANDGUÉRARD [](1923-1987) has abeautiful naturalvoice. He has notrouble with thehigher notes, buthis low notes areslightly dry. His diction is per-fect. His stern tone is unyield-ing; he marches on valiantlylike a general on the battlefield,undeterred by the distantthreatening grumble of tim-pani, all the while supported by sweet pizzi-cato arpeggios. The Orchestre Jean Laroseprovides the very original chiaroscuro accom-paniment (timpani, 2-3 string instruments,small organ, clarinet).

Very few women have recorded the Can-tique de Noël in French. The recording byQuébec soprano LYNE FORTIN [] (1962-) is awinner (1992, Analekta): lovely voice and style(though some consonants are barely brushed,

even in forte), awide range ofdynamics andemotions (themost beautiful

“meurt” on thislist). The or-chestral accom-p a n i m e n t( O r c h e s t r eSymphoniquede Québec,cond. PascalVerrot) is lovely, and thearrangement with harp,brass and strings is quiteinteresting. The pace, however,is a bit expansive.

In his first classical album (Le Premier Noël,ATMA, 2009), Québec tenor MARC HERVIEUX[] (1969-) sings the Cantique with powerand gravity. The voice is beautiful, smooth andstable throughout its range, except for sometight È vowelsin the higherrange. He optsfor the Frenchfricative Rrather thanthe Italianaterolled R (asdid Jobin, 64years earlier,but more dis-cretely, with-out the ring).Double consonants areunduly stressed (“de-SCendit”, “eFFaCCer”,etc.), as they should be inItalian but not in French(even some single ones too). A few syllables instanza 2 are slightly sharp. The arrangement isclassic, with choir and organ (the most beau-tiful organ sound in this list); the style is seri-ous, unadorned (no appoggiatura orgruppetti), and the tempo is particularly slow.

The Disciples de Massenet (cond. LucieRoy) sing “Peuple à genoux…” once andthe “Peuple debout…” twice. They singsoftly and almost without vibrato, like an-gels gliding under the clouds. Everyone in-volved sings “ré-d’homme-teur” instead of

“Rédempteur”.Our website will shortly have an adden-

dum that includes the following Québecsingers: Albert Quesnel, 1914; Jean-MarieMagnan, 1916; Émile Gour, 1920; JosephSaucier, 1920; Louis Chartier, 1926; ArthurMichaud, 1928; Quatuor Notre-Dame deMontréal 1929; Quatuor Franco-Américain,1930; Quatuor Canadien; Quatuor Octave Pel-letier; and French singers, including PolPlançon, 1906. LSM

DÉCEMBRE 2014 DECEMBER / JANVIER 2015 JANUARY 23

HOLIDAYS CANTIQUE DE NOËL

CANTIQUE DE NOËL (OR CHRISTMAS CAROL)

words by Placide Cappeau(Roquemaure, 1808-1877)

(The tradition is to sing stanzas 1 and 3.)

Minuit, Chrétiens, c’est l’heure solennelleOù l’Homme Dieu descendit jusqu’à nous,Pour effacer la tache originelleEt de son Père arrêter le courroux.Le monde entier tressaille d’espéranceÀ cette nuit qui lui donne un Sauveur.Peuple, à genoux ! Attends ta délivrance.Noël ! Noël ! Voici le Rédempteur !De notre foi que la lumière ardenteNous guide tous au berceau de l’Enfant,Comme autrefois une étoile brillanteY conduisit les chefs de l’Orient.Le Roi des rois naît dans une humble crèche;Puissants du jour, fiers de votre grandeur,À votre orgueil, c’est de là que Dieu prêche.Courbez vos fronts devant le Rédempteur !Le Rédempteur a brisé toute entrave,La terre est libre et le ciel est ouvert.Il voit un frère où n’était qu’un esclave,L’amour unit ceux qu’enchaînait le fer.Qui Lui dira notre reconnaissance ?C’est pour nous tous qu’Il naît, qu’Il souffre etmeurt.Peuple, debout ! Chante ta délivrance !Noël ! Noël ! Chantons le Rédempteur !

Midnight, Christians: it is the solemn hourWhere the Man God came down to us,To erase the original sinAnd to stop the wrath of his Father.The whole world trembles with hopeOn this night that gives them a Savior.People, on your knees! Await your deliverance.Christmas! Christmas! Here is the Redeemer!

May the ardent light of our faithGuide us all to the cradle of the Child,As a shining star, long ago,thereto led the leaders of the Orient.The King of kings is born in a humble manger;Powers of the day, proud of your grandeur,To your pride, here is where God preaches.Bow your heads before the Redeemer!

The Redeemer has broken all barriers,The land is free and the sky is open.He sees a brother where there was but a slave,Love unites those whom the iron had enshackled.Who will convey to him our gratitude?It is for us all that He is born, He suffers anddies.People, stand! Sing (acclaim) your deliverance!Christmas! Christmas! Sing (acclaim) the Re-deemer!

Literal translation by Eric Legault

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PROFIL FRANÇOISE DAVOINE


by CAROLINE RODGERS

Françoise Davoine fell in lovewith choral music when she wasa child. As the village’s choirconductor, her mother used tobring her to rehearsals. Davoine

sang from the age of five, and haskept a special relationship withchoral singing ever since. She nowhosts De tout chœur avec vous, anew show on the CBC’s French-lan-guage radio, ICI Musique, devoted toa passion for an art form that bringstogether many followers all over theworld.

“When I came to Canada with myparents, I was sixteen and I knew no-body,” says Davoine. “That was in Ot-tawa. The first thing I did was toenroll in a choir at University of Ot-tawa. It was because of that one yearof choral singing that I decided tostudy music in university.”

After graduating, family and pro-fessional obligations caused her tostop choral singing. But she has al-ways remained committed to thatmilieu and that repertoire.

“Choral singing is really ingrainedin me,” she says. “For me it’s a way to exist. Ilike groups, which is probably why I’ve neverreally liked piano; you play alone. During mystudies, I was part of several vocal ensembles.Choral singing is the simplest way to makemusic together and to share something. It’salso closely related to breathing, the source oflife.”

The radio host believes choral singing isalso an art form that benefits everyone. “At theend of my shows, I always tell listeners: re-member that singing feels good. There are also

a host of studies that have shown its benefits.”

THE SHOWRadio-Canada has a long tradition of pro-grams devoted to music for choirs. ButDavoine had dreamt of having one of her ownfor a long time. Over the past three years, shemade special broadcasts on choral music dur-ing the holiday season which were quite suc-cessful, which is not surprising since Québechas more than 500 choirs, according to Que-

bec Choral Alliance estimates, whichboasts 248 member choirs.

“When I saw how successful it was,I thought it was the right time to re-vive this tradition,” says the host.

“But behind the show that I proposed,there was also the idea of creating acommunity of choral music lovers,which is an important component ofthe project.”

Since the show went on the air lastSeptember, 400 members havejoined the show’s Facebook group.People share their discoveries andeven ads for their own concerts.

Radio-Canada has a huge choralrecord collection which includes rar-ities and treasures. Producer CynthiaDubois is in charge of programming.She includes listener requests, themost common of which are for Schu-bert, Fauré and Bach. Although therepertoire covered during the showis essentially classic, there is alsoroom for other genres and discover-ies in world music and jazz. In addi-tion to hosting, Françoise Davoinealso handles relations with this com-munity of listeners.

“We receive many testimonials, shesaid. I read excerpts from letters and broad-cast interviews with some listeners. The ideaof the show is that people also share their pas-sion. I hope one day we will become the largestcommunity of choral music lovers in the world.We receive messages from across Canada,from young and old. It’s very encouraging.”

De tout chœur avec vous is broadcast on Sundaymornings at 9:00.

LSM

FRANÇOISE DAVOINEFOR THE LOVE OF CHORAL S INGING

The finest selection of music on CD, Vinyl, DVD, and Blu-ray. Classical and Jazz - the rarest recordings to the newest releases!

L'Atelier Grigorian - Canada's Leading Music Store for over 34 years!L'Atelier Grigorian - Canada's Leading Music Store for over 34 years!

Classical and Jazz - the rarest recordings to the newest releases! The finest selection of music on CD, Vinyl, DVD, and Blu-ray.

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TRANSLATION: ERIC LÉGAULT

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Dorénavant, avec un abonnement d'un an à LaScena Musicale, vous obtenez : 52 téléchargementsde CD découverte (un par semaine), un coupon- cadeau* de 20 $ sur le prix d'un concert, du papierplus blanc, un Guide ressources des arts et les traductions complètes de tous les articles des 7 numéros de La Scena Musicale. Abonnez-vous !

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by HASSAN LAGHCHA

Rethinking the cultural profile of Old Montreal, exploring new av-enues to continually invigorate this heritage district which wasdeclared an historic area fifty years ago, and to especially engen-der the optimal conditions to encourage its burgeoning culturalpotential. These are the objectives of the 12th November round-

table organised by Culture Montréal and the SDC (Business Develop-ment Corporation) of Old Montreal at the Phi Centre. The participantsin this experiment, led by columnist Alain Dubuc, were comprised ofdesigners, artists, architects, academic researchers, cultural stake-holders and citizens who have taken to heart the necessary task of en-suring the future of this iconic enclave of our metropolis.

APPEALING TO YOUR FIVE SENSESAt this roundtable, five Montreal designers from various disciplineswere invited to use their five senses to critique the sensual experiencesof Old Montreal and to share their reflections with the audience. Thesense of sight was explored by the writer and musician Tristan Malavoy,the aural experience was assessed by Slam Québec promoter and poetIvy. Natalie Bouchard, a university researcher, set out to report on theolfactory sense while designer Mouna Andraos had the pleasure to cri-tique the sense of taste. Lastly, an appraisal of the tactile sense wasgiven by dancer and choreographer Milan Gervais.

The presentations of these five respective sensual experiences re-sulted in a vigorous and lively discussion with the public who were alsoinvited to offer their own accounts of personal memories and percep-tions concerning the historic sights and symbols of Old Montreal. Thisunique aspect of the roundtable was especially appreciated by the nu-merous participants. Apropos of this initiative, the director general ofCulture Montréal, Anne-Marie Jean, emphasised a focus on the muchanticipated findings of the artists and designers who contributed tothe development of the Cultural Districts project, which is on of thekey priorities of the 2007-2017 Action Plan – Montréal, Cultural Me-tropolis.

AVOIDING A BARREN LANDSCAPEArtistic Director of Quartier Éphémère and the Darling Foundry Vi-sual Arts Centre Caroline Andrieu asserts that “public art is an excel-lent medium by which society can inspire and engendercommunication among people gathered in shared spaces.” At the

roundtable, she underscored the necessity of more public spaces inorder to facilitate meetings and exchanges between people. She alsomentioned the need to augment pedestrian spaces and thoroughfareswhere members of the public can safely stroll and congregate.

“Putting in place a ‘thoroughfare continuum’ wherein pedestrians wouldhave priority access followed in succession by cyclists and horse-drawncarriages, would gradually remove cars, one by one, from the focalpoint of Old Montreal” says Andrieu, “making the historic districtmuch more pleasant for residents and visitors alike.”

In fact, numerous participants emphasised the necessity of puttingthe needs of the individual at the heart of any new developments oc-curring in the historic district. In doing so, a number of unforeseenconsequences could be keenly avoided, such as “a culture of polarisa-tion between commerce and residents” in the words of Chief Opera-tions Officer Manon Blanchette of the Musée Pointe-à-Calière. Sheopines furthermore against “making the landscape of Old Montrealbarren” as mentioned by Stéphane Chagnon who holds the dual postsof Director General of the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours aswell as the Musée Marguerite Bourgeoys. While noting, in all relevance,the obvious lack of green spaces and especially the overbearing pres-ence of concrete, Chagnon warns against erasing all traces of the past,which are an evocative force in ensuring the continued sustainabilityand permanence of the historic heritage district of Old Montreal. LSM

28 DÉCEMBRE 2014 DECEMBER / JANVIER 2015 JANUARY

THOUGHT EXPERIMENT TO STIMULATE OLD MONTREAL

CODERRE: $ 15 MILLION FOR ALEXANDRA PIER“I initiated formal negotiations with the Government of Canada inorder to salvage the Old Port of Montreal.” This announcementfrom Mayor Denis Coderre during the closing remarks of his speechwas welcomed with applause and encouragement. Coderre equallyhighlighted the contributions of the three-year $4.5 billion pro-gramme of capital expenditures to upgrade the area infrastructure.This programme in particular includes a $15 million allotmentdedicated to building a passenger terminal intended to stimulatethe revitalisation and further development of the ocean liner and

tourism industry at Alexandra Pier. “Fiveto six million tourists come to Old Mon-treal every year,” Mayor Coderre said be-fore revealing plans the City willundertake in the coming months to revi-talise Old Montreal, notably concerningthe shoreline and urban promenades. Objective: “To give families a taste of whatit’s like, not just to work, but to come, tolive and to stay in Old Montreal.”

METROPOLISCulturalCultural

METROPOLISCultural

METROPOLISCultural

METROPOLIS

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MONTREAL’S 375th LEGACY PRIORITIESThe Ville de Montréal has unveiled a list of legacy priorities for thecity’s 375th anniversary celebration. These projects will be subject to

“further consultations to clarify their description, allocated budgets, thesource of acquisitions and timelines for completion,” said a statementissued for this occasion. Here is the list:ESPLANADE CLARKConstruction of a public space at the corner of Clark and Sainte-Cather-ine, which will serve as an ice-skating rink in winter months as well asa grand urban terrace during warmer weather. TALES OF MONTREALAn avant-garde multimedia art installation involving several projec-tions onto the walkways, the trees and the façades of Montreal’s his-toric district. ESPACE POUR LA VIE / SPACE FOR LIFEBiodome migration and metamorphosis of the Insectarium. With thesetwo innovative infrastructure projects, Space for Life aims to createecologically conscious living spaces which will help further cultivatepublic awareness of biodiversity and environmental challenges. SAINT JOSEPH’S ORATORYDevelopment of additional tourism infrastructure at this iconic mon-ument.MAISON SAINT-GABRIELThe Garden of the Origins pays tribute to First Nations, Inuit and Métiswomen. This green work of art will take the observer back to a place intime where indigenous plants conjure visions of fine embroidery,pearls and lace.OPENING OF THE CESM PARKThe Large Parks and Greening Bureau of the Ville de Montréal willgrant public access to the site by opening a section of the Plaine Boiséarea. DISCOVERY TOUR AT MONT-ROYALThis project aims to break down the barriers that exist at the park, no-tably, concerning public and institutional properties; seeking to unitethem in a more tangible fashion. POINTE-À-CALLIÈREPhase 2 of the Archaeology City and Montreal History expansion proj-ect will highlight the sizable and significant ruins of Fort Ville-Marieas well as Callière’s residence.REDEVELOPMENT AND ENHANCEMENT OF PARC JEAN-DRAPEAU

Four areas of the western portion of Île Sainte-Hélène will be trans-formed including infrastructure upgrades to the buildings at Place desNations and redevelopment of the waterfront promenade in order tocreate a sense of continuity by linking the eastern and western por-tions of the walk.RECLAIMING THE VILLE-MARIE EXPRESSWAY AND THE CHAMP-DE-MARS PROJECTA public space will be created in the vicinity of métro Champ-de-Marsstation, City Hall and the new Université de Montréal Health Centre.Objective: to harmoniously connect Old Montreal to the downtowncore.URBAN “MOUNTAIN-RIVER” PROMENADEThis major project will link the river and the mountain. Planned to beexclusively for pedestrians, it will offer a journey that reveals the his-tory, heritage, and cultural specificities of the areas through which itruns. IMPROVING THE SURROUNDINGS OF CITY HALL (PLACEVAUQUELIN)This project aims to increase the civic and symbolic dimensions of CityHall as part of a reflection on the whole area forming the administra-tive campus.IMPROVEMENT OF THE SHERBROOKE/PIE-IX INTERSECTION AND CRE-ATION OF A PARKBoulevard Pie-IX will be the major public transit corridor on the eastside of the island. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services are planned for2020, which will bring 70,000 people per day to the intersection. Apublic work of art will be placed here.REFURBISHMENT OF RUE STE-CATHERINE WESTThe subterranean infrastructure of Ste-Catherine W has reached theend of its useful life, requiring extensive work. The city hopes to takeadvantage of this construction to create a new layout for the street.THE BONAVENTURE PROJECTThis project will notably contribute to the improvement of this majorentry into the downtown core and will strengthen the links betweenadjacent sectors.TRANSLATION: R. K. BASDEO


CULTURAL METROPOLIS OLD MONTREAL

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES• Christmas Secrects of Old Montreal – Free guided walking tour.Reservations required. www.guidatour.qc.ca

TELUS Fire on ice – Four nights of fireworks set to music above theOld Montreal skating rink. www.oldportofmontreal.com

New Year’s Eve at the Old Port – Join thousands of people for fire-works and dancing on December 31st. www.oldportofmontreal.com

Igloofest 2015 – Four weekends of electronic music and dance fea-turing local and international DJs. Paid activity, January 16 to Feb-ruary 8, 2015. www.igloofest.ca

Montreal Ice Canoe Challenge – The third edition of this extremesport will be held Saturday, February 21, 2015. www.deficano-taglace.ca

Pointe-à-Callière’s Port Symphonies – These free concerts (Sun-days, February 22 and March 8, 2015) will use the ambient soundsof the Old Port to create a musical urban soundscape. www.old-portofmontreal.com

PANEL DISCUSSION on Old Montreal’s Future. PHOTO Kelly Jacob

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2014 REVIEW


2014

par CAROLINE RODGERS

A GREAT YEAR FOR THE ORGANOne of the major musical events in 2014 wasthe inauguration of the grand Pierre-Béiqueorgan of the Montréal Symphony Orchestra(MSO) at the Maison symphonique in May.This Casavant organ with 6489 pipes and 83games was acquired at a cost of five milliondollars, thanks to a generous donation fromMrs. Jacqueline Desmarais, who knew PierreBéique, one of the founders of the MSO. Forthis inaugural concert, organist emeritusOLIVIER LATRY [] played the famous Toc-cata and Fugue in D minor and SymphonyNo. 3 by Saint-Saëns with the MSO.

In November, the Canadian InternationalOrgan Competition, which is held every threeyears, was back with a program of 40 events.In all, 15 candidates from eight countries com-peted for $ 70,000 in prizes and the grandprize went to David Baskeyfield, from the UK.This year, the CIOC partnered with pop singerMartha Wainwright who gave a concert at St.James United Church with organists ChristianLane and Jean-Willy Kunz, winners of the

CIOC in 2011.

THREATS TO THE CONSERVATORIESThe Conservatoire de musique et d’art dra-matique du Québec was in turmoil as seriousthreats of closure of its outlying schools hungin the air in the fall. In September, there wererumours of a financial recovery plan recom-mending closing the Trois-Rivières, Saguenay,Rimouski, Gatineau and Val-d’Or conservato-ries because of a total deficit of $14 million.Questioned in the National Assembly, theMinister of Culture, Hélène David, declinedfor a few weeks to make a decision about theclosures, saying she was waiting for a reportfrom the Conservatoire’s board of administra-tion before making a decision.

While the politicians were discussing, themusicians were mobilizing. Several importantpersonalities from the music world, such asYannick Nézet-Séguin, Jacques Lacombe,Alain Trudel and Karina Gauvin, among oth-ers, spoke in the media to defend the Conser-vatories, to emphasize their importance andto denounce the prospect of closures. In turn,students from conservatories and music

schools organized demonstrations. On Sep-tember 30, students of the Montreal MusicConservatory and of Université de Montréal’smusic faculty went on strike and held an out-side concert, near Place des Arts, under the di-rection of Jean -François Rivest. They alsodemanded the resignation of the head of con-servatories, Nicolas Desjardins. Finally, afterreading the long-awaited report, which did infact recommend closures, Minister Davidsharply disagreed with its findings. Within aweek, both general director Nicolas Desjardinsand board president Jean-Pierre Bastien re-signed.

CARMINA BURANAOne of the year’s notable events for the masseswas undoubtedly the performance of Orff’sCarmina Burana, on the Esplanade of theOlympic Park [], by the MSO and 1500 cho-risters from across Québec to a crowd esti-mated at 40,000. The evening was hosted byCharles Lafortune, the popular host of theshow The Voice, and tenor Marc Hervieux,himself a native of the Hochelaga-Maison-neuve neighbourhood. The soloists were tenor

AN EVENTFUL MUSICAL YEAR IN REVIEW

PHOTO Courtoisie OSM PHOTO Antoine Saito

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2014 REVIEW

Antonio Figueroa, baritone Trevor Scheune-mann and soprano Aline Kutan.

MIX OF GENRES: ON THE RISEConcerts combining classical and pop musicwere more numerous and more popular thanever in 2014. The quality of these collabora-tions has clearly been improving over theyears. For example, the pairing of the “garageband” Les Trois Accords with the MSO underSimon Leclerc, a concert that had many fear-ing the worst, got nothing but positive reviews.The next day, the Metropolitan Orchestra andthe electro-jazz group Misteur Valaire, withYANNICK NÉZET-SÉGUIN [] on the podium,attracted a large crowd at St-Jean-Baptistechurch. There was also the MSO and theirSymphonie rapaillée during the FrancoFoliesand I Musici de Montréal with Ingrid St-Pierre,among others. Even hip-hop artist Koriass de-cided to enhance his music by partnering witha small string orchestra assembled for his con-cert at Club Soda.

INTERNATIONAL CONTROVERSIESAmong the controversial headlines that fueleddiscussions in the music world this year, threenames stand out: GUSTAVO DUDAMEL [],

John Adams and Martin Jarvis.In February, the young, internationally

renowned Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Du-damel, artistic director of the Los AngelesPhilharmonic, made the headlines. As hiscountry of origin was in major political tur-moil and protests had been violently repressedby the police for weeks, Dudamel led a concertof the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra onthe same day that six protesters were killed. Inan open letter, pianist Gabriela Montero, alsoa native of that country, asked him to justifyhis decision and to take a stand against re-pression and the current regime in Venezuela.

The maestro answered via the newspapers,with a brief message in which he denouncedall forms of violence, stressed the importanceof the country’s music education and youth or-chestras network known as El Sistema. Heconcluded by saying that he had not wantedto cancel and send the youth members of hisorchestra back out into the streets of Caracasamidst the violent demonstrations.

THE DEATH OF KLINGHOFFERHaving narrowly escaped a lockout aftermonths of heated negotiations between sen-ior management and the various unions rep-resenting its staff, the Metropolitan Opera inNew York found itself again in hot water withthe controversial opera The Death of Kling-hoffer by JOHN ADAMS [], with a libretto byAlice Goodman.

The opera recounts the story of the passen-gers onboard the ship Achille Lauro in 1985hijacked by PLO terrorists. During the attack,the terrorists murdered the passenger LeonKlinghoffer, a Jewish US citizen, with a bulletto the head, before pushing him overboardwith his wheelchair. Klinghoffer’s daughtershave always opposed the staging of this opera,saying it is anti-Semitic and glorifies terror-

ism. The Met agreed to cancel the opera’sbroadcast in cinemas around the world as partof its Live in HD series, and on the radio.However, Met director Peter Gelb upheld hisdecision to have it performed on stage, whichresulted in numerous protests in front of theprestigious opera house, and a host of articlesfor and against the opera in US newspapersand elsewhere. In the middle of the first ofseven performances, a spectator shouted, “Thedeath of Klinghoffer will never be forgiven”.

BACH’S CELLO SUITESBach did not himself compose his famousCello Suites, according to professor MartinJarvis, of Charles Darwin University, Australia.Instead, they would be the work of his secondwife, Anna Magdalena. He even made a docu-mentary film to support his thesis, entitledWritten by Mrs. Bach, after publishing a bookunder the same title in 2011. His argumentsare that one of the two main manuscriptsbears the words “Written by Mrs Bachen, hiswife”, and that close analysis of the manu-scripts reveals that the person who wrote themwas not copying from another source, butcomposing. It goes without saying that Jarvis’sstatements earned him the ire of many musi-cologists and Bach specialists, and has beenwritten about extensively.

THE PASSING OF SEVERAL CONDUCTORSEvery year some prominent conductors passaway, but 2014 will probably set a grim record:CLAUDIO ABBADO [], Lorin Maazel, FransBrüggen, Christopher Hogwood, Franz PaulDecker and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.


LSM

PHOTO Andrew Eccles

PHOTO Margaretta Mitchell

PHOTO Kasskara / DG

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by MARC CHÉNARD

With a shared love for all thingsjazzy, the Doxas brothers, Chetand Jim, have been gracing ourstages for a little more than adecade. Both in their mid-thirties,

they’re now poised to take a quantum leap byvaulting up into the big leagues. During thesummer of 2012, they worked with star Amer-ican trumpeter Dave Douglas on a new projectcalled Riverside, leading to an album on Dou-glas’s label (see review below). This past Au-gust, these three gentlemen appeared at noless than seven European festivals with thelegendary electric bassist Steve Swallow in tow.Even though these siblings have played to-gether regularly over the years, they have sep-arate careers; in fact, no time could be foundin their busy schedules for a joint interview.What’s more, Chet bade farewell to Montreallast summer to go stateside, and is now makesthe Big Apple his home. Yet, he has not turnedhis back completely on his local stompingground, for he plans to return here at regularintervals, for both musical and family reasons.

By and large Jim and Chet’s destiny seem tohave been nurtured from the cradle, shaped bytheir parents’ shared love of music. Their fa-ther, George, first played guitar, then the dou-ble bass, taught music for several years thenturned to a career as a sound engineer. Theirmother, an American national, has been a life-long music fan with a broad taste in popularmusic. On that basis then, their offspring al-most seemed predestined to a career in music.

Although exposed to music from an earlyage, Jim and Chet don’t consider to have beenpushed into it. Yet they were lucky enough tobe able to try their hands at several instru-ments before making any choices, especiallyelder brother Jim. “In the summer, onceclasses ended, our father brought home allkinds of instruments so we could try them outas we pleased. I started with the piano, dabblebriefly on violin, then turned to French hornfor several years, but with no serious commit-ment. In my teens I picked up the drumsticks,and then something clicked.” Chet, for his part,found his instrument a little faster. He tooplunked away on the piano as a kid, but soonset his eyesights on the saxophone. However,his father thought it best that he begin learn-ing the clarinet—a wise decision, because itserves as a good foundation in wind instru-ment playing.

In their formative years, the two of themoften played together, first in high school andcollege, then at McGill University, of whih they

are both graduates. (Jim is currently an in-structor at its music faculty.) By the end of theirstudies, they formed the trio By-Product withtheir long time bassist friend Zach Lober (nowa New York resident), issuing their first albumunder that group name in 2002. Chet has sinceproduced three more albums under his ownname, the first two on Justin Time, and the lat-est, Dive, on Toronto’s Addo Records.

Jim, on the other hand, has been keeping im-peccable time for a number of groups, most no-tably for Oliver Jones’s trio (see the May 2014article). Just last month, he finally stepped intoa leader’s role to launch in concert his debutrecording (Blind Leap, also on Addo Records),an album that unites him with pianist PaulShroffel and bassist Morgan Moore.

Last summer’s European summer tour ofthe Riverside Project enabled Chet and Jim toperform at seven events in five countries, in-cluding one perched high in the Dolomites innorthern Italy. “You can only get there bycable car and an hour-plus treck, and we evenplayed outdoors hight up in the mountains,”explains Jim, still in awe of the experience.Last June, this band could have toured ourown festival circuit, but organizers didn’t wantto meet the fee–a fact quite probably linked to

“Canadian content”. But the again, this bandplayed Quebec City and Toronto last spring,then New York and Boston, then the Europeantour and two fall engagements in Edmontonand Calgary. It only makes you wonder aboutthe perceptions of some of our cultural policymakers, who seem unwilling to reward ourmost promising talent while paying out thehigh fees for foreign stars.

Now getting a foothold in the jazz Mecca,

Chet Doxas is on a roll. Following a concert atJazz Ahead in Bremen in 2012 (Germany’slarge annual jazz showcase), he signed anagreement to produce his next album on aBritish label. This project, built around his ownNew York quartet, will be more elaborate thanprevious albums, including multitrack record-ings and special guests, the names of whom heis not willing to divulge at this writing. All bodeswell for the Riverside Project next year, as thereare more concerts in the planning stage, with afollow up recording now in the air. Please staytuned for further developments.

In concert : Feb 1st with Lorne Lofsky and Kieran Oversat Centre Segal. www.segalcentre.org

TRANSLATION: REBECCA ANNE CLARK

LSM

JAZZ


RiversideGreenleaf CD 1338

This studio recording from 2012 is intended as atribute to saxophonist and clarinettist JimmyGiuffre, whose newly discovered concerts record-ings were reviewed here last month. Only onepiece from the dedicatee appears among the 11tracks: The Train and the River, his best-knowntune. This album is not a customary tribute in thehistorical sense, but a collection of originalpieces inspired by Giuffre’s work. Overall, theperformances are pretty restrained—it’s not untilthe sixth track that a few sparks fly. Giuffre al-ways iked to describe his music as “quietly in-tense”. Dave Douglas and co seem to havetrodden down the “quiet” path, and if they de-cide to follow up on this first outing, let’s hopethey can achieve a little more intensity.

A Family AffairJim and Chet Doxas

L TO R : Chet Doxas, JimDoxas, Dave Douglas andSteve Swallow. PHOTO F. Zamarripa

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News from EffendiFifteen years and some 140 titles later, the Ef-fendi label has issued a windfall of new al-bums, including a couple of new faces to thefold..

Félix Stüssi & Ray Anderson – Arrabbiata(FND 133)For his third Effendi re-lease, pianist FélixStüssi returns to hisfirst line band, a sextetrounded off by his starguest, trombonist RayAnderson. Once againthe pianist sticks withinthe familiar stylings of mainstream jazz(blues-inspired lines and spiky monkian har-monies), but likes to organize it unusual ways,mostly by alternating ensemble playing of thetunes, which dovetail into improvised inter-ludes in varying duo combinations. The spe-cial guest is particularly highlighted, while thetwo saxes (Alexandre Côté and Bruno La-marche) have only two solos each in the 58minutes running time of this live concert from2013. Business as usual, and nicely taken careof, too.

Tevet Sela – Lying Sun (FND 134)A newcomer from Israel, alto saxophonistTevet Sela is an instrumentalist with a ratherbright sound. By his tone, he’s not one horn-man influenced by the darker sounding tenorsax, as many alto players like to say. Whilepiercing, it is not screechy either, and likewisefor his soprano, which he uses sparingly. Hisloose playing is informed by bop, but hispieces reveal melodic and harmonic turnsfrom his part of the world. While not a musi-cal revelation, he remains a solid citizen withthe coterie of modern mainstream jazzers.

Michel Morissette – Nothing Toulouse (FND136)Judging by guitarist Mi-chel Morissette’s 1970srocker look and hisgreying mane, this new-comer to the label is aseasoned player. Forone his hard edgedsound brings SonnySharrock to mind, albeit less extreme, but itsbite is a welcome contrast to the rest of thegroup that adheres to a decidedly cleaneracoustic sound. And what a kick ass opener heoffers us in the punning-title track of the

album, enhanced by a wailing André Lerouxon tenor sax, though the miking of his horndoesn’t render justice to the full depth of hissound. Moods and tempos vary, but the gui-tarist clearly puts his stamp on the album.

Samuel Blais David Liebman – Cycling (FND137)What an honor it is for amusician to record withhis teacher, which is thecase here for SamuelBlais. This thirty some-thing reedman performsseven musical excur-sions with veteran DaveLiebman, accompanied by Morgan Moore onbass and Martin Auguste on drums. Blaisswitches from baritone to alto and soprano,while Liebman focuses mainly on soprano, butindulges in some tenor. In close to 50 minutes,these two partners engage in some pretty hea-ted dialogues, supported by their rhythm part-ners. In his notes, Blais says the disc titlerefers to the end of a cycle and the beginningof another; based on his previous (and cur-rent) efforts, one can only look forward towhat the future holds for him. www.effendirecords.com


JAZZ REVIEWS

Off the Record

Trumpets on stageand on recordAndy King Group – Modern FictionDisques MCM 009 www.andykingmusic.com

In concert last October, Andy King’s quintet(with an added percussionist) offered a highoctane performance. Electric and electrifying,the music leaned on occasion a little too hea-vily on the Miles Davis Bitches Brew period.His record, released the same night, is fortu-nately not as indebted to that influence, exceptin the last piece Time Traveller, whose melo-dic line is reminiscent of another Milesianopus, Sanctuary. Noteworthy here is the in-your-face instensity of the title-cut that runs alittle over 18 minutes, a suite of sorts thatconverys more hard rock stylings than slickjazz fusion. A most invigorating outing thatwill fetch those ears trained to heavy sounds.

Rachel Therrien – Home InspirationProduction d’artiste www.racheltherrien.com

An up and comer Rachel Therrien launchedher second record on stage two days after

King’s own effort. Her debut side (On Track,issued in 2011) had all the earmarkings of a1970s Freddie Hubbard disc. Like the prede-cessor, this new album also features a quintet,but with a new horman (Benjamin Deschampson alto sax). Thankfully, this new effort of herssees her trying to move away from such ob-vious influences, both in her compositions andin her more assertive playing. What’s more,three of the musicians have contributed to thebook, thus broadening the band’s musicalscope. We only look forward to her next mu-sical venture, hopefully sooner than later.

Marianne Trudel – La vie commence iciJustin Time JTR 8588-2 www.justintimerecords.ca

Here is a disc that typifies the state of the jazzrecord business: five musicians who haveplayed in different settings all come togetherin the studio for the first time to produce a re-cord off the cuff. Ten months later, they playfour concerts for the launch, displaying a nicepartnership, and adding some more spark tothe proceedings. In the past, musicians per-fected their music on stage before recordingit; nowadays, records are used as tools to bookconcerts and tours. Trudel is a pianist, buttrumpeter Ingrid Jensen is quite prominently

featured; so much so that saxophonist Jona-than Stewart is given a bit short shrift in thisprogram of mostly lyrical sounding originalsby the leader. If only this quintet had a chanceto make their record the old-fashioned way…

Jacques Kuba Séguin – L’élévation du pointde chuteOddsound ODS 13 www.oddsound.ca

On October 25, one day after the launch ofTrudel and company, Jacques Kuba Séguinstoked the fires for his CD launch. This recor-ding with a mouthful of a title features his flag-ship group (OddLot), a sextet with two heavyhitters on sax, André Leroux and Jean-PierreZanella. As with Andy King, Miles’ ghost ho-vered over Séguin’s music, not so much in thethemes (that largely steared away from jazz fu-sion cliches) in the development of his ownsolos. While the disc does not quite have thesame urgency as the live performance, theoverall musicianship provides some a gooddeal of bite to the music. Quite clearly, Séguindoes not deny his role-models, but he is ma-ture enough to keep them at arm’s length inhis own playing.


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TWO OPERA GALAS IN DECEMBEROpéra de Montréal presents its annual gala on December 14. It will

be held at the Maison symphonique. Major performers on the Mon-treal scene—and new, rising performers—will be heard. Singers willpresent many arias and major choral works, and will be accompaniedby the Orchestre Métropolitain and Opéra de Montréal Chorus, bothconducted by Alain Trudel. Maison symphonique, December 14,2:00pm. www.operademontreal.com

Opéra de Québec has put together a benefit concert at the GrandThéâtre December 11. Many performers from previous productionsare expected to present during this event, including Leslie-AnnBradley, who sang the leading role in The Merry Widow in October.The 2014 edition will feature the Orchestre symphonique de Québec

as well as the Opéra de Québec Chorus. Salle Louis-Fréchette,Grand Théâtre de Québec, December 11, 7:30pm. www.operadeque-bec.qc.ca JB

ARTE MUSICA FOUNDATION WELCOMESSMAM AND LES VIOLONS DU ROYThe unabridged series of Bach cantatas continues at the MontrealMuseum of Fine Arts Bourgie Concert Hall. The Arte Musica Foun-dation will present Noël à Leipzig [Christmas in Leipzig] with the

Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal. Christopher Jacksonconducts three cantatas with chamber choir and orchestra alongside

soprano Marie Magistry, alto Josée Lalonde, tenor Michiel Schrey andbass Normand Richard. One of the cantatas develops the Nativitytheme, while another recaptures the best moments of the “Gloria”from the Mass in B minor. Bourgie Concert Hall, Montreal Museumof Fine Arts, December 13, 3:00pm. and December 14, 2:00pm.www.smamontreal.caConductor Matthieu Lussier and Les Violons du Roy are also partici-pating in the unabridged series of Bach cantatas. After Christmas, theensemble performs Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren, BWV 154; MeinenJesum lass ich nicht, BWV 124; Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV32; and Herr, wie du willst, so schicks mit mir, BWV 73—fourEpiphany cantatas. Soprano Shannon Mercer, mezzo-soprano MireilleLebel, tenor Thomas Cooley and baritone Tyler Duncan round out theshow. Bourgie Concert Hall, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, January25, 2:00pm.

PIANIST JEAN-EFFLAM BAVOUZET’S FIRST RECITAL IN MONTRÉALNamed 2012 “Artist of the Year” by International Classical MusicAwards, French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet gives his first solorecital in Montréal, the day after he performs within a trio and quar-tet, as part of Fondation Arte Musica’s Spotlight on Beethoven series.Bourgie Hall, January 14-15, 7:30pm. www.bourgiehall.ca RB

A NEW EXPERIENCE TO CELEBRATE ENSEMBLE CAPRICE’S [] 25TH ANNIVERSARYContinuing their cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies on period instru-

48

by RENÉE BANVILLE and JUSTIN BERNARD

DECEMBER AT CHAPELLE HISTORIQUEMake way for French chamber music! Violinist JULIE TRIQUET [],cellist Julie Trudeau, and pianist Olivier Godin perform three triosby Debussy, Chausson, and Ravel. December 7, 3:30pm. The Transmission Ensemble presents Les Ruines circulaires…forits second concert in residence. This concert is an intimate reflec-tion with duets, trios, and quartets. Works by Harvey, Henze, Scelsi,Murail, Cage and Ruo have been programmed. December 12,8:00pm. Winner of the 2011 Prix d’Europe, pianist Charles-RichardHamelin is still a personality of note. He will perform works by Bach,Chopin and Rachmaninoff during a recital. December 14, 3:30pm.www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/chapellebonpasteur RB

PENTAÈDRE: SCANDAL IN PARISThe Scandal in Paris concert presented by the Pentaèdre woodwindquintet allows us to relive last century’s effervescent period, reflectedin the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts current exhibition Van Gogh toKandinsky: Impressionism to Expressionism, 1900-1914. A tran-scription of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring will be one of many works per-formed. Bourgie Concert Hall, December 10, 7:30pm.www.mbam.qc.ca/en/concerts RB

TRIO FIBONACCI: GREAT RUSSIAN COMPOSERSRussian music is reputed for itsexpression of the deepest emo-tions. Destins russes [RussianFates] puts Rachmaninoff’s ma-jestic Trio élégiaque No. 2 to thefore. Rachmaninoff dedicatedthis trio to Tchaikovsky, whosedeath deeply affected him. Aren-sky’s Trio No. 1 is also synony-mous with passion and bearsRachmaninoff’s great influence.

The concert ends with the first of two Shostakovich trios. Chapelle his-torique, December 10, 7:30pm. www.triofibonacci.com RB

MONTRÉAL


CONCERTPREVIEWS

PHOTO Bill Blackstone

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ments, Ensemble Caprice present their 25th anniversary concert withpanache by combining choreography by Dave St-Pierre to SymphonyNo. 2. The famous choreographer has marked the dance world with hisbold and evocative works. Here we will have his disturbing creationsfused with Beethoven’s musical storm. Salle Pierre-Mercure, January17, 8pm. www.ensemblecaprice.com RB

A NEW TAKE ON THE RITE OF SPRING BY NEMTo celebrate Expressionism in Germany and France from 1900 to 1914,which is the subject of the concurrent exhibition at the Museum of FineArts, the NEM will present three major works from this important pe-riod of the 20th century. Arnold Schoenberg’s Drei Stücke, op. 11 andAnton Webern’s Konzert, op. 24 will contrast with the historical Rite ofSpring by Stravinsky, re-orchestrated by François Vallières, violist ofthe NEM. Bourgie Hall, January 21, 7:30pm. www.lenem.ca RB

SCHOENBERG’S PIERROT LUNAIRE IN THE MUSICAL CANVASES SERIESComposed in 1912, Schoenberg’s iconic work is surprising for itsunique instrumentation and its singspeak (sprechgesang). The fan-tastic and desperate world of Pierrot will be performed by four musi-cians of the OSM (Andrew Wan, Brian Manker, André Moisan,Timothy Hutchins) and pianist Louise Bessette. It will be sung by so-prano Ingrid Schmithüsen and narrated by actor Paul Savoie. BourgieHall, January 23, 6:30pm. www.bourgiehall.ca RB

SPOTLIGHT ON BEETHOVEN WITH THE NEW ORFORD STRING QUARTET []Known for their virtuosity, the members of the New Orford StringQuartet are soloists with orchestras of Montréal and Toronto: violin-ist Andrew Wan and cellist Brian Marker at the OSM, violinistJonathan Crow and violist Eric Nowlin at TSO. In Arte Musica’s fall se-ries on Beethoven, they chose the No. 4 quartets of Opus 18, No. 11,opus 95 and No. 15, opus 132. Bourgie Hall, January 28 7:30pm.www.sallebourgie.ca RB

ECM+ PRESENTS BOPECM+ director Véronique Lacroix invites you to discover this youngcompany, which excels in presenting theatrical music. Directed by Hu-bert Tanguay-Labrosse, BOP (which stands for Ballet Opera Pan-tomime) offers two works devoted to figures of Sappho: Orpheus onSappho’s Shore by Luna Pearl Woolf, created by ECM+ in 2004, andthe Canadian premiere of Five Images After Sappho by the Finnish

composer Esa-Pekka Salonen. Featuring Kyle Bielfield, tenor, andJana Miller, soprano. Conservatoire’s Concert Hall, January 29 and 30,7:30pm. www.ecm.qc.ca RB

MCGILL PRESENTS THE MARRIAGE OF FIGAROMCGILL UNIVERSITY’S OPERA WORKSHOP [], directed by PatrickHansen, presents its second production this season, The Marriage ofFigaro, featuring students of the voice program. Gordon Gerrard willlead the McGill Symphony Orchestra; staging by Nicola Bowie. PollackHall, January 29, 30, 31 at 7:30pm and February 1 at 2pm.www.mcgill.ca/music JB

MOUNT ROYAL BAROQUE COMPANY RECITALIn January, the Mount RoyalBaroque Company presents arecital entitled Amour, tyran descoeurs, featuring soprano KristiBryson and tenor DAVID MENZIES[], who is also the artistic direc-tor. They are accompanied bySusan Toman on harpsichord andKyle Irving Moroz on cello. Theprogram includes arias and duetsof the great baroque repertoire aswell as lesser known works. SalonVieux-Montréal, January 31,7:30pm. www.cbmroyal.com JB

PRO MUSICA - WORLD PREMIERE OF A WORK BY JOHN ADAMSFounded in 1989 and currently inresidence at Stanford University,the St. Lawrence String Quartethas quickly established its reputa-tion as a world-class chambermusic ensemble. Pianist SERHIYSALOV [] joins the group for aquintet by Brahms and the worldpremiere of a work by Americancomposer John Adams. MaisonSymphonique, January 31, 8pm.www.promusica.qc.ca RB

TRANSLATION: DWAIN RICHARDSON AND ERIC LÉGAULT

PREVIEWS


PHOTO B

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LA SCENA TEAMEvent: This year, CAMMAC Music Centre is of-fering a week of daytime musical activitiesaimed at grandparents and their grandchildrenduring the school break, March 1-6, at theMusic Centre on Lake MacDonald. This uniqueopportunity for young people to discover musicmight just change their lives. In our opinion,it’s a gift they will never forget.http://cammac.ca/en

CAROLINE RODGERS, ASSOCIATE EDITORBook: Parsifal et l’Enchanteur – Louis II etWagner by Nicola Montenz. Éditions JC Lattès.

“This stirring tale of the tumultuous relation-ship between the composer and his patronreads like a novel. You’ll find everything from court intrigues, scan-dalous love affairs to Wagner’s extravagant life style, all with the back-drop of the degradation of the monarch, subjugated by the composer,and who lets himself sink more and more into an irrational mindspace.”

RENÉE BANVILLE, CONTRIBUTORBOOK: La Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteurby Georges Nicholson. Éditions Druide.

“A souvenir album retracing the history of theChapelle, an institution that has been part ofMontreal’s landscape for 25 years.”

CONCERT: “L’Ensemble Caprice will mark its25 anniversary with a concert which promisesto be memorable, in which Beethoven’s Sym-phony No. 2 meets up with Dave St-Pierre’schoreography.”January 17, salle Pierre-Mercure

ALBUM: Mozart and Haydn, “Jeune-homme” by Alexandre Tharaud. LesViolons du Roy. Erato

RÉJEAN BEAUCAGE, CONTRIBUTORBOOK: ECM+, Génération, 20 ans(1994-2014) 2014, 154 p.

“Over the last 20 years L’Ensemblecontemporain de Montréal (EMC+)and its Artistic Director, VéroniqueLacroix, have created 53 works by53 young Canadian composers

through the concert series Génération (formerly Ateliers et concert).These pieces were presented during eight Canadian tours, an excep-tional achievement that deserves to be highlighted. We’re offered alook into current musical creation through portraits of the individualparticipants of this adventure. A necessary book for a glimpse of the fu-ture. www.ecm.qc.ca

REBECCA ANNE CLARK, PRODUCTION MANAGERWhat do you get someone who al-ready has more stuff than they canuse? Try a different style of givingand make a charitable donation intheir name. An increasingly popularholiday tradition, a charitable giftnot only makes both the giver andthe recipient feel good, it makes theworld a better place by helping out acause that’s important to your friendor loved one. See our section onpage 36 to learn more about phi-lanthropy, visit www.canada-helps.org to discover someCanadian charities dedicatedto music and the arts (orother important causes) …or donate or subscribe to LaScena Musicale!

GIFT IDEAS

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HOLIDAY GIFTS

FRÉDÉRIC LAMBERT, QUATUOR MOLINARI MEMBERALBUM: Stile Antico,From the ImperialCourt. Music for theHouse of Hapsburg.Harmonia Mundi.

“This ensemble is capti-vating, for its rigour aswell as for its love ofsinging this repertoire.It is said that there is no such thing as perfec-tion, but this recording puts that maxim to thetest.”

ALBUM: Quatuor Alcan,Beethoven, Intégraledes quatuors à cordes,vol I. Atma Classique

“These string quartetsare very important, andthis ambitious plan ofproducing them in 3volumes deserves our attention. The QuatuorAlcan has worked hard at developing its ver-sion. The whole thing is beautifully presented.”

JEAN-PHILIPPE TREMBLAYCONDUCTOR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE ORCHESTRE DE LA FRANCOPHONIEGive to a good cause. “A donation to theGarage à Musique to help a youth develop mu-sically. It’s an important charitable gift helpingthe Garage to pursue its commendable mis-sion.” http://www.garageamusique.org/aidez-nous

BOOK: Gödel, Escher, Bach: An EternalGolden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter. BasicBooks. []

“Not an easy book to read, but really grippingand enchanting.”

CHARLES RICHARD-HAMELINPIANIST AND TRIO HOCHELAGA MEMBERALBUM: Artur Rubin-stein, The Chopin Col-lection. RCA.

“Rubenstein’s passion-ate but always nobleplaying is perfect forFrederic Chopin’smusic. His sense ofphrasing is incrediblynatural and each note he plays is meaningful.”

JEAN-WILLY KUNZORGANISTCONCERT: “The Cirque du Soleil is celebrat-ing its 30th anniversary with a concert seriesoffering the best-known musical pieces fromits 35 shows, performed by chorus, orchestraand … organ []. As an organist, harpsi-chordist or pianist, I have been involved insome very original projects in the last fewyears, and I’m eager to participate in this one!”December 13 – 28, Saint-Jean-Baptiste churchInformation: http://cirk.me/11txN9t

STÉPHANE TÉTREAULTCELLIST CD SET: Cecilia Bartoli – St Petersburg. Decca

“Showcasing forgotten compositions unearthedby Bartoli in Russia, this recording is the per-

fect gift for any music lover. Skilfully accom-panied by the ensemble I Barocchisti and itsdirector Diego Fasolis, here is an opportunityto hear the extraordinary singer in Italian, ofcourse, but also in Russian.”TRANSLATION: KARINE POZNANSKI

ARTISTS’ SUGGESTIONS

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by RENÉ-FRANÇOIS AUCLAIR andÉRIC CHAMPAGNE

The Wonder of ChristmasElora Festival SingersNoel Edison, conductor Michael Bloss, organNaxos. 8.573421��

Noel Edison foundedthis choir in the beauti-ful city of Elora, Ontario,in 1979. Since then, thisrenowned and ac-claimed ensemble hasrecorded a few high-quality compact discs,including The Mystery of Christmas, in 1997(Naxos). Almost no founding member re-mains today, but impeccable attention to de-tail and warmth of performance are still intact.Considering the inevitable and useless Christ-mas CDs on the market, here’s a one worthyof our attention. The tradition and spirit ofthis religious holiday are preserved. The rich-ness and at times brave harmonies of the Car-ols’ modern arrangements are especiallyappreciated. Rather then deprive the Carolsof their essence, they add a stimulating noteof freshness and renewal. Of the well-knownrediscovered carols, a few lesser-known worksof contemporary composers bring a wonderfulvariety to the ensemble. Listening to thismusic allows us to understand how the humanvoice has enormous evocative power. Here’s adisc that awakens our greatest nostalgia andfascination for discovering how the Christmasrepertoire continues to move us. Wonderful!RENÉ-FRANÇOIS AUCLAIR

Louis-Claude DaquinLivre de NoëlsVincent Boucher, Beckerath organAtma Classique ACD2 270369 minutes 58 seconds��

The St. Joseph Oratory 1960 Beckerath organwas fully restored in 2011-2012. This projectwent almost unnoticed during the highly me-diatized building of the Casavant organ at theMaison symphonique. Given that Beckerath

has hardly been used forrecordings over theyears, the impressiveGerman instrument,with 5,811 pipes, is usedfor Daquin’s Christmascarols (1694–1772). Wecan hear with joy thesplendour of sounds in large registers and del-icate intonations. We should mention thequality of the sound recording in thisgrandiose environment. Fortunately, the Or-atory’s great concrete structures never disruptthe ensemble’s beauty. Vincent Boucher chosethe most appealing tones among the organ’s78 stops. However, despite the variety, themusic becomes tiring, and ultimately, famil-iar tunes arranged as variations by Daquin aresimply charming pastorals. A touch of exu-berance and the composer’s “bubbling” char-acter are lacking in this recording. Morecontrasts between the flamboyant and con-templative sections would have made a hugedifference. RENÉ-FRANÇOIS AUCLAIR

Jocelyn Morlock: CobaltVarious orchestras, ensembles, soloists, andconductorsCentredisques CMCCD 2001466 minutes 38 seconds��

Jocelyn Morlock, aManitoba native work-ing in Vancouver, skill-fully composed workswith traditional andtonal idiomatic expres-sions in an incisive andperceptive contempo-rary discourse. This is especially striking in thealbum’s opening Music of the Romantic Era.This piano and orchestra-like concerto istonal; it either directly or subtly makes refer-ence to major Romantic music canons—par-ticularly music by Tchaikovsky. The Cobaltand Solace concertante duos are likely themost successful. Rich, spellbinding and capti-vating sounds are heard in a rich and encir-cling musical gesture. Influences are at timesexplicit with Shostakovich in Asylum, Messi-aen in Oiseaux bleus et sauvages, and Josquin

in Solace. However, Morlock has no intentionof composing pastiches. She is more subtleand playful. Her work not only proves solidcraft but also shows lyrical and mocking mu-sical ideas. A West Coast breeze enhances thebeauty of Morlock’s music. It is to be discov-ered for the spirit of liberty and sensuality thatgovern this fundamentally personal work.ÉRIC CHAMPAGNE

Nicole Lizée: BookburnersVarious ensembles and soloistsCentredisques CMCCD 20514(CD: 45 minutes 58 seconds; DVD: 35 minutes 23seconds)��

Nicole Lizée is some-what the bad girl ofCanadian contemporarymusic. Brought up inthe techno, pop culture,beat, and “impure”music scenes, Lizée’smusic is akin to rock. It comes as no surprisethat this second album, dedicated to the com-poser, is similar to albums in the commercialmusic business—a double CD/DVD and, as abonus, a card to download two extra pieces. Arock star, you say? Lizée’s works delve into nu-merous roots between technology and popculture. Hitchcock Études is a great exampleof such a trend. By making use of images andsounds from miscellaneous Hitchcock films,the composer makes new audio material, de-veloped with a piano score linked to the im-ages. This is a stunning visual and listeningexperience capped off with a work for celloand turn-table starring cellist StéphaneTétreault. Three works on the CD are of inter-est, and White Label Experiment is definitelythe highlight. Nicole Lizée’s CD will fulfill theexpectations of adventurous listeners wishingto get off the beaten track and do some smartexploring. ÉRIC CHAMPAGNE

TRANSLATION: DWAIN RICHARDSON


CRITIQUES REVIEWS

www.scena.orgNEWS, REVIEWS, VIDEOS, CONCERT LISTINGS, AND MORE!

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holidays recommended listening holiday music

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