Concert review

OSM | Variations on a Theme With Louis Lortie et Eun Sun Kim

by Elena Mandolini

The OSM welcomed two distinguished guests on Thursday. Firstly, Korean conductor Eun Sun Kim was at the helm of the orchestra for this evening of themes and variations. Pianist Louis Lortie also took center stage for half of the program, which was accessible and very well conceived. All the elements were in place for a concert of the highest quality.

The first piece, Johannes Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn, has its pitfalls, not least the tempo. If it’s too slow, the piece sounds weighed down, and if it’s too fast, the theme, a chorale, loses all meaning. But Eun Sun Kim has found the right balance for each movement. The piece also draws complexity from the balance required between the different sections of the orchestra. The melody shifts constantly, and the musicians move from rapid passages to long, held notes. Here again, it’s a success. The work unfolds with all the relief required. A fine example of synchronicity on the part of the orchestra.

Mozart’s Rondo in D major for piano and orchestra, the first piano piece of the evening, is also successfully performed. This piece is constructed as an exchange between piano and orchestra, alternating in the interpretation of the theme or its variations. In his role as a soloist, Louis Lortie shines, interpreting the work with lightness and ease, bringing out the humour characteristic of Mozart’s compositions.

After intermission, the piano takes center stage once again in Fauré’s Ballade for piano and orchestra. This work, originally conceived for solo piano, was later orchestrated to develop it further. Imbued with romanticism, the piece features numerous climbs in intensity, successfully carried by both orchestra and pianist. There are also many moments of delicacy and discreet dialogue between the various instruments. Lortie’s interpretation is once again noteworthy and admirable, bringing out the main melody with great clarity through streams of notes.

The concert closes with Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. If we felt that the OSM had shown restraint until now (sometimes out of necessity, as the score obliges…), this is no longer the case in this latest work. As soon as the theme is announced by the trumpet, quickly followed by a powerful brass choir, it becomes clear that the concert will end in grandeur and nobility. The OSM has mastered Pictures at an Exhibition, having performed them this summer at the opening of the Virée classique. The conductor’s precise, expressive gestures make a major contribution to this solid interpretation.

With this concert, the OSM has once again offered its audience a most enjoyable evening with some very talented guests.

This concert will be presented again on Saturday, February 17 at 2.30pm. INFO AND TICKETS HERE!

Photo credit: Gabriel Fournier

Classical / Turkish Classical

Didem Başar: Music, space, time Continuum

by Frédéric Cardin

Turkish-born Montrealer Didem Başar (pronounced Bashar) is the Grande Lady of the kanun (my words). This instrument from the zither family is widely used in traditional Turkish music and throughout the Middle East. Başar is adding several strings to her already strong instrumental game by incorporating composition and above all encounters with other musical genres, something she can easily do in Montreal’s rich musical ecosystem.

On Tuesday evening at Salle Bourgie, as part of the Musique des cultures du monde series, she presented her Continuum project, in which her compositions (and a few arrangements) for kanun, percussion and string quintet offered the attentive audience some 80 minutes of delicate and delightful travel, a kind of tangible link between the present and the long history of the millenias-old culture of the Middle East. A continuum of space, time and, of course, music. Accompanying her on stage were the Andara Quartet, double bassist Étienne Lafrance and percussionist Patrick Graham.

With the exception of a few arrangements of traditional pieces, all the works were written by the artist herself, including a Concerto for kanun and strings, written in the rules of the art. It’s a wonderful adventure that begins with a light first movement, full of pointed textures (string pizzicatos and plucking of the kanun), interspersed from time to time with lyrical caresses from the strings. If this initial section suggests a stroll in all simplicity, the second movement betrays this prejudice with a plaintive adagio in dark colours, evoking a sadness swollen with powerful melancholy. It’s as if we were homesick with her. The third movement, the finale, reveals more rhythmic muscle and a willing, assertive drive that visibly satisfies the audience present.

The entire repertoire offered in the programme stems from this oriental atmosphere, based on an essentially modal harmonic universe, but to which Didem Başar adds touches of more western chromaticism here and there, a chromaticism that also invites microtonality. The result is a set of attractive melodic constructions that never, however, become recipes for auditory tourists. Başar’s music is easy to like, but never “easy”. It also leaves a little room for improvisation by its companions, particularly in the piece Lame Pigeon, where Étienne Lafrance gets brilliantly improvisatory before handing over to cellist Dominique Beauséjour-Ostiguy, who is expansive but more controlled, violist Vincent Delorme, who is impressive, and percussionist Patrick Graham, who is always spectacularly subtle and refined. 

A wonderful moment of music and intercultural encounter, à la Montréal. Continuum is a concert you shouldn’t miss if you see it in your area, and it will also be released as an album on 18 May 2024. Definitely one to watch.

alt-rock / Punk Rock

Taverne Tour Day 3: Last Waltzon Tears It Wide Open

by Lyle Hendriks

Ah, the coveted opening slot. Depending on who you ask, it’s one of two things: either a death sentence for the energy of your set as you play to a slowly filling and thoroughly sober room or an opportunity to bring the noise and kick off the evening right. And thankfully, Last Waltzon’s set at Casa del Popolo on Saturday night firmly fell into the latter category. 

Young, loud, and punk to the core, Last Waltzon is the epitome of devil may care. They brought together an electric set that started at 11 and never dipped down for a second, with hair-raising gang vocals, raw, frenzied drums like a nailgun to the skull, and a thrashing array of jangly, guttural guitar that doesn’t waste any time in getting you moving. Perhaps it’s Last Waltzon’s idea of not wasting time that appeals to me. The songs are short, concise, and absolutely lean, with each track bringing an emotional urgency, as if the boys would drop dead if they didn’t get it out of their system.

Aggressive, angsty, and a damn good time—opening slot or not—Last Waltzon got Saturday night off on the right foot.

Britpop / indie / Pop-Rock / Rock

Taverne Tour Day 3: Ducks Ltd. is Mirror-Polished Pop

by Lyle Hendriks

Sometimes, you go to a show and watch four musicians play music at the same time. And sometimes, you go to a show and watch a band really and truly gel, forming a homogenized sonic emulsification that completely exceeds the sum of its parts. It was a pleasure, then, to watch Toronto pop-rock outfit Ducks Ltd. as they showed off their prowess at Quai des brumes on Saturday night.

Tight doesn’t even begin to describe the cohesion of this jangly four-piece. It’s like watching a hive mind at work, four separate entities sharing a singular purpose: expertly crafted indie pop rock polished to a mirror sheen. The frenzied, often emotional tracks were imbued with a loveable levity by lead singer Tom McGreevy, who had no problem sharing his nervous excitement with the utterly packed room before him. But any hint of hesitation quickly melted away as soon as their first song hit, and was instead replaced by a feverish performance from all four members as they marched through their set. I’ve never seen a band work so hard while simultaneously making it look so easy, whether it was the rock-solid bass, irresistible drums, or sublime backup vocals from McGreevy’s founding counterpart Evan Lewis. 

Contrary to what their name might imply, Ducks Ltd. has seemingly unlimited potential in this niche they’ve carved out for themselves, and I’ll be paying close attention to anything they do next.

Flutist Aram Mun wins McGill Concerto Competition

by Elena Mandolini

Following a process that began several weeks ago, the Romantic/Modern/Contemporary Concerto Competition of McGill University’s Schulich School of Music has crowned flutist Aram Mun the winner of the 2023-2024 edition, in the section devoted to brass, woodwinds and percussion. Mun stood out with an impressive performance of Carl Nielsen’s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra FS 119. With her expansive vision, rich sound and fluid, easy technique, the young artist won the highest accolade from the jury, which included Simon Aldrich, Alexis Hauser, Trevor Dix, Jacinthe Forand and Kristie Ibrahim. Personally, I was also impressed by the evening’s other flutist, YuLai Guo, who played Jacques Ibert’s concerto, and above all by percussionist Charles Chiovato Rembaldo in a spectacular performance of Peter Eötvös’s Speaking Drums. The fourth candidate, trumpeter Christopher Keach, demonstrated beautiful sonorities, but largely insufficient technical mastery, in a concerto by Oskar Böhme. Too many missed notes and missed attacks, leaving a lot of burrs, certainly sunk the young man. If you’re a fan of up-and-coming classical musicians, you should know that the piano section of this same competition will have its preliminaries on February 12, followed by the finals on February 14. 

For the calendar, click here.

Psych-Rock / Rock / Surf

Taverne Tour Day 2: TEKE::TEKE & the Surf Rock Demon Wave

by Stephan Boissonneault

I finally saw the wild psychedelic Japanese surf rock hydra, TEKE::TEKE live during Taverne Tour. Since moving to Montreal three years ago, all the true heads told me to check out TEKE:TEKE. So after missing them live a handful of times and listening to the latest fire release, Hagata, I knew the sold-out show was going to be a memorable one. 

From the very moment they stepped on the stage (a bit late mind you, but hey that’s show business) I knew we were all in for a treat. The first aspect I noticed was how impeccably dressed they all were; the guitarists rocking what looked like vintage kimonos, the flutist in a traditional-looking silver dress and headband, and the lead singer, Maya Kuroki, dressed to the nines in colossal thick-framed glasses, dangling orb earrings, and a striking floral dress. TEKE:TEKE looks the part and for the next hour or so, they’re taking us on a journey of Japanese ghost stories that sound like the backdrop to a raucous Tarantino film. Like the sonic equivalent of a strange tsunami, each song grows and grows into a spiraling vortex of surfy rock n’ roll, and the band is unbelievably tight, trading out weird time signatures like nothing. The projection backdrops of the Japanese red sun, topographic mountains, cartoon birds, oni, and Kanji add to the spectacle of it all.

I can’t believe this band is only seven years old because they play like they have been doing so for decades. The encore of The Clash’s “Bankrobber,” sung in Japanese was also a bonus. If you like live music, it’s almost a disservice to not see TEKE::TEKE live. They’re a triumph. 

Post-Punk

Taverne Tour Day 2: Sweeping Promises Deliver Punk Rock No-Wave Fury

by Stephan Boissonneault

I love being surprised by a live show … and I’ll admit it’s becoming rarer and rarer as a music journalist of almost a decade, but one set that left me stupefied during Taverne Tour was from Kansas’ post-punk/no-wave rock group, Sweeping Promises. The combined vocal powerhouse and fuzzy bass riffs of Lira Mondal and the angular, adrenaline-punk guitar of Caufield Schnug was excellent. Schnug knows punk rock guitar like the back of his hand—sounding a bit like The Fall and Interpol smashed together. I also really enjoyed his antics of jumping and maintaining a healthy power stance throughout the set. He owned the universe. 

I guess if I was doing my job right I would have done a bit of research before, seeing how the group is on Sub Pop … but I was very glad to go in cold. I’ll be checking out all of the current and future Sweeping Promises material in the near future. 

Garage Punk / Garage Rock / Rock

Taverne Tour Day 2: SAMWOY Gets Real For a Sec

by Lyle Hendriks

Something about SAMWOY’s onstage persona just cracks me up. He has a boisterous confidence up there, cracking goofy jokes nonstop like an emo version of Jack Black. It’s an ease of motion, a sure sign of someone who has been through the wringer of live music and discovered that they actually had what it took to make it. But beyond the humour and armour suit of confidence, Sam Woywitka also has no problem with vulnerability, with expressing his gratitude and love for everyone who comes out to listen and dance. 

Musically, there’s a youthfulness that instills Sam’s work, with upbeat, yet aggressive indie alt vibes that get you moving and perhaps thinking about your ex. Initially, his set was relatively light, with the kind of emotional lyrics and angsty instrumentation we were all hoping for. But in a moment, I went from dancing around and having a good time to simply standing there, slack-jawed and a little misty-eyed as Sam played a song I’d never heard before. 

Sam delivered a monologue that was part spoken word, part half-sung rap, telling the story of how he got into music. I guess this is common knowledge for many, but it was my first time hearing Sam’s story of waking from a coma at 17, his life irreversibly changed by a car crash that robbed his friend of life and Sam of his memory. He talks about nearly dying, about seeing his mom in a strange, purgatorial hotel room and being pushed away, back to life, back to the world, and back to the music that, today, drives him so completely. It was an unexpected twist of sensitivity and vulnerability that I hope to see more of in future SAMWOY shows.

Prog Rock / Psych-Rock / Rock

Taverne Tour Day 2: Population II is Exploding at the Seams

by Lyle Hendriks

I’ve had the chance to see Population II a number of times now, and they have never once failed to be completely exceptional. The Montreal-based psych-rock three-piece is, to me, the definition of doing a lot with a little. Demonstrating that the classic set-up of guitar, bass, and drums is only as restrictive as you want it to be. Indeed, Population II seems to thrive within these apparent limitations (with the help of the occasional synth part), popping out and bursting at the seams like an overstuffed suitcase of face-melting riffs, pungent basslines, and unbelievable percussion.

One of the most impressive aspects of Population II is their drummer and vocalist, Pierre-Luc Gratton. His voice is perfect for the project, with an insistent, almost indignant singing tone reminiscent of King Gizzard. His drumming is also a bonafide phenomenon, with so much technical skill and sophistication that it begins to look freeform and naive, like a bullet train that’s about to rattle right off the rails. But what brings Population II its energy and irresistible urgency is the fact that he does both of these things simultaneously, his entire body and soul engaged in a frantic bloodletting of what I can only assume are his deepest, darkest demons. And when Gratton swings the mic out of his way and gears up for an instrumental break, you know you’re about to get blown right off your feet.

New rule for Montreal-ers: you never, under any circumstances, miss a Population II show.

Folk / Pop / R&B / Soul/R&B

Taverne Tour Day 2: Yves Jarvis provides a warm set of acoustic ballads

by Stephan Boissonneault

I pulled up just as Yves Jarvis was through a quarter of his Taverne Tour set at Aux 33 Tours. The record store venue was the perfect setting for the weird, yet warm devotional acoustic R&B folk he played. It was interesting to see many passersby come into the store to look through the record bins and be stopped dead in their tracks after hearing Jarvis. 

His technical guitar-playing skill was evident, perhaps something you don’t pay too much attention to when listening to his whacky experimental pop on the album, The Zug. But this performance was raw and intimate, feeling like we were all Jarvis’ friends listening to him play new songs in his family living room. All of his songs felt stripped back like he was still testing the waters on a few chords or vocal lines, but Jarvis is a terrific performer—cracking jokes throughout his set while looking at his thrown-together setlist on a small piece of paper. “I didn’t really plan this. This is actually my grocery list.” It’s a rarity to really see an artist like an open book as they are trying out new songs, especially in a low-key setting such as a record store. Good job Taverne Tour and Yves Jarvis.  

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Experimental / Contemporary / Free Jazz / Jazz Rock / Noise / Rock / Surf

Taverne Tour, Day 1: Yonatan Gat, planet guitar

by Alain Brunet

Yonatan Gat is a living legend to his fervent fans, who turned out on Thursday to meet him at the Sala Rossa. An Israeli guitarist, composer, improviser and bandleader transplanted to New York, he is the guitarist’s embodiment of openness and extreme eclecticism, values we at PAN M 360 unreservedly support. Since his music can be found in the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, and since his quotations range from Dick Dale-style surf rock to the famous Brazilian samba theme, we’d like to talk to you about it.

Obviously, this authentic (and very likeable) guitar hero doesn’t claim to represent the whole planet, but his integrations reflect an immense openness to the whole world. Not only garage punk, but also free jazz, jazz rock, groove, noise, guitar virtuosity and excellent accompaniment – you name it! The last piece on the program lasted some fifteen minutes and took the form of a long jazz improvisation in rock mode, apparently simple and groovy forms within which pearls are constantly spotted. 

The story goes that his first garage band, Monotonix, was banned from almost every venue in Israel, forcing him into exile. Today, Jonathan Gat may not be a demigod in his own firmament, but his excellent reputation means that he can be heard in every small and medium-sized venue on this small planet. If what we heard at the Taverne Tour is anything to go by, it’s not about to stop.

Dance-Punk / Experimental / Synth-Punk

Taverne Tour Day 1: Slash Need – For When You Want/Need to Let Loose

by Lyle Hendriks

“Slash Need is like, my favourite band,” said a friend as we chatted between sets at Le Ministère. “It’s just fucking crazy. I love it.” When I said I had never heard them before, his excitement doubled down, a knowing look of ‘you don’t know what you’re in for’ painted upon his face. Within 30 seconds of Slash Need’s Dusty Lee and Alex Low (along with their two backup dancers) taking the stage, I completely understood the hype. The aesthetics of the group were the first to take me in. Lee, dressed in latex and with her face painted in severely fierce makeup, stood over us with the utmost confidence, like a monarch overseeing their populace. In the back, we had Alex Low, who was the embodiment of ’80s vice sleaze in his leather jacket, orange glasses, and fingerless gloves. 

As the first song started, the floor began to shake, both from the glimmering yet grimy instrumentation provided by Low, along with the rapidly escalating motion of the crowd around me. The music itself felt like the sexy, dirty, unapologetically depraved club beats of the future, turning the entire room into a red-light district of breathless bodies and breakneck beats. Equal parts glamorous pop and jagged experimentation, the energy never dipped, thanks in large part to the captivating confidence of Lee and their two balaclava-toting backup dancers.

I can honestly say that I’ve never seen a set quite like Slash Need. My friend was right—it’s just fucking crazy. I’ll see you on the floor at the next one.

photos by Stephan Boissonneault

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