Virée classique de l’OSM | Armenian Harmony for The Rhapsodie Quartet

There was a full house at the Espace culturel George-Émile Lapalme for the performance by the Quatuor Rhapsodie, made up of Amélie Lamontagne and Ana Drobac (violins), Nayiri Piloyan (viola) and Sophie Coderre (cello). Under the theme Mélodies arméniennes sous le soleil méditerranéen (Armenian melodies under the Mediterranean sun), the ensemble took the audience on a journey to the ends of the earth, from Armenia to Italy and France, with music steeped in Armenian folklore in all its forms and influences. It was easy to navigate between traditional Armenian folk songs, notably those collected by Vardapet Komitas, an important figure in the preservation of Armenia’s musical heritage, classical music and popular music.

Musically, the ensemble is very solid, playing with assurance and an ample, even and homogeneous sound. The interpretation is sparkling and luminous in the pieces, more active and sensitive in those requiring more restraint and interiority. These included Vittorio Monti’s energetic and emblematic Czárdás, which showcased Amélie Lamontagne’s virtuosity, as well as Aleksey Hekimyan’s beautiful and touching rendering of the traditional song Pari Arakil and Goran Bergovich’s Underground Tango. The works performed were all arranged by Nayiri Piloyan, whose intelligent writing, in which each instrumental line is brought to the fore, gives the works a new dimension while preserving their nature. Excerpts from Gayaneh and Aram Khatchatourian’s Valse illustrate this point.

The quartet concluded their concert with a medley of songs by Charles Aznavour, another strong symbol of the Armenian diaspora, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year.

Photo Credit: Gabriel Fournier