Somewhere between neoclassical and jazz, Aqualudes is the first solo album by Amélie Fortin, known as one of the two diodes of Fortin-Poirier, a four-hand piano duo. Amélie has also played with Pierre Lapointe, Natalie Choquette, Angèle Dubeau and La Zarra. This EP of barely four tracks nevertheless offers a portrait of the classical structural influences of the pianist who trained at the Université de Montréal under the supervision of Paul Stewart. On classical architectural foundations like Prelude, Toccata and Waltz, Fortin spices up her miniature frescoes, also inspired by water, with harmonic colours picked up from jazz. The result is an undulating flow that greatly pleases the ears, even if it does get a bit more robust at times. In these short scores, Fortin’s main aim is to pay tribute to the beauty of water and its various natural manifestations in Quebec, which are dear to her heart. The impressionistic grace of Rivière-du-Nord echoes the poetic placidity of Lac Miroir, while the two ‘toccatas’, Chute aux galets and Mistassini, bear witness to the tumultuous but delightful water movements that can be observed in these places.
It’s all very beautiful, and offers an interesting alternative to the current neoclassical offerings, which are almost always bathed in melancholy and introspection.
