The Orchestre métropolitain’s tribute to André Gagnon’s album Neiges proves to be a successful endeavor, despite a few shortcomings. There were indeed a few pitfalls along the way, but although not all of them were overcome, the performance as a whole produced some moving moments.
In this type of project, we always start by asking ourselves what we are going to add and what we are going to leave out. Are we going to give a literal reading, albeit enhanced by the symphonic scale, or are we going to explore the unsuspected possibilities of the original scores in order to enhance their impact? Arranger François Vallières leaned toward the former option, while embracing the integral classicism of the orchestration, i.e., he eliminated the original electric instruments from Gagnon’s scores: the electric guitar and bass.
It was in the most iconic track influenced by disco, Wow, that the shortcoming I mentioned was most noticeable. The double basses failed to project the same sonic conviction as the electric bass on the album, in the famous riff played at the time by Jean-Guy Chapados. Perhaps a trick could be found to make it stand out more in an acoustic context. That said, we must still tip our hats to the OM double bassists for their technically impressive rendition of this very bouncy line.
In the same piece, there is another omission: the funky wah-wah guitar effects, which have not been translated. However, I would have imagined muted trumpets reproducing the effect in question correctly.
At this point, you probably think I didn’t enjoy the experience. That’s not the case. Beyond these somewhat nitpicky quibbles, I admit that the vast majority of the orchestrations allowed us to enjoy André Gagnon’s melodic richness, with added harmonic depth and even, occasionally, counterpoint. The Petit concerto for Carignan and orchestra, beautifully performed by the OM’s first violin for the “classical” portion, and traditional violinist David Boulanger for the “folk” section, had the effect of an impressive gust of wind, even if I would have liked an orchestra with more amplitude, adding depth of sound behind Boulanger’s whirlwind of notes.
L’Ouverture-éclair and Dédéthoven, for their part, took full advantage of the symphonic setting, even if the velvety orchestral sound tended to diminish the crystalline clarity of certain voices, which are very noticeable on the album. The excellent Julie Lamontagne, usually a jazz pianist, took charge of performing the first two pieces of the program on piano, thus finding herself responsible for setting the tone for the concert. I can’t give her a perfect score due to a few slight technical hiccups in Dédéthoven, but her excellent narrative sense and the breath she gave to her interpretations were greatly appreciated. She got the show off to an effective start. The other pianist, Rousso, mainly took care of the romantic portions, with the exception of his skillful reading of Ta Samba.
It was in the lyrical passages that Vallières’ orchestrations resonated most powerfully and Gagnon’s music seemed most moving, right up to the grandiose, even epic finale of the title piece Neiges, with its baroque arpeggios accompanied by the OM choir. A powerful and convincing conclusion to a tribute filled with beautiful emotions, but in need of refinement here and there in order to fully reach its expressive potential.
Neiges made up the first half of the concert. The second half featured a diverse collection of musical Christmas carols and festive tunes. Through warm renditions of classics such as Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and C’est l’hiver, and excerpts from two very accessible contemporary choral pieces (Magnificat by Taylor Scott Davis and Gloria by John Rutter), two little gems by Antoine Gratton were performed with all the fireworks they demanded and left a lasting impression on me.
The Concerto trad for David Boulanger is a flamboyant and all too brief exercise for a talented trad violinist, accompanied by an orchestra that asserts itself without overwhelming the soloist. Gratton knows how to use all kinds of tricks to make his scores interesting and avoid banality while remaining familiar. This is what he has brilliantly achieved in the other gem I mentioned, an arrangement of famous themes from children’s films popular during the holiday season, a sort of “Ciné-Cadeau Symphony” that ingeniously brings together snippets of well-known melodies from animated films such as Astérix and Lucky Luke, ending with a choral anthem based on the song L’amour a pris son temps, from La guerre des tuques.
I have often noted the quality of Gratton’s orchestrations. This fantasy on film themes, and especially the Concerto trad, convince me once again that the time has more than come to offer this symphonic artist the chance to present much more substantial material, such as a concerto of considerable length, or a complete and powerful symphonic work.
The concert ended on a sweet note with a rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, bringing almost everyone on stage together with the choir. There was no encore, but the audience seemed very satisfied. You have two more opportunities to experience it, on Sunday morning and afternoon.
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Other articles to check out:
Léa Moisan-Perrier : dans les souliers et avec la baguette d’André Gagnon
Dans les coulisses de Neiges d’André Gagnon, il y a 50 ans, avec le percussionniste Robert Leroux
