Festival Quartiers Danses presents a project where Morton Feldman’s famous For Bunita Marcus merges with a choreography by modern dance pioneer Jeanne Renaud.
Contemporary
Morton Feldman and Jeanne Renaud: Interartistic rendez-vous
Salle Bourgie
One of Arte Musica’s major projects is to present the complete sacred cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach, following the liturgical cycle. The next two will be performed by la Bande Montréal Baroque, under the direction of German cellist and conductor Olaf Reimers. Four soloists will be featured: soprano Ariadne Lih, countertenor Matthew Muggeridge, tenor Philippe Gagné and baritone Clayton Kennedy.
PROGRAM
Olaf Reimers, conductor, cello
Johann Sebastian Bach
Cantatas
Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange, BWV 155
Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194
Classical / Classical Period / Contemporary / Modern Classical
(CANCELLED) Vadim Gluzman • Jean-Marie Zeitouni • I Musici de Montréal
Two years ago, I Musici de Montréal invited the Latvian-born Israeli violinist Vadim Gluzman to perform Peteris Vasks’ Distant Light. Fabulous! To the delight of music lovers, Gluzman is back with the Montreal ensemble under the direction of Jean-Marie Zeitouni. This time, the virtuoso goes to work on Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, accompanied for the occasion by cadenzas by composer Alfred Schnittke. Schnittke’s Concerto grosso sees an exchange between two violins, so Gluzman will dialogue with Julie Triquet, concertmaster of I Musici. At the opening of the concert, I Musici will supplement its core team for the performance of Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony.
ARTISTS AND PROGRAM
I Musici de Montréal
Vadim Gluzman, violon
Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor
Serguei Prokofiev : Symphony No. 1, Op. 25 Classical (I Musici de Montréal will add some more musicians for this piece.)
Alfred Schnittke : Concerto grosso No. 1
Ludwig van Beethoven : Violin Concerto, Op. 61
Vadim Gluzman on YouTube
Classical
(CANCELLED) Beethoven’s Chamber Music – Concert II
The 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth is the occasion for so many special programs around the world. Arte Musica offers us a superb selection of Beethoven, including the following series of chamber music concerts.
PROGRAM
Trio Grimal Gastinel Cassard
David Grimal, violin
Anne Gastinel, cello
Philippe Cassard, piano
Strauss McNabney Haimovitz Trio
Axel Strauss, violin
Douglas McNabney, viola
Matt Haimovitz, cello
String trio No. 4 in D major, Op. 9 No. 2
Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 1 No. 3
String Quintet in C major, Op. 29
Classical
(CANCELLED) Christian Blackshaw, Complete Mozart Piano Sonatas – Concert IV
Considered one of the great Mozartians of our time, the English gentleman and virtuoso Christian Blackshaw returns to Montreal for a series of four concerts featuring all of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Sonatas. The deep understanding of these works and the virtuoso elegance of this delightful performer are arguments to assert that this series is a must for lovers of the classical period, starting with Mozart fans, of course.
PROGRAM
Christian Blackshaw, piano
Sonata No. 7 in C major, K. 309
Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331
Sonata No. 15 in F major, K. 533/494
Sonata No. 18 in D major, K. 576
Classical
Christian Blackshaw, concert III of Mozart’s Piano Sonatas
Considered one of the great Mozartians of our time, the English gentleman and virtuoso Christian Blackshaw returns to Montreal for a series of four concerts featuring all of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Sonatas. The deep understanding of these works and the virtuoso elegance of this delightful performer are arguments to assert that this series is a must for lovers of the classical period, starting with Mozart fans, of course.
PROGRAM
Complete Mozart Piano Sonatas – Concert III
Sonata No. 6 in B major, K. 284
Sonata No. 12 in F major, K. 332
Sonata No. 16 in C major, K. 545
Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K. 457
Fantasia in C minor, K. 475
Mozart Piano Sonatas by Christian Blackshaw on Spotify
This programme sheds particular light on the nyckelharpa, a traditional Swedish instrument through which one can discover the kinship between Irish and Swedish traditional music, as well as the music of the Baroque period. Original arrangements of works by the Irish composer Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738) and traditional Swedish music will be performed. La Nef’s approach, which has been in play since the 1990s, is based on the blending of cultures, styles and periods. It draws its inspiration from early, antique and oral-tradition music, but it also makes room for more recent or downright contemporary music.
PROGRAM:
Alex Kehler, musical direction, nyckelharpa, violin
Sylvain Bergeron, artistic direction, archlute, baroque guitar
Antoine Malette-Chénier, Gaelic harp, baroque harp
Kirsty Money, nyckelharpa, viola, violin
Tina Bergmann, hammered dulcimer
Works by Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738) and traditional music from Ireland and Sweden
Balkan music / Tango
Jerez Le Cam Quartet: tango nuevo and more
Photo fournie par la Salle Bourgie
Arriving in France in the ’90s, Argentine composer and pianist Gerardo Jerez Le Cam has seven albums under his belt, and collaborations including Gotan Project, Juan Jose Mosalini and Osvaldo Calo, among others. While remaining faithful to the modern tango, the master of which remains the late Astor Piazzolla, Le Cam (also) strives to integrate traditional classical music, modern jazz, and also gypsy music from Eastern Europe, even some traditional African music. That being said, the Argentine leader generally remains in the territory of tango nuevo, where he continues the work of his contemporaries and predecessors.
ARTISTS
PERSONNEL
Gerardo Jerez Le Cam, piano and composition (tango and Romani)
Iacob Maciuca, violin
Manu Comté, bandoneon
Mihai Trestian, cymbalom
FIND OUT MORE
Classical / Minimalist / Modern Classical / Renaissance
(CANCELLED) Hélène Dorion with les Violons du Roy
An interesting proposal, this literary concert – the prolific writer Hélène Dorion will read excerpts from her most recent collection of poems, Comme résonne la vie, accompanied the music of Les Violons du Roy, or in alternation with it. The musical palette will be varied: from the very Italian Renaissance madrigals of Gesualdo to a hypnotic piece by Estonia’s Arvo Pärt, as well as selected movements from string quartets by Schubert and Janacek, not to mention the premiere of a custom-made piece by Quebec composer Simon Bertrand.
PROGRAM
Gesualdo: Madrigals from libro quinto and libro sesto (Simon Bertrand, transcription)
Simon Bertrand: Creation pour des poèmes d’Hélène Dorion
Arvo Pärt: Summa
Janacek: String Quartet No. 2, Intimate Letters, 1st movement
Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810, Death and the Maiden, 2nd movement (arr. for string orchestra)
Baroque / Classical / Classical Period / Contemporary
French horn to french horn: Louis-Philippe Marsolais and Louis-Pierre Bergeron
It’s the middle of winter… so what? Isn’t it better to talk about it than to wallow in denial and impatience? That’s exactly why I Musici de Montréal will feature horn players Louis-Philippe Marsolais and Louis-Pierre Bergeron with a promise of nothing less than a “hike from the Prussian forest to the Rocky Mountains”! This trek also promises to be through time, as we plunge in turn into the Baroque period with Jean-Philippe Rameau, the Classical period with Ludwig van Beethoven and Ferdinand Ries, and the contemporary era with Alberta composer John McPherson.
ARTISTS AND PROGRAM :
I Musici de Montréal
Jean-Marie Zeitouni: conductor
Louis-Philippe Marsolais: French horn
Louis-Pierre Bergeron: French horn
Rameau, Les Boréades (excerpts)
Beethoven, Sextet in E-Flat major, Op. 81B
McPherson, In the Land of Pidge
Ries, Concerto for Two Horns
Arion Baroque Orchestra’s Bach: Light and Shadow programme is composed exclusively of works by Johann Sebastian Bach. Under the baton of Hank Knox, harpsichordist and founding member of Arion, the Orchestral Suite in B minor (BWV 1067) will be performed, followed by the aria Zerfliesse, mein Herze, from the St. John Passion (BWV 245). The famous Orchestral Suite is the second of four and was composed for flute, strings and basso continuo. Written between 1738 and 1739, this work is one of Bach’s last compositions for orchestra. It has seven movements, two of which showcase the talents of flutist Claire Guimond, Arion’s artistic director since 1981. An important figure in early music in Canada, Claire Guimond will be heard as soloist in two movements of the suite, the Polonaise, as well as in the well-known Badinerie. The concert will close with the aria Zerfliesse, mein Herze from the St. John Passion, the first large-scale choral work composed by the master. Given its many existing versions, it is difficult to establish precisely the year in which this passion was composed, but it is estimated that it was in 1724. Meaning “Flee, my heart,” Zerfliesse, mein Herze is a sweet tune of deep melancholy. Its refined texture allows a complete appreciation of the vocal part, which translates into a touching lyricism. The aria will be performed by the Spanish soprano Nuria Rial, a singer who works with several European opera houses.
PROGRAM:
Hank Knox: conductor
Nuria Rial: soprano
Claire Guimond: flute
JS Bach:
Orchestral Suite No. 2 for flute, strings and basso continuo, BWV 1067
(Ouverture, Rondeau, Sarabande, Bourrée l and ll, Polonaise, Menuet, Badinerie [flute, strings and harpsichord])
Sinfonia from Cantata BWV 42Aria Zerfliesse, mein Herze, from St. John Passion, BWV 245
Afro-Antillean
Patrimoine musical des îles créoles
Lecturer and cultural advisor in music for the Conseil des arts de Montréal, ethnomusicologist Marie-Christine Parent offers a reflection on the transmission and development of the arts of oral tradition, and more specifically the music and dance of the Creole islands. At her side will be percussionist Daniel Bellegarde and the musicians of the Anba Tonèl ensemble. On their eponymous album, they present us with an eclectic instrumentation reflecting, on the one hand, the Caribbean tradition and, on the other hand, the European influence. Beyond the instrumentation, this influence is particularly noticable on the musical level, and eloquently illustrates the various processes of transformation and development that have brought this music to us.
PROGRAM
Speaker: Marie-Christine Parent, ethnomusicologist
Daniel Bellegarde, percussion
Musicians of the Anba Tonèl ensemble