Of light and musical velvet : SMCQ’s first concert of the season

by Frédéric Cardin

The start of the 2024-2025 season of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ) was a success. A program of great stylistic coherence enabled the various performers of the SMCQ, together with the Petits chanteurs du Mont-Royal, to radiate magnificent music, contemporary in its rigor and demands, but sometimes romantic in its suggested affects. Kaija Saariaho’s amusing choral piece Horloge Tais-toi! (Clock, Shut Up!) kicked off the evening with a piano-only accompaniment version, and ended with an orchestral version of the piano score, still with the children choir. As the title suggests, there’s something both mechanical and playful about this piece, in which the object’s insistent ticking seems to be particularly well embodied in the mouths of children, who we imagine dreading the hour when they have to get up to go to school. A version by the Maîtrise de Radio France, available on YouTube, shows an extended spatialization of the choir, leaving plenty of space between the singers, spread out over the whole stage. This wasn’t the case yesterday, with the Petits chanteurs grouped together in the traditional, tightly-packed way. I would have liked to hear the result with the French placing. I think the effect of the tic-tacs must be more impressive.
This was followed by another Saariaho piece, Lichtbogen, directly inspired by the northern lights. If you can imagine the kind of music that might emanate from these hypnotic ripples of color, chances are it sounds like Lichtbogen. A full chamber orchestra conjures up a sonic kaleidoscope of luminescent, shimmering abstraction, all the more pleasing for its warmth. Projections of authentic aurora borealis added an entirely appropriate visual magic.

I didn’t know what to expect from the young composer Hans Martin, who was unknown to me until yesterday. I must confess to having been pleasantly seduced by his musical proposal for choir (Les Petits chanteurs again) and orchestra, entitled Stance and based on a text by Renaissance poet Claude de Pontoux. The poem deals with the passage of time, which destroys everything except, apparently, the character of the person to which is destined, seemingly, the text (the beloved?). What’s most striking is the roundness of Martin’s sound, which is imbued with a fleshy but elusive tonality, for once its fullness is reached, it is traversed by dissonant shivers that invite it to escape higher up the scale. But it’s always caught up, in a slow, sustained chase. It’s truly beautiful, and I’ll enjoy listening to it again some day.

Saariaho’s Jardin secret (Secret Garden), for stereo support and accompanied by graphic projections, began the second half of the concert with a vaguely impressionistic electronic expression.

This was followed by the evening’s most substantial piece, Arras by Montrealer Keiko Devaux, a large and beautiful construction of moving, organic, sumptuous music, as the title suggests, that takes us back to the city that was a mecca for Flemish tapestry in the Middle Ages (now situated in France). Like a commission for the 14th-century Dukes of Burgundy, Devaux weaves a rich interweaving of motifs and textures, assembled in a general canvas showing a background of harmonies seeking consonance. On top of this panorama, modernist gushings set the score in the 21st century. Like a romantic summer landscape over which a veiled mist settles, and which is traversed by tremors and breakthroughs revealing the underlying perspective.

Musically, we know from Devaux herself that many personal references and musical memories are integrated into the score. In the harmonic support, we hear and feel a fundamental Romanticism to which contemporary exploratory impulses are added. The fusion is magnificent, and Arras deserves to be played in Europe, in Arras itself, the inspiring cradle of art behind this exceptional music.

I have said elsewhere that Devaux is, in my opinion, one of the most stimulating composers of the current generation in North America. I’ll say it again without hesitation, and add that Europe is well within her reach (while hoping she stays here forever!).

The SMCQ’s 59th season, if yesterday’s concert was any indication, will be a vintage one.

CONSULT THE SMCQ’S 2024-2025 SEASON PROGRAM

Classical / classique

Piano symphonique – Fazil Say

by Varun Swarup

Arriving at the Centre Pierre-Péladeau on a dreadfully cold Sunday afternoon, I was a bit surprised to see a huge crowd gathered in front of the concert hall. It seems the event organisers at Pro Musica were equally impressed with the turnout, expressing their excitement in their opening remarks. But perhaps it’s no surprise really.

Fazil Say has distinguished himself as a world-class performer in his 25 year tenure as a concert pianist. With 1.2 million followers on his social media accounts he has done what might be the envy of every concert pianist, bridging the gap between classical music and a popular audience. Hailing from the Turkish capital of Ankara, Say attracts scores of his countrymen wherever he tours, many of whom no doubt came out to see him perform here.

Taking to the stage with a relaxed stride, Mr. Say quickly makes himself at home and within a few seconds, the nebulous and crystalline harmonies of Claude Debussy fill the hall. One quickly gathers from watching Mr. Say performance is how attuned he is to sound and its manipulation. Throughout his performance he would often gesture to the strings of the piano as if he were conversing with the piano itself, or at least the sound hovering about it. Thus the most virtuous aspect about Say is not necessarily his technique per se, but his ability to create such fine nuances in the dynamic. In this respect, the inclusion of Debussy in the repertoire was an excellent choice and made for wonderful synergy between composer and performer. The first half of the programme culminated in a performance of Clair de Lune, which is such a masterful composition that it will arguably never lose its charm.

While the second half was enjoyable, things took a decidedly more romantic turn. With compositions from Beethoven and Liszt, this romantic repertoire with its dramatic and grave tone, as the romantic, dramatic, tended to evade the clarity and delicacy of Say’s playing. Still, by all means, Say displayed formidable command of this repertoire and it was particularly nice to hear the programme end with a composition from the performer himself. For this piece Say took more liberties with the piano, playing with the strings, drawing out some percussive and arabesque melodies before getting a bit jazzy. Finally by the end, the audience could let out all the enthusiasm and appreciation they had been holding, and Say certainly revelled in his encores and his standing ovations. A fine start to the Piano symphonique series !

classique

I Musici de Montréal : Voyage au cœur de l’Amérique du Sud

by Rédaction PAN M 360

La cheffe-d’orchestre colombienne Lina González-Granados poursuit une brillante carrière sur la scène musicale mondiale. Après Dallas, Los Angeles, New-York et Philadelphie, en passant par l’Espagne puis la Floride, elle nous revient à Montréal dans un programme aux chaudes couleurs sud-américaines. Elle vous étonnera par sa fougue et sa précision sur le podium ! La superbe soprano Andréanne Brisson-Paquin, complice d’I Musici de longue date, vous charmera avec des œuvres brésiliennes et la cantate du café de Bach, et en ouverture de concert, la deuxième partie de notre intégrale des Concertos pour violons de J.S. Bach avec 2 membres d’I Musici.

Born in Colombia, conductor Lina González-Granados has developed an illustrious musical career on the international stage, travelling to Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Spain, and Florida. This program marks her return to Montreal and features works steeped in the traditions of South America’s cultures. Her energy and sense of accuracy on stage will leave you spellbound! Long-time I Musici partner and wonderful soprano Andréanne Brisson-Paquin will pull at your heartstrings with works from Brazil and Bach’s Coffee Cantata. The concert will begin with the second installment of our complete series of Bach’s violin concertos, featuring two I Musici musicians.

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classique

I Musici de Montréal | Alain Lefèvre et Mozart

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Pour ce grand concert d’ouverture marquant le 40e anniversaire d’I Musici, Alain Lefèvre, pianiste transcendant, qui “casse le moule” (International Piano, Londres), célèbre le génie et la magie de Mozart sous la direction de Jean-François Rivest. Les deux complices poursuivent ainsi leur incursion dans l’univers du compositeur, ayant déjà remporté un Félix à l’ADISQ à la suite de leur enregistrement de son Concerto No. 23. Lefèvre nous revient ici avec le Concerto pour piano No. 27, son dernier et sans doute l’un de ses plus profonds. Nous débutons également lors de ce concert notre intégrale des Concertos pour violon de J.S. Bach avec Hubert Brizard, violoniste. D’ailleurs, au cours de cette saison, les nombreux concertos de Bach pour un, deux et même trois violons seront tous interprétés par des membres d’I Musici comme solistes. Notre soirée se conclut avec la Symphonie No. 40 de Mozart, dite la grande. On y retrouve Mozart au sommet de son art dans une œuvre ardente qui n’a pas cessé de nous séduire depuis sa création.

I Musici’s fortieth anniversary will kick off with the transcendent pianist Alain Lefèvre who “breaks the mold” (International Piano, London), celebrating Mozart’s brilliance and charm with conductor Jean-François Rivest. Lefèvre and Rivest will hence continue exploring the world of Mozart—they took home a Félix award at the ADISQ ceremonies for their recording of the composer’s Piano Concerto No. 23. This time, Lefèvre will perform Piano Concerto No. 27, the last and undoubtedly most moving of all of Mozart’s piano concertos. This concert will also include the debut of Johann Sebastian Bach’s complete violin concertos, featuring violinist Hubert Brizard. I Musici musicians will present the complete series of Bach’s concertos for one, two, and three violins as soloists throughout the season. We will finish off the evening with Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, coined the Great Symphony. This intense work was written at the peak of Mozart’s career; it continues to charm us to this day.

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Piano

Cartes blanches : Marc-André Hamelin à la salle Pierre-Mercure

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Salué comme l’un des plus brillants pianistes du répertoire, Marc-André Hamelin se produit régulièrement dans le monde entier avec les plus grands orchestres et chefs d’orchestre de notre époque et donne des récitals dans les principales salles de concert et festivals du monde entier. Hormis ce concert Pro Musica, M. Hamelin interprète cette saison une grande variété de répertoires notamment avec l’Orchestre de St. Luke’s au Carnegie Hall (Quintette pour piano de Florence Price et Brahms), l’Orchestre philharmonique de Berlin et Marek Janowski (Concerto pour piano de Reger), l’Orchestre symphonique de San Diego et Rafael Payare (Concerto pour piano N°2 de Liszt), Toronto Symphony Orchestra et Gustavo Gimeno (Symphonie Turangalîla de Messiaen. Les apparitions en récital amènent M. Hamelin à Vienne, Chicago, Toronto, Montréal, Napa Valley, São Paulo et Bogotá, entre autres lieux. M. Hamelin est un artiste d’enregistrement exclusif pour Hyperion Records, où sa discographie s’étend sur plus de 70 albums. M. Hamelin a composé de la musique tout au long de sa carrière, avec plus de 30 œuvres signées de son nom. Parmi celles-ci, on peut noter les Études et la Toccata sur L’homme armé, commandées par le Concours international de piano Van Cliburn, publiées par Edition Peters. Son œuvre la plus récente, son Piano Quintet, a été créée en août 2022 par lui-même et le célèbre Dover Quartet à La Jolla Music Society. M. Hamelin est récipiendaire d’un Lifetime Achievement Award de la German Record Critics’ Association et a reçu sept prix Juno et 11 nominations aux Grammy Awards, ainsi que le prix Jean Gimbel Lane en interprétation au piano de la Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. En décembre 2020, il a reçu le Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award for Keyboard Artistry de la Fondation des arts de l’Ontario. M. Hamelin est Officier de l’Ordre du Canada, Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec et membre de la Société royale du Canada.

LISEZ NOTRE INTERVIEW

Hailed as one of the most brilliant pianists in the repertoire, Marc-André Hamelin performs regularly throughout the world with the greatest orchestras and conductors of our time, and gives recitals in major concert halls and festivals around the world. In addition to this Pro Musica concert, Mr. Hamelin performs a wide variety of repertoire this season, including with the St. Luke’s Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. These include appearances with the St. Luke’s Orchestra at Carnegie Hall (Florence Price and Brahms Piano Quintet), the Berlin Philharmonic and Marek Janowski (Reger Piano Concerto), the San Diego Symphony and Rafael Payare (Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2), the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Gustavo Gimeno (Messiaen’s Turangalila Symphony). Recital appearances have taken Mr. Hamelin to Vienna, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Napa Valley, São Paulo and Bogotá, among other venues. Mr. Hamelin is an exclusive recording artist for Hyperion Records, where his discography spans over 70 albums. Mr. Hamelin has composed music throughout his career, with more than 30 works signed with his name. These include the Études and Toccata on L’homme armé, commissioned by the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and published by Edition Peters. His most recent work, his Piano Quintet, was premiered in August 2022 by himself and the renowned Dover Quartet at La Jolla Music Society. Mr. Hamelin is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the German Record Critics’ Association and has received seven Juno Awards and 11 Grammy nominations, as well as the Jean Gimbel Lane Award in Piano Performance from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. In December 2020, he received the Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award for Keyboard Artistry from the Ontario Arts Foundation. Mr. Hamelin is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Knight of the National Order of Quebec, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

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Ce contenu provient de IXION Communications et est adapté par PAN M 360.

classique

I Musici de Montréal / Autriche: Maxim Rysanov et Mozart

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Si je vous dis ‘Autriche’ vous me répondrez : ’Mozart!’… sans aucun doute. Ce dernier sera donc au cœur de ce programme très accessible qui marque le retour attendu de Maxim Rysanov, altiste magnifique, célèbre internationalement, et chef très apprécié des musiciens et musiciennes d’I Musici et de son public. La radieuse Symphonie no 29 en la majeur complètera la poignante Symphonie concertante de Mozart, véritable double concerto pour violon et alto qui permettra à notre admirable violon-solo, Julie Triquet, de se joindre à Rysanov. En complément de programme, de manière fort à propos puisqu’il est lui-même d’origine ukrainienne, il dirigera les Variations sur un thème ukrainien de Malcom Arnold, compositeur connu pour sa musique de film (qui lui a d’ailleurs valu un Oscar en 1957).

— Jean-François Rivest

Without a doubt, you would say “Mozart!” if I said “Austria.” Mozart will be front and centre in this approachable concert. This performance will mark the expected return of the magnificent, worldrenowned violist Maxim Rysanov who is a valued conductor among I Musici musicians and audience members alike. Mozart’s stunning Twenty-ninth Symphony in A major will supplement the poignant Sinfonia Concertante, an original double concerto for violin and viola in which our admirable violin soloist Julie Triquet will join Rysanov. Because Rysanov hails from Ukraine, it is only fitting for him to conduct Malcolm Arnold’s Variations on a Ukrainian Folksong as an addition to the concert. Arnold was a composer known for his film music, earning him an Oscar in 1957.

— Jean-François Rivest

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classique

Sergei Babayan inaugure la série Cartes blanches à la salle Pierre-Mercure

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Grand maître du piano, Sergei Babayan parcourt le monde depuis la fin des années 80. Né en Arménie dans une famille de musiciens, il est citoyen américain et vit à New York. En 1989, il remporte consécutivement les premiers prix de plusieurs grands concours internationaux, notamment le Cleveland International Piano Competition, le Hamamatsu Piano Competition et le Scottish International Piano Competition. Il a collaboré avec des chefs d’orchestre tels Sir Antonio Pappano, David Robertson, Neeme Järvi, Yuri Temirkanov, Thomas Dausgaard, Tugan Sokhiev et Dima Slobodeniouk. Plus récemment, il s’est produit, avec l’Orchestre du Gewandhaus de Leipzig, l’Orchestre symphonique de Bamberg, l’Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, le Mahler Chamber Orchestra, l’Orchestre Mariinsky, l’Orchestre symphonique de Toronto, l’Orchestre symphonique de Vancouver et l’Orchestre du Festival de Verbier. Sergei Babayan joue régulièrement dans les salles les plus prestigieuses du monde, notamment au Concertgebouw d’Amsterdam, au Carnegie Hall, au Wigmore Hall de Londres, au Konzerthaus de Vienne, à la Maison de la Radio à Paris, à l’Elbphilharmonie de Hambourg et à la Tonhalle de Zurich. Artiste exclusif de Deutsche Grammophon depuis 2018, Sergei Babayan a enregistré plusieurs disques dont Prokofiev for two avec Martha Argerich comme partenaire.

Sergei Babayan, a great master of the piano, has been traveling the world since the late 1980s. Born in Armenia into a family of musicians, he is an American citizen and lives in New York. In 1989, he won consecutive first prizes in several major international competitions, including the Cleveland International Piano Competition, the Hamamatsu Piano Competition and the Scottish International Piano Competition. He has collaborated with conductors such as Sir Antonio Pappano, David Robertson, Neeme Järvi, Yuri Temirkanov, Thomas Dausgaard, Tugan Sokhiev and Dima Slobodeniouk. More recently, he has performed with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Mariinsky Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Verbier Festival Orchestra. Sergei Babayan regularly performs in the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall in London, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Maison de la Radio in Paris, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Tonhalle in Zurich. An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2018, Sergei Babayan has recorded several discs including Prokofiev for two with Martha Argerich as partner.

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classique

Rêves : André Robitaille et Max Pollak

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Pour visiter Londres ou Paris on doit prendre un avion ou encore un navire, mais pour parcourir les rêves il suffit de fermer les yeux… En chacun et chacune d’entre nous se cache un réservoir de songes, une vaste contrée imaginaire qui enrichit notre réalité par sa puissance onirique. Nous commencerons par les délires et hallucinations du vieux Chostakovitch qui, malade, élabora son tout dernier quatuor alors qu’il était sur un lit d’hôpital. Tel un cauchemar, ce chef-d’œuvre profondément philosophique instigue aussi bien une profonde terreur qu’une immense admiration pour son intemporelle beauté. En éclatant contraste avec cette sombre première partie, voici un artiste prodigieux qui communique l’allégresse de la musique grâce à toutes les parties de son corps! Max Pollak nous danse deux rêveries, Lucid Dream de Torres avec ses rythmes latins enlevants et torrides, et Shabarsha d’Ichmouratov, un conte de l’ancienne Russie paysanne. Tout au long de la soirée, l’exubérant André Robitaille nous guidera avec enthousiasme dans ce passage poétique de l’ombre vers la lumière et la joie.

You must take a plane or boat to visit London and Paris, but all you need to do is close your eyes to dive into dreamland. Each of us has a hidden reservoir of dreams, a vast land of imagination that enhances our reality with its dream-like power. The concert will begin with the venerable Shostakovich’s fantasies and hallucinations. At the time of writing his final quartet, Shostakovich was sick and lying in a hospital bed. Like a nightmare, Shostakovich’s deeply philosophical masterpiece, Quartet No. 15, will instill in you a deep terror and immense admiration for its timeless beauty. In vivid contrast to the dark first half of the concert, Max Pollak’s tremendous artistry will share the joy of music with his entire body. He will be dancing in Torres’s Lucid Dreams, featuring upbeat and passionate Latin-American rhythms, and in Ichmouratov’s Shabarsha, a fairy tale from peasant Old Russia. The exuberant André Robitaille will enthusiastically guide us throughout the evening’s poetic journey from darkness to light and joy.

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