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Browsing: Classical Music

Marc Hervieux, Robert Marien, Stéphanie Bédard, and Geneviève Charest

Review: Les Concerts Populaires (July 8 and 12)

By Kiersten van Vliet on 13 July 2016 Concert Reviews, Musical Theatre, Orchestral, Popular Music, Quebec Music, Strings, Vocal

Established from an initiative by Mayor Jean Drapeau 52 years ago, Les Concerts Populaires de Montreal strives to present high-quality classical music to Montreal citizens. Now a bulwark of arrondissement Hochelaga-Maisonneuve’s summer season, Les Concerts Populaires, in collaboration with the Comité Musique Maisonneuve, offers five star-studded selections in the shadow of the Olympic tower at the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau. This year, their normal Thursday night schedule is interrupted by the 2016 Jeux du Québec, so it is more important than ever to plan your musical evenings. The eclectic series embodies a true democratization of music. On both evenings the atmosphere was…

Arnold Schoenberg

This Day in Music: 13 July 1951 – Death of Arnold Schoenberg

By Weiyu Dang on 13 July 2016 Chamber Music, Contemporary, This Day in Music

Known for his twelve-tone method, Arnold Schoenberg was an iconoclast in the classical music world of the early 20th century. His atonal works clashed against the traditional diatonic systems of harmony by taking chromaticism to an extreme extent, provoking both widespread love and dissent. His influence spread with his dedicated disciples Anton Webern and Alban Berg, who continued the atonal tradition. It has been criticized of Schoenberg that his music is more often defended than listened to. Aside from music, Schoenberg is also notable for his gifted painting ability, his fear of the number 13 (ironically born on September 13th…

Jack Quartet, photo Henrik Olund

Daily News Roundup: 12 July 2016

By Kiersten van Vliet on 12 July 2016 Chamber Music, Contemporary, Daily News Roundup, Musical Theatre, Piano, Popular Music, Strings

+ Marc Chénard’s account of the 2016 Cartel New Music Conference presented June 1–5 at le Vivier. “In the wake of its most recent meetings, Cartel is still a work in progress. There are still several hurdles to clear, the most significant of which way will be the contrasting mindsets of North-American and European presenters. On that issue, Pierrette Gingras sees one main difference in that the former are much more action oriented than the latter, who are more inclined to engage in ideological or conceptual discussions.” + Rappers Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, and Lil Kim were honoured on Monday…

Conrad Tao

Video of the Day – Conrad Tao covers Beyoncé’s ‘Blue’ on Piano

By Weiyu Dang on 12 July 2016 Contemporary, Piano, Popular Music, Video of the day

At age 22, Conrad Tao has won honours ranging from the Davidson Fellow Laureate to the being the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Artist-in-residence for 2015–2016. In today’s video of the day, Tao takes on his match in the popular music world by covering Beyoncé’s ‘Blue’ off the singer’s 2014 album, Beyoncé. Conrad Tao – “Blue (Beyoncé cover)”

Cartel 2016

Cartel 2016: New Music Presenters Conference (Montreal, June 1–5)

By Marc Chénard on 12 July 2016 Canadian Music, Chamber Music, Concert Reviews, Contemporary, Quebec Music, Strings

Instigated two years ago under the name Cartel Montreal, this initiative enabled new music presenters both in North America and Europe to meet for a four-day conference, which took place during the alternative Suoni per il Popolo Festival held annually in June. Spearheaded by le Vivier, a Montreal-based association of over 30 music production companies and related partners with vested interests in all forms of contemporary music and their outreach in the community, this inaugural meeting attracted close to 50 participants, half of which were Vivier members. As this association’s director Pierrette Gingras recalls in a recent conversation, the idea…

Stevie Wonder

Daily News Roundup: 11 July 2016

By Kiersten van Vliet on 11 July 2016 Contemporary, Daily News Roundup, Mainstream Jazz, Piano, Popular Music, Scena Jazz, Violin

+ This Day in Music: George Gershwin died this day in 1937. + The 37th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal was a resounding success for all involved, read the festival summary here. + A benefit concert for Black Lives Matter on Wednesday in New York City is tragically timely in light of recent events. + Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà’s albums have now been streamed more than 30 million times across more than 100 countries. + Read Kiersten van Vliet’s review of Gershwin arrangements for solo piano by British composer Michael Finnissy, played by Dirk Herten. “Finnissy, who celebrated…

Caroline Shaw & Vanessa Goodman

Video of the Day – Caroline Shaw & Vanessa Goodman

By Weiyu Dang on 11 July 2016 Contemporary, Dance, Video of the day

Youngest winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Caroline Shaw is primarily a violinist, but composes primarily for contemporary, cutting edge chorale, drawing on eclectic forms of folk vocal music. In this multimedia duet with modern dancer, Vancouver’s Vanessa Goodman, Shaw sings various vocal strains that she records and layers with a loop machine. The resulting show is a polyphonic modern vocal fugue that’s matched, in black and white with Goodman’s lithe dance harmony. Caroline Shaw & Vanessa Goodman, Improvisation

CD Review – Michael Finnissy: Gershwin arrangements for piano (White)

By Kiersten van Vliet on 11 July 2016 CD and Book Reviews, Contemporary, Mainstream Jazz, Piano, Popular Music, Scena Jazz

George Gershwin’s songs are so ubiquitous that it is hard to imagine an experience of his work untouched by adaptations, whether in film or in the concert hall. This set of 13 tunes was transcribed by English composer Michael Finnissy over the same number of years, between 1975 and 1988. Finnissy is perhaps best known for his transcriptions, from his English Country Tunes (1982–85) to his completion of Mozart’s Requiem (2013). Finnissy, who celebrated his 70th birthday earlier this year, hailed Dirk Herten’s performance as “thoughtful, sensitive, [and] delicately-shaded,” while praising his refined touch. He continued, “I feel like a…

Angèle Dubeau: An international success on streaming platforms!

By Newswire on 11 July 2016 Contemporary, Newswire, Quebec Music, Strings, Violin

More than 30 million streams for her discography and 12 million streams for the album Ludovico Einaudi: Portrait Montreal, July 11 2016 – Violinist Angèle Dubeau’s latest album, Ludovico Einaudi: Portrait, has now reached an impressive 12 million streams on the various music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer. Yesterday, during the concert offered by Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà at the Festival International de Lanaudière, François Mario Labbé, president of Analekta, gave to Angèle Dubeau a commemorative plaque to recognize this remarkable achievement. The works from the violinist’s discography have now been streamed more than 30 million times across more than 100 countries, a rare feat for…

George Gershwin

This Day in Music – 1937: Death of George Gershwin

By Weiyu Dang on 11 July 2016 Contemporary, Popular Music, Scena Jazz, This Day in Music, Vocal Jazz

Gershwin, one of the main catalysts for jazz to become America’s music, was a composer and pianist who bridged popular and classical modes. His prolific compositions are now considered jazz and pop standards, most notably the “rhythm changes” in his tune “I got Rhythm” that would become a seminal chord sequence for bebop development. Notable works include An American in Paris, Porgy and Bess, and Rhapsody in Blue. Ella Fitzgerald – “Summertime”

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