Editorial – September/October 2020

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Welcome to the second issue of La Scena Musicale published in the midst of a new reality. This is not the way we imagined the start of our 25th year. Over the summer, COVID-19 stabilized in Quebec and the rest of Canada, but the road ahead remains rocky. Artists visiting from other countries must quarantine for two weeks, a requirement that is both costly and impractical. Audiences are limited to a fraction of capacity and entry protocols are complicated.

Still, the show goes on, especially in Montreal, where concert presenters are showing more gumption than most of their counterparts elsewhere in North America. Both the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Métropolitain are mounting substantial seasons, even though maximum attendance in the Maison symphonique, at press time, remains fixed at 250. The Ladies’ Morning Musical Club (LMMC) and Bourgie Hall have recast the rest of 2020 with mostly Canadian artists – a tribute to the strength of musical culture in the country as well as the spirit of these organizations, both of which are profiled in this issue.

There are also online initiatives. Our cover spotlights the Azrieli Music Prizes Gala concert, which will be disseminated digitally on Oct. 22. The Nouvel Ensemble Moderne under Lorraine Vaillancourt performs works by Yitzhak Yedid, Yotam Haber and Keiko Devaux. This last composer, a Montrealer, is the inaugural winner of the Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music. Our interview investigates the implications of being a creative Canadian.

COVID-19 & MASKS

There is a special section (more than 10 pages) devoted to our ongoing coverage of COVID-19, including the results of a survey taken during the summer. More than 70 percent of respondents believe a mask should be worn by audience members during as well as before and after a performance, contrary to current Quebec government guidelines. Common sense indicates that masks should be mandatory. Just as scientists had lobbied for children to wear masks in the classroom, we encourage the Quebec government to change that rule about wearing masks during performances. These and other results are discussed in detail.

Fall Arts Preview/La Rentrée Culturelle

One happy consequence of the love of arts in Montreal is that there are presentations in classical music, jazz, English and French theatre, dance and visual arts to preview. We have columns devoted to the coming weeks as well as a helpful roundup of online offerings recommended by members of our staff. We draw your attention also to a series of LSM online interviews/podcasts with performing artists, which we call La Scena Tête-à-tête. Host Don Adriano keeps the atmosphere light and lively. Our Corona Serenades initiative offers a wide range of performers ready to sing their way into your heart. It an excellent way to connect with someone close while supporting the arts.

Our events calendar and our Fall Festival Guide list both live and digital concerts, in keeping with the state of the arts in the fall of 2020. And while concerts might not be as common as before the pandemic struck, there are still many news developments. We offer essays on the controversial departure of Nathalie Bondil from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the early start at the Paris Opera of the outgoing general director of the Canadian Opera Company, Alexander Neef. The Jeunesses Musicales organization has created a composition contest, which had its share of controversy.

Subscription and Donation Drive

The pandemic has its consequences for publishing. We are pleased to plan a subscription year of five issues for 2020-21, a small cutback from our usual schedule of seven. Although we were able to bring back most of our staff through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, this resource expires in November, and the amount of subsidy will decrease from 75% to 20% in the next two months. Since our annual budget depends largely on advertising revenues (about 70% of which are related to concerts), we saw a decrease in advertising of 88% in spring and summer, and so far, 60% in the fall. We hope you will consider supporting our magazine through a donation or a subscription.

As always, La Scena Musicale maintains a vigorous presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The website offers new resources almost daily. Pandemic or no pandemic, the arts will thrive. As will La Scena Musicale.