Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was first performed on December 22, 1894 and it definitely was one of the works that serves as a steppingstone for 20th century repertoire. Mallarmé, the poet who in 1866 completed the Églogue on which Debussy’s music was based, had only praise to offer:

“I just came out of the concert, extremely moved: a marvel! your illustration of l’Après-midi d’un faune would present no dissonance with my text, unless to go further, indeed, into the nostalgia and the light, with finesse, with malaise, with richness.”

Alain Marion performs a very interesting version, for flute and piano, here…

I’ve known about André Mathieu’s music for quite a few years already. Indeed, in 1992, some of my young students took part in the documentary Jean-Claude Labrecque devoted to the composer and learned some of his “easy” pieces. I was also fortunate enough to dig into various sets of archives (almost non existing, up until now) to write articles and program notes.

So, of course, I had to see Luc Dionne’s movie, The Child Prodigy (presented in original French with English subtitles in some movie theatres). If the editing is not truly original (and ressembles one of a made-for-TV movie most of the time), the casting and actors’ direction is amazing. Patrick Drolet is totally inhabited by André Mathieu’s character - sometimes, it’s almost unsettling - and young Guillaume DuBon just burns the screen in many of his scenes, notably the ones played with Lothaire Bluteau (in the role of another prodigy of the piano turned gypsy) and Itzhak Finzi, a Bulgarian actor who plays Rachmaninoff, in one of the most touching scenes of the film.

Bruce Chun is a photo director often rather poetic but I will, above anything else, remember the essential role played by the music, whether Mathieu’s or Alain Lefèvre’s interludes, which become a second narrator. And, yes, I’ll admit it, I’ve listened to the soundtrack a few times since I came out of the cinema…

Discover it here for yourself…

When one thinks of the composer who remains the master in adapting music to the liturgical calendar, Bach’s name is bound to come up. While the Lutheran service has two main parts—one that is text-based (reaching its high point with the sermon), and the other Eucharistic—both are supported by music. The cantata was generally performed between the gospel reading and the sermon. The musical part of the service was always related to and commented on the day’s readings; hence a cantata always corresponded to a specific Sunday in the liturgical year and the reading of a particular biblical passage. Perhaps more than any other composer, Bach was especially dedicated to exploring the liturgical year, and so there is nothing fortuitous about such correspondences.

I invite you to discover Bach’s Choral BWV 747 and the Fuguetta “Here are the ten commandments”, written for Easter celebrations, performed here by Luc Beauséjour…

Happy Easter to all!

Tradition has it that King George II of England was so overwhelmed when he first heard this chorus at its London premiere in 1743 that he immediately rose to his feet. Audiences the world over still follow this tradition. What is that piece of music? But the “Hallelujah” from Handel’s Messiah, of course!

In July 1741, Händel became discouraged by the lack of interest in his two most recent operas and decided to focus his energies instead on oratorios. Händel’s friend Charles Jennens suggested a new libretto, based on the King James Version of the Bible. Händel was enthusiastic about the project—so inspired, in fact, that he finished the work in three weeks. Messiah has three parts, covering the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Händel’s talent as a composer of opera enabled him to capture the dramatic quality of each text in his music. As he composed the “Hallelujah Chorus”, he is reported to have said: “I did think I did see all Heaven before me and the great God Himself.” A magnificent vision, judging by the splendour of this music!

Händel gave the work its first public performance in Dublin, Ireland, on April 12, 1742. The concert was held to raise money for the city’s prison and two of its hospitals. The event was highly publicized by the newspapers of the time, and 700 people crammed the hall on the night of the concert. The announcement asked ladies to come without their hooped petticoats and the gentlemen without their swords, so that more people could squeeze into the hall. The evening was a brilliant success. Since then, Messiah has never lost its popularity, and it has become one of the most famous choral works in the world.

You can listen to the “Hallelujah” on the Luciano Pavarotti Christmas at Notre-Dame DVD. The details here…

Reviewing Joel Quarrington’s debut recital for the International Society of Bassists’ Oklahoma City convention in June of 2007, England’s Double Bassist magazine declared, “his performance was mesmerizing - his trademark bel canto playing style brought an otherworldly quality to Bottesini’s Elegy in D…impeccable articulation, a rich tonal palette, absolute control and crystalline clarity.” Reviews such as this have solidified his reputation as one of today’s leading double bassists.

Born in Toronto, Canada, Joel Quarrington began playing the double bass at the age of eleven and was trained in Toronto, Rome, Vienna and Prague. He received the Eaton Award (1975) from the University of Toronto as the outstanding graduating performer, and top awards in the Canadian Broadcasting Music Competition (1976), the Isle of Man (1978) and the Geneva International Competitions (1978).

For over thirty years, Joel Quarrington has served as the Principal Double Bassist of many ensembles, including the Canadian Opera Company, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.

Joel Quarrington is an enthusiastic advocate of the historical practice of tuning the bass in fifths (CGDA, an octave lower than the cello), rather than the customary fourths. He believes fifths tuning leads to clearer and more accurate performance in all ranges of the bass, as well as greater tonal richness.

He launches today on the Analekta label a recital devoted to this undeservedly ill-liked instrument. To listen…