A weekend in Montreal--at least one like that of November 20, into which I was fortunate enough to air-drop--can seem like a build-your-own festival. Canada loves its fests. And Montreal has more of them than any other city in the country, with over 100 arts, comedy, food and fashion fêtes across the year.
While the premiere of the Opéra de Montreal's production of Elektra was the reason for my visit, I was also able to attend the opening concert of the city's Bach Festival and a couple of concerts in the city's fertile (and under recognized) jazz scene. Most everything happens within walking distance of downtown. And meal breaks at Foodlab in the impressive Société des Arts Technologiques building (an excellent gnocchi with roasted Brussels sprout leaves) and the tasty Qing Hua Dumpling in nearby Chinatown, a weekend in downtown Montreal proved to be as enjoyable as it was easily navigable.
The first night had me happily making my way to a concert in the stubbornly 13-month L'Année Jean Derome celebration (continuing through June) of one of the key figures in the city's longstanding Ambiances Magnetiques collective. Derome and his wife, Joane Hétu, consistently create charming and inventive music.
And while Derome doesn't look much older than 50, he has apparently been performing for 40 years.
He's been marking the occasion with several concerts a month, in a festival all his own.
On the agenda for the night of the 20th was Phèdre de Racine, sans paroles--a piece Derome wrote 20 years ago and only performed once. Eight improvisers from the Ensemble SuperMusique (along with Hétu's a cappella octet, Joker) seemed to follow open-ended directives. Under Hétu's direction, the chorus sang and sounded parts that seemed to be scripted more than scored: sing a low note, make clicking sounds, whisper, etc. Instrumentalists entered the stage of the lovely 425-seat Amphithéâtre-Gesù in the 1865 Church of the Gesù to play for a few minutes at a time; and exit again, generally, in solo or duo with the chorus providing cushion.
One other musical surprise awaited me during my short stay, which occurred when trying to negotiate my way through the Complexe Desjardins shopping mall, a part of the famous "underground city," which connected to my hotel. The shops were closed. Yet, the less-than-modest Christmas displays were still in full effect, as I and a handful of others made use of the passageways.
The vacuous space was filled with holiday music. Not simply piped in, but tailored to the space; swooshing around a rather powerful audio system, complete with swirling wind sound effects. At precisely 10 p.m., suddenly, it went silent. Enough to nearly knock me over. This, though, was mere prelude to Santa's arrival outside the mall the following afternoon--always a big parade, in a city that loves to celebrate.
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