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PORTRAIT ALEXANDRE DA COSTA A passion for recordings by CAROLINE RODGERS at only 31 years old, violinist Alexandre Da Costa has already recorded his sixteenth CD. This fall, he released Fire and Blood, his first recording with the MSO and his first collaboration with Warner Classics. It also marked the occasion of the Quebec launch of the new record label Acacia, a cooperative formed by Da Costa and other musicians. The violinist freely admits that Fire and Blood has become one of his favourite recordings, which he hopes will be heard by a large audience. When he discovered this concerto, he quickly phoned the composer. Michael Daugherty, to tell him he wanted to record it. Since then, whenever a conductor has contacted him to play with an orchestra, Da Costa has tried to get Fire and Blood on the program. “I wanted this concerto to be the first that I recorded with Warner,” he said. “It’s written in a modern style but is easily approachable. It’s tonal, understandable, and incorporates elements of Mexican and folk music. It falls somewhere PHOTO Bo Huang In composing Fire and Blood, Michael Daugherty was inspired by the Detroit Industry murals of Mexican painter Diego Rivera, which represent the auto industry in Detroit in the thirties. “They inspired me to create my own musical fresco for violin and orchestra,” he comments in the CD liner notes. On a musical level, he worked with violinists from different musical universes for inspiration, he explained to LSM in a phone interview. “I listened to classical, between film and contemporary music and is a good introduction to modern music for neophytes. In my opinion, this is a good direction to explore for contemporary music. In concert, it’s very successful. People go home with the same enthusiasm as if they had heard a work they’ve known for a long time, like Tchaikovsky’s concerto.” Alexandre Da Costa feels at home in the world of recordings. “I’ve been lucky to have people around me who deeply love recorded music and who have communicated their passion to me, for example Johanne Goyette of ATMA,” he explains. For him, CD recordings are an essential element in a musician’s career. “They serve as markers over the long term,” he said. “Concerts are the most important, but a concert is ephemeral, whereas a disc lasts your whole life. A recording shows the point you had reached as a musician at a particular time. When I listen to my first recording of the Tchaikovsky concerto from when I was 17, I could swear that it’s not me at all! I will definitely record it again sometime, having reached a stage where I’ve evolved enough musically to revisit works I’ve already recorded.” Motivated by his passion for recordings, and wanting to ensure the success of his beloved Fire and Blood in Quebec, Da Costa was spurred to launch the new Acacia record label. Pianist Wonny Song and conductor Jean-François Rivest, among others, have joined him in this venture. “Our intention is to produce only four or five discs per year, but these will be high quality, hand-picked projects,” he says. Worldwide, Fire and Blood is on the Warner Classics label, with which the violinist has signed a two-year contract. “It was they who allowed this project to see the light of day,” he says. “But I convinced them that for Quebec, it was preferable to have a local label. For Warner, Quebec is a very small market, and for that reason they wouldn’t necessarily have invested a lot of effort in promoting the disc. Whereas we have, in Quebec, specialized labels like ATMA and Analekta doing excellent work. Furthermore, most of the classical discs sold in PHOTO Yopie Prins MICHAEL DAUGHERTY DISCUSSES HIS WORK jazz, bluegrass and mariachi violinists in order to explore all the parameters of the instrument. I used musical ornamentation evoking Mexican music. I see my work as a composer a bit like that of a film director. If you directed a film on the life of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, you would choose costumes that are typical of their country and their time. This was my guiding principle. I think that this is the kind of work one must do to write a concerto that stands out.” Canada are sold in Quebec. If we do the promotion ourselves, we do a better job, even more so because for distribution we have the Universal machine behind us.” He even insisted that the disc be recorded here, in Montreal, with the MSO. The recording took place in concert in November 2009, under the direction of Spanish conductor Pedro Halffter. The CD features two other works by Michael Daugherty: Fla mingo, for orchestra, and Ladder to the moon, a concerto for solo violin, wind octet, double bass and percussion. LSM TRANSLATION: RONA NADLER 12 DECEMBER 2011 / JANUARY 2012
BEHIND THE SCENES Jean-Pierre DESROSIERS Personnalité Arts-Affaires by CAROLINE RODGERS in May, Jean-Pierre Desrosiers, Certified Accountant with Fasken Martineau, was awarded the Prix Personnalité Arts- Affaires 2010 [Montreal Arts/Business Award, personality category] for his longstanding commitment to the arts. That Desrosiers’ candidacy was supported by a long list of artistic organizations speaks volumes about his contribution to our cultural milieu. He was sponsored by Angèle Dubeau et La Pietà, as well as by Les Productions Laure-Furey. The Théâtre du Rideau Vert, Mea Culpa Théâtre and the Cirque Éloize also supported Desrosiers’ candidacy. Desrosiers is vice-president of Angèle Dubeau et La Pietà’s Board of Directors. As a fan of a variety of musical genres, he certainly attends symphonic concerts and opera, and enjoys Beethoven, Mozart and other composers. According to Desrosiers, being an avid arts fan is not necessary in order to be committed to supporting artists. For him, the most important source of motivation is connecting with people. “Of course, I love the arts,” he said. “I own a collection of paintings and sculptures, and I enjoy going to concerts. But what I really like is meeting people, getting to know new people. When I see talented artists, I just want to help them.” This is why he brings his abilities, expertise, business know-how and extensive network of contacts to benefit the organizations he wishes to help. “Linking his innate business sense to the artistic domain is a blessing in difficult economic times. He has a gift for facilitating connections with the business community and starting up profitable partnerships. Thanks to people like him, artists and artisans can develop in a cultural industry that requires a happy marriage between the arts and business. When he believes in the talent of a young artist, or in an organization, he commits himself passionately to helping them,” noted the Conseil des arts de Montréal [Montreal Arts Council] and the Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain, the organizations that had awarded the Prix Arts-Affaires to Desrosiers. “Non-profit organizations like La Pietà need people like me for their financial support,” said Jean-Pierre Desrosiers. “I like helping them with their benefit evenings and their fundraising campaigns. Artists are very different from me, and I get a lot from working with them. Musicians, for example, bring a sense of calm, of peace and a way of relaxing, forgetting about problems of everyday life. I have no artistic talent, I can’t sing or play an instrument. However, I’m very good at fundraising!” Even though he enjoys classical music, his favourite repertoire is still a selection of the great French-language singers. “I’m still hooked on French songs: Brel, Ferré, Brassens, Françoise Hardy and our own Vigneault, Claude Léveillé. It’s what I like best. I like the meaning of the words. With Ferré, it’s about rebelling, Brassens, it’s love, Brel, it’s great love for his country. I appreciate the passion they put into their music.” LSM Artists are very different from me, and I get a lot from working with them. TRANSLATION: KARINE POZNANSKI NEW BOURGIE HALL The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18 \ 3 p.m. “Musical Family Sundays” A Christmas Carol, adapted from Dickens DECEMBER 28-29 \ 2 p.m. Music and Dance in New France Les Idées heureuses THURSDAY, JANUARY 12 \ 6 p.m. Magillah Ensemble Klezmer music WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18 \ 7.30 p.m. Les Violons du Roy Maurice Steger Encore Performance THURSDAY, JANUARY 19 \ 2 p.m. “Espresso Concerts” Les Violons du Roy Maurice Steger Encore Performance FRIDAY, JANUARY 20 \ 6.30 p.m. Mathieu Gaudet The Fugue from Bach to Feininger 2011-2012 Season bourgiehall.ca . 514-285-2000, option 4 1339 Sherbrooke Street West Présented by DECEMBER 2011 / JANUARY 2012 13 PHOTO Denis Gendron Photo: Paul Boisvert
Page 2 and 3: CONTENTS DECEMBER 2011 — JANUARY
Page 4 and 5: y CAROLINE RODGERS PHOTOS OF ANA SO
Page 6 and 7: ON THE COVER SVADBA PHOTOS John Lau
Page 8 and 9: N TES by CRYSTAL CHAN, REBECCA ANNE
Page 10 and 11: discovery cd Transposing Tradition
Page 14 and 15: MUSICULTURE to create music for a f
Page 16 and 17: MUSICULTURE IN MEMORIAM Maryvonne K
Page 18 and 19: PHOTO Philippe Jasmin PORTRAIT NÉZ
Page 20 and 21: OPERA HIROMI OMURA will play Leonor
Page 22 and 23: PORTRAIT LAN TUNG Taiwanese-born er
Page 24 and 25: CONCERT Previews by RENÉE BANVILLE
Page 26 and 27: PREVIEWS A GREAT LIEDER PERFORMER A
Page 28 and 29: 2011 DECEMBER in QUEBEC TO LIST YOU
Page 30 and 31: TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY S
Page 32 and 33: PREVIEWS Elsewhere in QUEBEC OPERA
Page 34 and 35: Mozart: Don Giovanni. McGill S.O.;
Page 36 and 37: SALUTE TO VIENNA Salute to Vienna b
Page 38 and 39: jazz Jazz is particularly fond of h
Page 40 and 41: JAZZ REVIEWS News from Europe Dutch
Page 42 and 43: REVIEWS » cds • dvds• books A
Page 44 and 45: REVIEWS CDs they had already record
Page 46 and 47: variations ON A THEME Looking for a
Page 48 and 49: CONTEST CIOC Pipe dream turned real
Page 50 and 51: ARTS THIS WINTER ΩDance by TAO FEI
Page 52 and 53: ARTS THIS WINTER Visual Arts by JUL
Page 54 and 55: ADISQ 2011 NOMINATION ALBUM OF THE

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