Rafael Payare, Voivod and Philippe-Audrey Larrue-St-Jacques: it was an improbable meeting that took place Tuesday evening, while the OSM unveiled its 2024-2025 program at the Maison symphonique, the Venezuelan conductor’s third as as artistic director of the Montreal orchestra.
This is exactly the objective that Rafael Payare has been seeking since his arrival in Montreal, namely to diversify programs and audiences, and to bring together all kinds of music. “It’s like food. Especially here, in such a cosmopolitan city,” Rafael Payare told us, who also explains that theater attendance has not quite returned to its pre-pandemic level. The diversity of choice can thus attract people, and a new audience, to the concert.
“I’m lucky. For my concerts, there are a lot of people, but that’s not the case for everyone. The orchestra must think about that, go there little by little. This is also why certain concerts, instead of presenting them three times, we do two performances. »
Rafael Payare had a lot of fun while Philippe-Audrey Larrue-St-Jacques presented the new series which he will host. If a comedian makes him laugh like this, can we now say that he knows Quebec culture well? “My French is improving, I really feel at home. It’s a joke. The other day people were saying “it’s hot, it’s mild”, but it was really cold! »
PHOTO ANTOINE SAITO, PROVIDED BY THE OSM
The OSM’s senior director of programming, Marianne Perron, conductor Rafael Payare and comedian Philippe-Audrey Larrue-St-Jacques
Philippe-Audrey Larrue-St-Jacques will therefore be the host of three concerts presented in a 5 to 7 format, and this great fan of classical music could not be happier. “I will try to live up to it. The OSM is very prestigious. He has a reputation, and I don’t want to tarnish it! What I like is that despite the comedian label, the music will be at the forefront. My role will be to open doors, to give keys. »
The comedian had already worked with the OSM by making four informative video clips on music broadcast in the fall and spring. Hosting concerts, for which he intends to prepare well, allows him to take the experience even further.
I always had this somewhat hidden dream. One of the great shows I saw was André Sauvé with the OSM, but there were also the Cowboys Fringants, IAM… The mix of genres and disciplines has always attracted me.
Philippe-Audrey Larrue-St-Jacques
A pop…rock flavor!
Speaking of mixing genres, the OSM Pop series will hit hard this year with Voivod. The legendary Quebec metal group will be in the spotlight in a concert led by Dina Gilbert. Drummer Michel Langevin, who believes that this concert will attract as many Voivod fans from all over the world as OSM fans who will discover the group, admits his stress: “If I’m wrong, it’s the whole orchestra who is wrong! »
But in 41 years, veteran musicians have seen it all. And this kind of symphony concert, like Metallica did with the San Francisco Symphony, Voivod had always dreamed of.
We have integrated a lot of contemporary classical elements into our music, more unusual composers like Bartók. We often imagined that we were writing music for science fiction films. The link is made more than we think, it’s going to be a bit progressive rock.
Michel Langevin, drummer of the group Voivod
The OSM Pop series will also feature the hip-hop duo Radio Radio and will offer a Live from the universe a little modified to… France Beaudoin, for the first time. The host will be in the company of the show’s musicians and singers.
The film concerts, with among others the magnificent score of the film by François Girard The red violin, will be back. Just like Kent Nagano, who will return to celebrate Christmas in Montreal, among others with Marie-Nicole Lemieux and the trad group Le Vent du Nord.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Rafael Payare is in his third season at the helm of the OSM.
Underline Schoenberg
Of course, the programming of major concerts will cast a wide net in great music. The Mahler cycle will continue, a Mozart festival of three concerts has been announced – including the Requiem and the opera Cosi fan tutte –, pianist Daniel Trifonov as well as a host of other renowned soloists will be among the guests throughout the season. We can also hear works by Beethoven, Berlioz, Ravel, Strauss, Villa-Lobos and many others.
As for the opening concert in September, which will be entirely devoted to Gurre-Lieder by Schönberg, it will make the link with this season which is ending. This Wednesday, the OSM is recording two works by the Austrian composer, whose 150th anniversary is being celebrated this year.e birthday, The transfigured night And Pelléas and Mélisande. Rafael Payare also arrived slightly late at the press meeting, apologizing, after a rehearsal which had dragged on. Is the orchestra ready for recording?
” Yes yes ! the chef answers us with a smile. I just had to talk to the producers. » The album will be released in October under the Pentatone label, like the OSM’s two previous ones.
For Rafael Payare, who is part of a prestigious international committee for the 150th festivitiese anniversary organized by the Arnold Schönberg Center Private Foundation in Vienna, not only is the composer a major figure whose language revolutionized music, but he also has very personal importance. The transfigured night is in fact the first work he conducted with the OSM in 2018, when he was guest conductor. He places his hand on his heart, visibly proud. “It comes full circle. »
reference: www.lapresse.ca