Angela Dubeau, his ensemble La Pietà and Daniel Belanger offered a unforgettable moment musical yesterday as part of the Tremblant Music Festival. All wrapped in ropes, Bélanger’s poetic universe could only be magnified.
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The sky was tinged with pink while a myriad of feverish spectators waited patiently for the start of a concert that was already shaping up to be unforgettable. Double bass player, cellist, violinists, violists, and Daniel Bélanger on guitar, strove to tune their instruments. The heart of the village of Tremblant was literally packed.
The founder of this unifying musical event had, as usual for the Sunday evening concert, swapped her artistic director’s hat for her violin and her bow.
As a prelude to the evening, Angèle Dubeau and the musicians of her ensemble La Pietà performed excerpts from the 25th anniversary concert, bringing together several key works from her repertoire. The all-female ensemble delivered three tracks from the latest album “Elle”, whose intoxicating Flight by Rachel Portman. They then offered a grand premiere of two compelling pieces from an album to be released in October, a portrait dedicated to Polish composer Alex Baranowski.
The instrumental portion of the concert ended with the sublime and intense piece The Grand Master Suite and the magnificent work of Max Richter, dona Nobis Pacem.
An exceptional marriage
“I spoil myself and I think I spoil you too! “, launched the 60-year-old violinist emeritus when Daniel Bélanger entered the stage and put on the strap of his guitar.
From the first notes of the Madness in four, the public was able to understand how they were going to attend a unique meeting. The soaring strings already enveloped the songs of Bélanger’s repertoire with poetic beauty and exceptional richness.
He had several moments of pure happiness, especially during the revisited pieces two spring, Imperfect, The End of Man and You can leave. The pleasure taken by the violinist, her musicians and the distinguished guest was more than palpable.
Festival-goers were also treated to songs that Bélanger almost never performs live, such as Primate electriccompletely renewed with the contribution of the violins, as well asOne two three I will have forgotten everythingsong from his album Paloma that he had never allowed himself to do in public. A fabulous and unexpected discovery for many. As for the orchestration of the magnificent A song for me, it seemed to want to lend, like the words, a sensitive and beneficent comfort.
There was a remarkable moment with Say everything without saying anything where the audience applauded from the first notes. The song was offered as a guitar, violin and piano trio, which brought a lot of sweetness and calm to this delicate song dealing with mental illness.
Finally, the singer-songwriter, who will release a tenth album in October, titled Mercury in May, invited the crowd to sing after him before starting the first chords of Dream better.
As a reminder, the public was treated to a second version of Say everything without saying anything, this time in an accomplice duo Bélanger & Dubeau. The magnificent violin line was thus able to be fully savored, thus offering a magical moment to the many festival-goers, conquered.
Catherine Major
In the middle of the afternoon, people gathered around the tent where Catherine Major was in her fourth performance behind the public piano. Very charming, her children seated at her feet, the singer-songwriter delivered several pieces from her repertoire, including some titles from her latest album “Mother card”, such as Claustrophobic and Sole Survivor.
The one who learned the language of the piano from the age of 4, had the crowd humming softly on the superb human voice and performed the beautiful love song Nothing at all.
Fully inhabited by the project Albertine in Five Times, The Opera, of which she ensured the musical creation, the artist also offered a very promising melodic foretaste of this brand new creation which will be displayed at the Rideau Vert this week.