Gabriel Dharmoo

for symphony orchestra__4'__2015
3 ^rd movement from collective composition Variations sur un thème de Jacques Hétu

RECORDING

May not be published online - Available upon request

Variations sur un thème de Jacques Hétu

I. Variation sur Antinomie (Emily Hall)
II. Échos sur la rue Berlinguet (Denis Dion)
III. Les doigts dans les lignes (Gabriel Dharmoo)
IV. Métamorphoses antinomiques (Éric Champagne)

PROGRAM NOTE

Variations sur un thème de Jacques Hétu
To mark the 35th anniversary of the Orchestre Métropolitain, Éric Champagne suggested creating a collective work in honour of Jacques Hétu (1938-2010), one of Québec's finest composers, whose works have frequently been performed by the OM over the years. The theme for the variations comes from the concert overture Antinomie (1977), a work that has been recorded by the OM. "The idea was to bring a common musical idea to life in four different styles reflecting four faces of today's contemporary music scene," explains Éric Champagne.

I. Variation sur Antinomie (Emily Hall)
In her variation, Emily Hall evokes Hétu's aesthetic development. "His early works including Antinomie, reflect a dark and painful world, whereas his later music became brighter and more serene," notes Champagne.

II. Échos sur la rue Berlinguet (Denis Dion)
A surreal reminiscence of Jacques Hétu, the man. "Towards the end of the piece, the melody emerges from a cloud of strings in a floating, dreamlike atmosphere. [...] The title refers to École Jacques-Hétu, located on Rue Berlinguet in Trois-Rivières."

III. Les doigts dans les lignes (Gabriel Dharmoo)
After being introduced by the harp, the theme undergoes a treatment "rooted in various musics of oral tradition". The variation includes "unexpected changes in mood" and "unusual rhythmic material." The title refers to the harpist's fingers plucking the strings.

IV. Métamorphoses antinomiques (Éric Champagne)
"The piece begins with a presentation of the theme, lightly coloured by a mysterious orchestration. Six metamorphoses follow, each transforming different musical parameters [en route to] a lighter, brigher, more festive musical line. Hence the notion of a "morphological" transformation or metamorphosis of the theme as opposed to a variation in the classical sense, as well as the idea of a progression from dark to light, from introspective to exuberant. "

PERFORMANCES

October 25, 2015 MONTRÉAL (Canada) Patriots of the World - CAM en tournée / Maison de la culture Mercier (Mercier Hochelaga-Maisonneuve)
Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by Julian Kuerti

October 24, 2015 MONTRÉAL (Canada) Patriots of the World - CAM en tournée / Église Saint-Joachim (Pointe-Claire)
Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by Julian Kuerti

October 23, 2015 MONTRÉAL (Canada) Patriots of the World - Maison symphonique de Montréal (Place des Arts)
Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by Julian Kuerti

October 22, 2015 MONTRÉAL (Canada) Patriots of the World - CAM en tournée / Salle Désilets du cégep Marie-Victorin (Rivière-des-Prairies)
Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by Julian Kuerti

October 21, 2015 MONTRÉAL (Canada) Patriots of the World - CAM en tournée / Église Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs (Verdun)
Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by Julian Kuerti

October 20, 2015 MONTRÉAL (Canada) Patriots of the World - CAM en tournée / Première Église Évangélique Arménienne (Ahuntsic) WORLD PREMIERE
Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by Julian Kuerti

REVIEWS

Plaisante Variation: Dharmoo joue dans une cour très éloignée de celle de Jacques Hétu; il y a beaucoup d'étranges atmosphères (entre insectes et miaulements) tout en cordes et harpes. Mais, dans le genre, c'est bien troussé.

Christophe Huss – Un hommage à Jacques Hétu - Le Devoir – 26 octobre 2015

CREDITS

Commissioned by Orchestre Métropolitain, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts