• McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble
• Denys Bouliane, conductor
• Ingrid Schmithüsen, soprano

With the piece by Matalon, the CME dives into the musical universe of a composer known especially for his original film scores (Metropolis, by Fritz Lang), which have been played across Europe. The performance of Las Siete vidas de un gato will accompany the projection of the cult film by the surrealist director Luis Buñuel, with music that sits closely to composer’s Brazilian origins. “The music of Luis Buñuel,” suggests Denys Bouliane, “is perhaps to the tango what the Bach Cello Suites are to court dances…”

In the second part of the concert, the CME continues its exploration of the music of Grisey, the “father” of spectral music. Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil could be seen as the composer’s testament, as he explores questions about rites of passage within life and beyond. The poignant intensity of the lyrics (and the prescience?) of this work, magnificently rendered by Ingrid Schmithüsen, is made all the more striking in that the composer himself passed away suddenly shortly after completing the work.

In collaboration with McGill Digital Composition Studio: Sean Ferguson, Director; Richard McKenzie, Technical Director