Monts Valin 2022 (11’36)

Based on field recordings, this piece is inspired by a collection of meaningful moments experienced during my many hikes on Monts Valin, located in Saguenay. These moments present a wide range of states of consciousness, from pure enjoyment to heady excitement, all underpinned by the holistic beauty and complexity of nature. What also fascinates me is that regardless of my state of consciousness, the forest remains sovereign. It is there, neutral and abstract, exposing its beauty through its light, colors, textures, movements, and sounds. Consequently, the forest becomes music.

Monts Valin was composed on the octophonic system of the Chicoutimi Musical Experimentation Center during a residency and mentoring activity (Achicoutimatique) and premiered at the same place on August 12, 2021. Since then, the work has been reworked and spatialized for 16 speakers specially made for Akousma.

This is the stereo version.

Monts Valin

MONT VALINS

Zénith

It’s all sweat and flesh… it’s violence and death… it’s love at first sight.

In a house under renovation, Julie, married to a police officer, and Mick, an Anglican priest, discover extraordinary intimacy – and colossal disaster.

A different kind of love-at-first-sight story, Julie Sits Waiting exposes the complexity of desire, as these ‘old’ characters, rich with life experience, have the audacity to insist upon reckless, youthful passion.

Acclaimed performers Fides Krucker and Richard Armstrong connect in a startling and profound way, breathing life into the intimacies of sweat, flesh and breath. Moving between speech and chant to bel-canto and extended-voice, their superb technique allows for a full range of expression, from the beautiful, to the grittier expressions of human emotions.

Commissioned from librettist Tom Walmsley and composer Louis Dufort, Julie Sits Waiting is Canadian opera at its best, combining the country’s strong playwriting history with Quebec’s rich electroacoustic music tradition.


Opera excerpt "Julie sits waiting"

Short piece presented at EMPAC in the AKOUSMA@EMPAC concert in 2012

Grain de lumière I

Chant 1 reviewed 2013

Contre Chant 2 reviewed 2013

Contre Chant 3 reviewed 2013

Amalgame3 reviewed 2013

available here :http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/imed_0893/
Matério_* was realized in 2006 in the composer’s studio in Montréal and premiered on February 24, 2007 as part of “Spatio Lumino,” the opening concert of the Montréal/Nouvelles musiques Festival at Société des arts technologiques (SAT) in Montréal. The piece was commissioned by Francisco López, in collaboration with Quartier Éphémère in Montréal. My thanks to Esther Bourdages. Matério_* was first recorded in 2006 for the compact disc Montreal Sound Matter / Montréal matière sonore released by Pogus (P 21041-2).

Materio_*

available here :www.electrocd.com/en/cat/imed_0893/
Matério_** was realized in 2006 at the composer’s studio in Montréal. It was premiered on July 27, 2006 as part of a concert presented for the sound installation exhibit Montréal Sound Matter, at Fonderie Darling in Montréal. The piece was commissioned by Francisco López, in collaboration with Quartier Éphémère. My thanks to Esther Bourdages.

Materio_**

available here :www.electrocd.com/en/cat/imed_0893/
Matério_*** was realized in 2007 at the composer’s studio in Montréal. It was premiered on May 19, 2007, as part of the concert “Victoriaville matière sonore,” during the Festival international de musique actuelle de Victoriaville (FIMAV) in Victoriaville (Québec). The piece was commissioned by Francisco López.

Louis Dufort

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