Collectif9
November 25, 2023, 7:30pm - Hiway Church
Show Description
Montreal string nonet collectif9 presents Rituæls, a grand artistic ceremony bringing together works dating from the Middle Ages to the 21st century with music by Hildegard von Bingen, Arvo Pärt, Michael Tippett, Nicole Lizée, Bryce Dessner, and Jocelyn Morlock. Throughout the show, the musicians occupy several spaces in a way that echoes the grandeur and the depth of the pieces on the program. The lighting, scenography and staging contribute to creating a succession of moments that transport and invite contemplation, creating a moment of connection and introspection.
The music begins with a murmuring drone, from which the monodic chant of medieval composer Hildegard von Bingen slowly appears. From there, it moves seamlessly into the music of Arvo Pärt before experiencing the serene, yet intensely detailed world of Nicole Lizée inspired by stop-motion animation, within which “the impossible becomes possible — souls emerge from where once there were none.” The journey between and beyond darkness and light guides us through the music of Bryce Dessner.
Michael Tippett’s Lament expresses grief using Purcell’s aria Ah! Belinda, during which a solo violin comments with a barely recognizable variation on an Irish popular tune of the Renaissance, while Jocelyn Morlock’s Exaudi, also an expression of grief, includes hope: “the music moves us from an inability to comprehend our loss to passionate cries of anguish, to acceptance and angelic reassurance.”
