Colin Mack has an impressive musical resume. In addition to composing numerous chamber music works, he has also written — among other things — a symphonic poem for orchestra, film scores for two short documentaries, and a choral anthem.
What the Ottawa-born composer had never done until recently, however, was create a concerto. This will change on Friday when Thirteen Strings, Ottawa’s premiere chamber orchestra, perform the world debut of his violin concerto Elegy.
Also on the programme is Distant Light by Latvian composer Peteris Vasks, who was born in 1946, an Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber, and Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite. The concert starts at 8 pm at St. Andrew’s Church (82 Kent Street) and tickets can be purchased online.
“Elegy is my first concerto — a one movement chamber orchestra fantasia, so in this respect it presented some new challenges,” says Mack, when asked how this new work compares to his previous compositions, including his 2009 solo release Imprints. “However, the music is stylistically compatible with Imprints and my other previous work. In terms of orchestration I look at it as building on my experience with chamber music, my largest scale chamber music work to date.”
Elegy brings together such instruments as the triangle, timpani, synthesizer and glockenspiel. The work also blends acoustic and some electronic keyboard sounds, while using an ensemble of 18 performers, ranging from the conductor and violin soloist, to percussion, keyboard player and sound technician.
Creating music for a variety of instruments allowed Mack to put his musical skills to the test.
“Although I have some performing knowledge of the violin and clarinet, and a composer’s grasp of the orchestra in general, I don’t have anywhere near the same familiarity with these instruments as I do with piano,” says Mack, who obtained his Master of Music in composition from the University of Montréal in 1985. “Writing for a variety of instruments is definitely challenging but it is also wonderfully rewarding! I rely on composing experience, orchestration texts, and the expertise and goodwill of performers to achieve my artistic goals.”
Noémi Racine-Gaudreault, the assistant concertmaster at the NAC Orchetra, will be the violin soloist. Her encouragement and musical collaboration with Mack played an important role in the formation of Elegy.
Noémi Racine-Gaudreault
“I met Colin in 2008 for the recording of his piano trio,” the Montreal-born Racine-Gaudreault tells Apartment613. “A few years later, I asked him if he wanted to write something for me. That’s how this wonderful collaboration started.”
As a musician with a very distinguished career — she has performed as a soloist in orchestras across Canada, in the United States, France and Turkey — Racine-Gaudreault has an interesting view on Elegy.
“Colin’s new work doesn’t really fit the ‘concerto’ description,” says Racine-Gaudreault, who moved to Ottawa a couple of years ago. “I would say it’s more rhapsodic in style. . . . His composition is melancholic at times, pensive in tone and has a wide range of moods and colours. It is simple and flows well. This piece is a one-movement work that is episodic yet integrated.”
Speaking of integration, other parts of Friday’s concert should blend in well with Elegy, notes Racine-Gaudreault, who will also be performing Distant Light .
“After hearing [Distant Light] once, it became obvious that I wanted to play it,” she says. “The concerto is in one long movement, with contrasting episodes and three cadenzas for the soloist. . . . I am very pleased to present it here in Ottawa. It will pair up wonderfully with Colin’s Mack violin piece.”
As for Mack, he is eagerly looking forward to Friday’s performance.
“The May 22 world premiere of Elegy is a wonderful moment for me for which I’m very grateful,” he says. “I want to thank Noémi for initiating the project, the City of Ottawa for supporting it, and along with Kevin Mallon and Thirteen Strings for giving it life!”
Thirteen Strings perform this Friday at 8 pm at St. Andrew’s Church (82 Kent Street). Tickets can be purchased online and are $40 for adults, $35 for seniors and $10 for students with ID.
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