NEW RECORDINGS

OUT NOW | Ensemble Collectif9's "Vagues et ombres"

May 27, 2022

2 MIN READ

Praised for their unique arrangements of the classical repertoire, Montreal-based collectif9 today released its third album entitled, "Vagues Et Ombres." Featured on the album are the arrangements by Thibault Bertin-Maghit of works by Claude Debussy — such as Clair de lune, La Mer, Des pas sur la neige, and others. It also features the premiere of Montréal composer Luna Pearl Woolf's newest piece, Contact, which is “a sonic view into the underwater world of beluga whales in the St. Lawrence Estuary.”

"This recording developed out of our profound admiration of great work — could we, as nine string players, perform Claude Debussy’s La Mer and do it justice? In a musical style where timbre and color are paramount, attempting to interpret this emblematic work using a single family of instruments seemed outrageous; however, we love a challenge," ensemble musicians Andrea Stewart and Thibault Bertin-Maghit said.

"This is certainly a reinterpretation. Being fewer in number allows us to otherwise reveal a rich rhythmic interplay already present in the work while shedding new light on the balance of voices and harmonies.”

The album trailer is available online here.

Coming onto the scene in the 2015-16 season, the ensemble has toured internationally. Its musicians include:

Thibault Bertin-Maghit, bass
Chloé Chabanole, violin
Scott Chancey, viola
Jérémie Cloutier, cello
John Corban, violin
Yubin Kim, violin
Xavier Lepage-Brault, viola
Robert Margaryan, violin
TJ Skinner, violin
Andrea Stewart, cello

In 2021, collectif9 signed with leading European label Alpha Classics, a partnership that began with the re-release of the group’s 2nd album, "No Time for Chamber Music."