To François

Amore was realized in the Faculty of Music of the Université de Montréal (1986-88), and at the studios Séducson (Montréal, 1992) and Bruit bleu (Montréal, 1992). With the voices of Judith Bergeron, Daniel Leduc and Roxanne Turcotte. Texts of Love You, Olé-Léa-Léo and Trop tard are excerpted from Navires de guerre (War Ships) by Élise Turcotte (Écrits des Forges, 1984). The main source of inspiration is Roland Barthes’s book A Lover’s Discourse, with a few allusions in Olé-Léa-Léo. Musical allusions can also be found to Yellowman in L’amore: préambule and to Wes Montgomery in T’es le fun téléphone. Amore was awarded the 2nd prize at the International New Music Composer’s Competition (USA, 1987).

Composition

• 1986 – 1988, Faculté de musique – Université de Montréal, Montréal (Québec)
• 1992, Studio Séducson, Montréal (Québec)
• 1992, Studio Bruit bleu, Montréal (Québec)

Awards

• 2nd prize, International New Music Composer’s Competition (New York) 1987, USA

(Amore: Prelude) This is the story of Léa, Léo, Chantal, François, I don’t know who… you and me, the next-door neighbor. Where? No matter. In Italy, Costa Rica, in Germany, in Jamaica, in Japan, perhaps Seychelles. Your dream destination. At the moment, we are quite comfortably seated in a movie theatre. We have listened to the overture and the coughs and clearing of throats by impatient movie-goers. In a bar: the sketch reveals seduction, a future encounter, music, dance, smoke, and intoxication. As the evening progresses, the faces become more and more indistinct, finally we can’t even make them out. It’s time to go home.

(What Fun Telephone) Everything revolves around the telephone: waiting for a call can drive you crazy, worse — the unwanted calls from everyone but the one. Luckily, there’s Wes Montgomery to help us dream away… Each in his own apartment, François and Chantal pass the time. We can observe them as if through a camera. Who hasn’t, at one time or another, wished to pierce the veil, and look upon the intimacy of others. A tale of self-knowledge, or perhaps not… They finally meet… maybe at the cinema!

Two lovers cavort, cover each other with kisses and affection. Followed by a similar picture on the television screen. Soft lighting and background music inspire the first exchange of confidences… The many colours of love, the infinite tenderness of the heart, and desire, lifting us up on the meditative wave of the holy dabouda of our love, to be tele-taken into the television set. A sensation of well-being and euphoria!

Léa on holiday, on vacation, her tender heart awaiting a romantic rendezvous. Could it happen that very first night? Léa has read the book A Lover’s Discourse; Léo too. Casual lovers, driven crazy by tenderness, by desire, by a hundred little schemes…

(Too Late) A few nights later… a flame to nurse, the unexpected, and misconceptions to correct before it’s… too late! To take leave of this chamber, to enter another in an eternal beginning. Everything began with the tale of the vampire. A none-too-seductive intruder who nonetheless exuded an irresistible charm. Not at all banal: clandestine loves, passion, a fairy tale with a dream-like ending. Amorous adventures based on the theme of the heart: lionhearted, hearts of the palm tree, heartburn, heartthrob, candied hearts…