Posted at 1:43 am. Updated at 7:00 a.m.
“It’s my first time getting around with cranes, but this is Montreal,” Alexandra Stréliski said after her free midday mini-concert at Place des Arts.
It came as a surprise, or almost as the announcement was made less than 24 hours in advance.
If we could actually hear the work in progress on Rue Jeanne-Mance, Stréliski’s piano could immediately have the calming effect it always has on whoever hears it.
It would have been necessary to measure the cortisol levels of the employees of the Complexe Desjardins towers before and after the six pieces performed by the pianist, in order to demonstrate to employers the positive effect of music on stress.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
A spectator attentively watching the pianist’s movements
When Fabienne Lescadre heard on the radio on the way to the office that Alexandra Stréliski would be performing at 12:30 p.m. on the Esplanade des Place des Arts, she told herself that she would definitely not pass up the opportunity to see it them for the first time in the flesh.
I love it ! I’m also a pianist. His music speaks to me and makes me forget all my worries. When I’m stressed from work, I listen to Alexandra Stréliski.
Fabienne Lescadr
A lucky few sat in the front row – it has to be said – on red cubes, barely two meters away from the artist who is internationally represented by Sony.
A godmother and her goddaughter found each other there… by accident. “I was so hoping to arrive on time! said Ginette Chayer, who had a hair appointment downtown.
“I cried again,” his niece Caroline Gendron dropped.
Even in the open air, even by candlelight on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River, he had already seen Alexandra Stréliski at the Festif! from Baie Saint Paul.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Many people stood on the steps of the Esplanade and listened to the artist at the piano.
If Alexandra Stréliski performed outdoors at the invitation of the Place des Arts, it was only to give a foretaste The outdoor show “Dans les bois” that she will perform three times at Joliette, in the Fernand Lindsay Amphitheater (managed by Place des Arts), from August 24th to 26th.
“It’s a magnificent natural amphitheater,” says Mylaine Albert, communications director at Place des Arts. There is a slope and people can bring a picnic. »
“It’s me who chooses the wine and the food,” promises even Alexandra Stréliski. The idea is really to live on site. There is a forest all around and people can come with their children. »
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Smiling, Alexandra Stréliski is about to start her “surprise concert”.
Already 10 years
Dans les bois is the title of a track from Alexandra Stréliski’s new album Néo-Romance, released on March 31, just before the start of a major tour that will last until 2024 with two shows at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.
The Place des Arts is a place close to his heart. Alexandra Stréliski still remembers how Laurent Saulnier, the then programmer of the Jazz Festival, invited her to perform in the – small – 5th room in 2013 (10 years ago!).
Then it was Maisonneuve and it will be Wilfrid-Pelletier. “Want, don’t want, it’s symbolic,” starts Alexandra Stréliski.
On Friday, she was barely 24 hours back in Montreal for her surprise mini-concert. “I kind of lost track of time. Tomorrow is Ottawa. “After that, Los Angeles, New York and I will be back,” says the man with a great ability to keep his feet on the ground.
“I like it when I can make music as easily and spontaneously as I can today,” she wanted to emphasize when we met her backstage. This is the most normal relationship between a musician and the audience. »
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
To applause, Alexandra Stréliski tells her admirers see you soon.
An experience to be repeated
Could there be more free shows on the Place des Arts Esplanade at lunchtime?
“We wanted to offer Montrealers a moment of sweetness before the big festivals take over the space. […] People have experienced something and that gives the taste,” answers Mylaine Albert.
Finally, Alexandra Stréliski presented Lumières, Dans les bois, The Hills, The Breach and BORDERS to the public.
“I’m here to start the summer,” she told the crowd with her trademark modesty and naturalness.
Finally, Alexandra Stréliski rocked the audience with “Earlier”. Listened to millions of times around the world, isn’t this song the perfect balance of contemplation, melancholy and reverie?
One thing is certain: Among the spectators seated on the steps of the Place des Arts, there were closed eyes, tears in their eyes and looks that contentedly stared into space.
Then there was an unexpected appearance. That of the comedian Mathieu Dufour, who accompanied Alexandra Stréliski at her piano for a short interview that will be broadcast on Sucré Salé.
We had to return to reality.