It may seem a bit odd that
Sony Classical
released this album by violinist and conductor
Alexandre Da Costa
, leading the
Orchestre Symphonique de Longueuil
in suburban Montreal. The album grew out of tours the orchestra made to seniors' residences in Quebec at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, determined to make connections with audiences that needed music. That context is outlined in the album booklet but isn't directly audible in the music. However, the context produced an unusual program devoted to arrangements by
Da Costa
himself of mostly French and Quebec songs (
Freddie Mercury
's
We Are the Champions
makes the cut, apparently as a kind of moral pep talk) for violin and orchestra. The
Stradivarius
of the title is
's own instrument;
Je me souviens
("I remember") is Quebec's motto. Some of the songs, such as those by
Leonard Cohen
and
Edith Piaf
, are internationally known, while others, such as
Serge Fiori
Harmonium
, were probably familiar to
's original hearers but will be less so to
Sony
's international audiences. A bit of information in the booklet might have been helpful.
's arrangements are lush, and they effectively build in density toward the end, with
Hallelujah
making for a stirring finale. The bottom line is that this is an unusual collection of orchestral pop song renderings and one of considerable interest for that reason. ~ James Manheim