Fantastic Creatures

creatures

Fantastic

FR

Texts and design: Marie-Claude Codsi Illustrations: Frédéric Ellis

Visual Guide

The Artists

Time to Play

Concert Programme

Fantastic Creatures

Fantastic creatures sometimes have magical powers or superpowers, such as flying, becoming invisible or breathing fire.

Fantastic creatures are often based on elements of reality, but with a twist! A good example would be a 3-headed dog. Dogs do exist, but have you ever seen one in the park with 3 heads?!?!

Fantastic creatures are sometimes nice, sometimes nasty, depending on the story and your imagination!

A fantastic creature doesn't exist in reality. They're found in stories, films, paintings, dreams and so on. It's has

What's a Fantastic Creature?

Clique sur les illustrationspour en apprendre plus sur ces créatures fantastiques!

Some crEatures To discover...

This concert will take you on an extraordinary adventure where gargoyles, griffins, and firebirds will come to life before your eyes with live illustrations by Frédéric Ellis.What musical pieces will be performed? Click on the icons below to find out!

Programme

The Concert

Now listen to a song she composed earlier. It's the same melody!

In this symphony, Amy Beach decided to reuse a theme she had already composed.

Listen here to the main theme of this movement, played by the brass family.

The excerpt you'll hear at the concert is about a boat trip! It tells the story of the journey the Irish had to make in the 19th century to immigrate to North America, which sometimes involved storms.

Gaelic Symphony

Amy Beach

The piece ends as the faun goes back to sleep to continue dreaming. Listen to how the melody reminds us of the beginning of the piece, even though it's different.

The piece begins with a melody on the flute: the faun's theme.

flute

Here, we follow a faun in the wild as he wakes up from sweet dreams.

Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

Claude Debussy

The strings

Listen to how fast stringed instruments play to imitate this hunt! Can you move your fingers as fast as you hear the notes?

In Gargoyles, imagine the creatures that fly swiftly through the night sky, chasing away evil spirits!

Carnaval: Gargoyles

Roberto Sierra

Maracas Phoenix excerpt

maracas

South America

What is a Latin dance? It's a dance that comes from Spain, Central America or South America. An instrument often used in Latin music is the maracas. Can you hear them in this excerpt from the piece?

This piece starts out slowly, but quickly becomes a Latin dance for the phoenix!

Carnaval: The Phoenix

Roberto Sierra

Woodwinds

If you listen to the whole piece, you'll notice that the motif is often played by woodwind instruments.

To represent this “mystical dance”, Charlotte Sohy uses a motif (a few notes in succession).

We hear it for the first time, after more than a minute of music. Notice how short the motif is! The longer the piece goes on, the more notes Sohy adds after the motif, to show in music how this dance becomes more complex. Then, at the very end, the motif becomes short again, as if the dancers were exhausted.

Danse Mystique

Charlotte Sohy

Listen here to all the fast notes played by the clarinets. The nymphs are not as shy anymore.

Here you can hear the 2 clarinets exchanging the melody, as if it were a game, sometimes interrupting each other.

Clarinet

The composer uses 2 clarinets to illustrate 2 nymphs playing together in nature.

Antology of Fantastic Zoology: Nymphs

Mason Bates

Meanwhile, the bassoon plays a lullaby to lull the sorcerer to sleep.

Throughout the piece, the harp repeats the same notes, like a pendulum to hypnotize the sorcerer.

You'll hear two excerpts from the ballet at the concert. The first part is called Berceuse. Here, the Firebird casts a spell on the evil sorcerer to put him to sleep.

The Firebird is a ballet about 13 princesses trapped by an evil sorcerer who are rescued by a prince and a Firebird.

The Firebird: Berceuse

Igor Stravinsky

Then it's off to the big party! The prince and one of the princesses get married, accompanied by the almighty orchestra!

The second part of the ballet that you will hear is called Finale.

The Finale begins with a melody played on the horn, repeated by more and more instruments. This melody heralds the princesses' awakening, freed from the spell that has held them captive!

The Firebird: Finale

Igor Stravinsky

The Artists

An illustrator, a dancer, an actress, a conductor, a stage director and many musicians! The OSM invites you to learn more about the artists working on this concert!

If you'd like to see more of Frédéric's creations:

DifferentTools

Frédéric is a Canadian illustrator. His work draws principally upon musical subjects. You can see his self-portrait here (a drawing of himself done by him).He has worked with several orchestras, including the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. He will draw live illustrations of fantastic creatures at the concert. "Le dessin au quotidien" (Bouquin Bec 2022), is Frédéric's first self-published book presenting a collection of drawings inspired by every day objects.

Frédéric Ellis

Do you always use the same pencils when you draw? Probably not! Sometimes you use felt-tip pens, other times wax crayons or wooden pencils. When you're an illustrator, you've got plenty of tools at your disposal. Click on the buttons on the right to learn more.

Different tools

Mélanie is an actress in this show. A UQAM graduate in theatre studies (2012) and acting (2016), Mélanie Chouinard is interested in the voice of the body in space. Since graduating, she has appeared in Mille et une histoires avant la nuit (Théâtre du 450), Cru 2.0 and Vermine (Déviation2 Théâtre), Tarmac (presented at Château du Tertre in Normandy), Nordicité (Théâtre Incliné, presented in Norway), Cercle (Théâtre de La Foulée), Lamelles, Intérieur and Les employés (Chambre noire), Le Vaisseau-cœur and La nef (Théâtre BOP).

Mélanie Chouinard

Amandine is a dancer in this show. Amandine Garrido Gonzalez is an international artist from Chile, a graduate of the Conservatory of Art of the University of Chile, with a specialization in interpretation and training in classical and contemporary dance. She worked for various contemporary companies in her home country before starting her career in Canada in 2008 as a performing artist for Cirque du Soleil and the Sursaut dance company. Always striving for excellence, Amandine has broadened her horizons by becoming a choreographer and director.

Amandine Garrido

Adam Johnson is the conductor of this concert (the person standing in front of the musicians, with his back to the audience). One of his tasks is to tell the instrumentalists when to start playing and when to stop. He also shows them when to play louder or softer (nuances), faster or slower (tempo).

Adam Johnson

The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is an ensemble of approximately 90 musicians whose goal is to perform and promote orchestral music. The symphony's repertoire includes works that are over 300 years old, new music that is being performed for the first time in concert, and everything in between!

orchestre symphonique de Montréal

Martin Gougeon is this concert’s stage director. His job is to conceptualize and oversee the various aspects of a show, including the actors’ performances, lighting, sets, script, and so on. Martin Gougeon is a multidisciplinary creative artist. Having dabbled with the cello in his youth, it was through the theater that he chose to express himself. Trained as an actor, he has appeared in over 30 theatrical productions. An active director and writer, he has directed and written some twenty comedies. He also had the pleasure of flying to Chile to write and direct the circus show Klima.

MArtin Gougeon

Time to draw

How does a creature sound?

Quiz time!

To play

It`s time

Answer the following questions to test your knowledge and discover the hidden picture!

Quiz Time!

Congratulations! Here you can see a drawing of the composer Igor Stravinsky by Frédéric Ellis!

Time to draw

It's time to try your hand at drawing a fantastic creature to music!Choose one of the suggested pieces and draw a fantastic creature while listening to the music. Is your creature nice or naughty, small or huge, multicolored or black-and-white? There's no room for error: it's YOUR imaginary creature!

How does a creature sound?

What if we tried to invent the sound that fantastic creatures make? With the objects you have in your classroom, imagine the sound this dragon would make when walking, flying or even talking? Does this dragon make long or short sounds, loud or very soft ones? No mistake possible... it's an imaginary creature!

Visual Guide Youth Concert

I am going to attend a concert by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM).

The concert will take place at the Maison symphonique. The Maison symphonique is located in Place des Arts.

With my family

With my school

I will attend the concert:

I want to know about:

Leaving the hall at the end of the concert

The concert

The Maison symphonique

Getting to the Maison symphonique

I will travel to 1600 Saint-Urbain Street:

By bus

By metro

By car

By taxi or paratransit service

The car can be parked under the Maison symphonique, in another parking lot, or on the street.

If the car is parked under the Maison symphonique, I can take the stairs or the elevator to reach Level 1 - "Salles de spectacles".

When I reach Level 1, I take the corridor to go to the Maison symphonique.

I get off the metro at Place-des-Arts station, on the green line. Then I follow the directions to Place des Arts.

At the stained-glass window, I turn right and go up the stairs into the corridor leading to the Maison symphonique.

I walk along the corridor. It can sometimes get quite windy in the corridor.

I walk along the corridor all the way to the Maison symphonique.

I tell the driver to drop me off at 1600 Saint-Urbain Street.

I take the stairs or the access ramp to enter the building.

Once inside, I can take the stairs or the access ramp. If I look up, I will see mirrors on the ceiling.

I will arrive right at the entrance to the Maison symphonique.

Many bus lines can take me to the Maison symphonique: 15, 24, 35, 55, 80, 125 and 129, as well as the express lines 465 and 480.

When I get off the bus, I walk toward the 1600 Saint-Urbain Street entrance.

I take the stairs or the access ramp to enter the building.

Once inside, I can take the stairs or the access ramp. If I look up, I will see mirrors on the ceiling.

I will arrive right at the entrance to the Maison symphonique.

Stalls, Row M, Seat 2

OSM Concert

Ticket

I need my ticket to enter the Maison symphonique.

I can use either a printed ticket or a digital one. The ticket says where I should sit in the concert hall.

As I enter the Maison symphonique, an usher will scan my ticket with a machine. The scanner might make a sound when scanning the ticket.

Here is a floorplan of the entrance hall. I can click on the picture to take a virtual tour.

I can leave my coat at the cloakroom or keep it with me.

There will be ushers to help me. They wear a uniform. I can ask them where to find the washrooms, water fountains, quiet zones, and my seat.

The Maison symphonique has several floors. I can take the stairs or go up the escalator or the elevator.

At the Balcony level

At the Mezzanine level

At the Corbeille level

At the Parterre level

My seat is located:

Here is a floorplan of the foyer at the Parterre level. I can click on the picture to take a virtual tour.

In the foyer of the Parterre level, there are many windows to see outside.

There are washrooms near the hall entrances. The toilets flush automatically. There are also water fountains if I am thirsty.

I can look at the screens to see what is happening on stage.

There is a place where I can sit and relax if I want to. It is called the quiet area.

There is someone from the OSM staff that can answer my questions at the quiet area. They can give me noise cancelling headphones if the sound is too loud.

Here is a floorplan of the foyer at the Corbeille level. I can click on the picture to take a virtual tour.

In the foyer of the Corbeille level, there are many windows to see outside.

There are washrooms near the hall entrances. The toilets flush automatically. There is also a water fountain if I am thirsty

I can look at the screens to see what is happening on stage.

There is a place where I can sit and relax if I want to. It is called the quiet area.

There is someone from the OSM staff can answer my questions at the quiet area. They can give me noise cancelling headphones if the sound is too loud.

Here is a floorplan of the foyer at the Mezzanine level. I can click on the picture to take a virtual tour.

In the foyer of the Mezzanine level, there are many windows to see outside.

There are washrooms near the hall entrances. The toilets flush automatically. There are also water fountains if I am thirsty.

I can look at the screens to see what is happening on stage.

There is a place where I can sit and relax if I want to. It is called the quiet area.

There is someone from the OSM staff can answer my questions at the quiet area. They can give me earmuffs if the sound is too loud.

concert hall

Here is a floorplan of the foyer at the Balcony level.

There are washrooms near the hall entrances. The toilets flush automatically. There are also water fountains if I am thirsty.

I can look at the screens to see what is happening on stage.

There is a place where I can sit and relax if I want to. It is called the quiet area.

There is someone from the OSM staff can answer my questions at the quiet area. They can give me earmuffs if the sound is too loud.

Before the concert, I can wait in the foyer or go to my seat right away.

If I want to eat a snack, I must do so before entering the concert hall.

The Maison symphonique is a large concert hall. I can click on the picture to take a virtual tour.

Musicians arrive on stage and start playing their instruments to warm up (it sounds like this).

There's a quiz in French on the screen at the top of the stage while we wait for the concert to start. I don't have to take it if I don't want to.

I will hear a chiming sound twice. The first chime rings 8 minutes before the beginning of the concert. The second rings 2 minutes before. This is the sound I will hear.

To enter the hall, I go through doors that are already open. These doors will stay open throughout the concert.

An usher will help me read my ticket and find my seat. The seat is just for me. On my ticket, the letter indicates my row, and the number, my seat.

The quiz stops.I hear a voice over the loudspeaker announcing the beginning of the concert. The lights will dim.

After the announcement, the musicians will tune their instruments (it sounds like this). The concert will begin.

The stage is where the orchestra plays music during the concert. I cannot go on stage. This space is for musicians and artists only.

During the concert

I clap when I see the symbol

I listen to the performance

I respect other people's space

I do not drink in the hall

I do not eat in the hall

I ask an adult before standing up

I stay seated

If I stand up, I make sure people behind me can still see the stage and the musicians.

There is no intermission during the concert. The concert lasts 60 minutes.

If the concert is too loud or if I need time to relax, I can go to the quiet area or the foyer with an adult.

The quiet area and foyer are located outside the hall. An usher can help me get there.

I can relax in the quiet area or the foyer. I will still hear the music coming from the hall a little bit. When I am ready, I can return to the hall to listen to the concert.

If I need to use the washroom during the concert, I can go with an adult. My seat will still be mine when I come back. An usher can show me where the washrooms are.

When the music ends, I can clap and cheer. When other people clap, it can get quite loud. If it gets too loud, I can cover my ears with my hands or put on noise cancelling headphones.

At the end of the concert, the musicians stand up and face the audience with the conductor.

I can clap and cheer at that moment to show them I enjoyed the concert.

At the end of the concert, I will stand up and leave the hall with an adult.

I can stay at my seat and wait a few minutes, so I can leave the hall when there are fewer people around.

Ushers are there to show me where the washrooms are and where the exit is.

Thank you for coming to hear the OSM. See you soon!

Have a question?Contact-us! By email: accessibilite@osm.ca By phone: 514 840-7914 Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm

Texts and design: Marie-Claude Codsi and Mélanie Moura Photos: Pierre-Yves Picard - PY Studio Archival photos: Antoine Saito; Gabriel Fournier; Stéphane Brügger Creation of pictograms and maps: Caroline Hamel Bank of pictograms : Sergio Palao. Origin: ARASAAC (http://www.arasaac.org). License: CC (BY-NC-SA). Owner: Government of Aragon (Spain) Cover illustration: Mathilde Filippi Translation: Évelyne Ridyard

Credits

I want to know about:

Leaving the hall at the end of the concert

The concert

The Maison symphonique

Getting to the Maison symphonique

I will go to 1600 Saint-Urbain Street:

By city bus (STM)

By metro

By school bus or charter bus

By taxi or paratransit service

The bus to the Maison symphonique will pick me up at school.

The driver may drop me off on Maisonneuve Boulevard next to the Maison symphonique.

I will line up with my group and walk toward the Maison symphonique, located at 1600 Saint-Urbain Street.

Outside, security guards and police officers are there to help me get to the Maison symphonique.

I take the stairs or the access ramp to enter the building.

Once inside, I can take the stairs or the access ramp. If I look up, I will see mirrors on the ceiling.

The entrance to the Maison symphonique will be on my right. I will wait in line with my group to enter.

I get off the metro at Place-des-Arts station, on the green line. Then I follow the directions to Place des Arts.

At the stained-glass window, I turn right and go up the stairs into the corridor leading to the Maison symphonique.

I walk along the corridor. It can sometimes get quite windy in the corridor.

I walk along the corridor all the way to the Maison symphonique.

I will wait in line with my group to enter.

I tell the driver to drop me off at 1600 Saint-Urbain Street.

Outside, security guards and police officers are there to help me get to the Maison symphonique.

I take the stairs or the access ramp to enter the building.

Once inside, I can take the stairs or the access ramp. If I look up, I will see mirrors on the ceiling.

The entrance to the Maison symphonique will be on my right. I will wait in line with my group to enter.

Many bus lines can take me to the Maison symphonique: 15, 24, 35, 55, 80, 125 and 129, as well as the express lines 465 and 480

When I get off the bus, I walk toward the 1600 Saint-Urbain Street entrance.

Outside, security guards and police officers are there to help me get to the Maison symphonique.

I take the stairs or the access ramp to enter the building.

Once inside, I can take the stairs or the access ramp. If I look up, I will see mirrors on the ceiling.

The entrance to the Maison symphonique will be on my right. I will wait in line with my group to enter.

To enter the Maison symphonique, my teacher will tell the person at the entrance the name of my school. I do not need a ticket to enter.

The person at the entrance will tell us which floor we should go to and the name of the usher who will walk us there.

Here is a floorplan of the entrance hall. I can click on the picture to take a virtual tour.

There will be ushers to help me. They wear a uniform. I can ask them where to find the washrooms, water fountains, quiet zones, and my seat.

The Maison symphonique has several floors. I can take the stairs or go up the elevator. The escalator is closed.

At the Balcony level

At the Mezzanine level

At the Corbeille level

At the Parterre level

My seat is located:

Here is a floorplan of the foyer at the Parterre level. I can click on the picture to take a virtual tour.

In the foyer of the Parterre level, there are many windows to see outside.

The usher will tell me where I can eat my snack before entering the concert hall.

There are washrooms near the hall entrances. The toilets flush automatically. There are also water fountains if I am thirsty.

I can look at the screens to see what is happening on stage.

There is a place where I can sit and relax if I want to. It is called the quiet area.

There is someone from the OSM staff can answer my questions at the quiet area. They can give me noise cancelling headphones if the sound is too loud.

Here is a floorplan of the foyer at the Corbeille level. I can click on the picture to take a virtual tour.

In the foyer of the Corbeille level, there are many windows to see outside.

The usher will tell me where I can eat my snack before entering the concert hall.

There are washrooms near the hall entrances. The toilets flush automatically. There is also a water fountain if I am thirsty.

I can look at the screens to see what is happening on stage.

There is a place where I can sit and relax if I want to. It is called the quiet area.

There is someone from the OSM staff can answer my questions at the quiet area. They can give me earmuffs if the sound is too loud.

Here is a floorplan of the foyer at the Mezzanine level. I can click on the picture to take a virtual tour.

In the foyer of the Mezzanine level, there are many windows to see outside.

The usher will tell me where I can eat my snack before entering the concert hall.

There are washrooms near the hall entrances. The toilets flush automatically. There are also water fountains if I am thirsty.

I can look at the screens to see what is happening on stage.

There is a place where I can sit and relax if I want to. It is called the quiet area.

There is someone from the OSM staff can answer my questions at the quiet area. They can give me noise cancelling headphones if the sound is too loud.

concert hall

Here is a floorplan of the foyer at the Balcony level.

The usher will tell me where I can eat my snack before entering the concert hall.

There are washrooms near the hall entrances. The toilets flush automatically. There are also water fountains if I am thirsty.

I can look at the screens to see what is happening on stage.

There is a place where I can sit and relax if I want to. It is called the quiet area.

There is someone from the OSM staff can answer my questions at the quiet area. They can give me earmuffs if the sound is too loud.

When my group is ready to enter the hall, my teacher will inform an usher.

I will get in line with my group, and the usher will lead us into the hall.

To enter the hall, I go through wooden doors.

The usher will show me where to sit.

The Maison symphonique is a large concert hall. I can click on the picture to take a virtual tour.

Musicians arrive on stage and start playing their instruments to warm up (it sounds like this).

There's a quiz in French on the screen at the top of the stage while we wait for the concert to start. I don't have to take it if I don't want to.

The quiz stops. I will hear a voice over the loudspeaker announcing the beginning of the concert. The lights will dim.

After the announcement, the musicians will tune their instruments (it sounds like this). The concert will begin.

The stage is where the orchestra plays music during the concert. I cannot go on stage. This space is for musicians and artists only.

During the concert

I clap when I see the symbol

I listen to the performance

I respect other people's space

I do not drink in the hall

I do not eat in the hall

I ask an adult before standing up

I stay seated

If I stand up, I make sure people behind me can still see the stage and the musicians.

There is no intermission during the concert. The concert lasts 60 minutes.

If the concert is too loud or if I need time to relax, I can go to the quiet area or the foyer with an adult.

The quiet area and foyer are located outside the hall. An usher can help me get there.

I can relax in the quiet area or the foyer. I will still hear the music coming from the hall a little bit. When I am ready, I can return to the hall to listen to the concert.

If I need to use the washroom during the concert, I can go with an adult. My seat will still be mine when I come back. An usher can show me where the washrooms are.

When the music ends, I can clap and cheer. When other people clap, it can get quite loud. If it gets too loud, I can cover my ears with my hands or put on noise cancelling headphones.

At the end of the concert, the musicians stand up and face the audience with the conductor.

I can clap and cheer at that moment to show them I enjoyed the concert.

At the end of the concert, I will stand up and leave the hall with my group.

If my teacher asks me to, I will stay at my seat and wait a few minutes so we can leave the hall when there are fewer people around.

Ushers are there to show me where the washrooms are and where the exit is.

Thank you for coming to hear the OSM. See you soon!

Have a question? Contact-us! By email: accessibilite@osm.ca By phone: 514 840-7914 Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm

Texts and design: Marie-Claude Codsi and Mélanie Moura Photos: Pierre-Yves Picard - PY Studio Archival photos: Antoine Saito; Gabriel Fournier; Stéphane Brügger Creation of pictograms and maps: Caroline Hamel Bank of pictograms : Sergio Palao. Origin: ARASAAC (http://www.arasaac.org). License: CC (BY-NC-SA). Owner: Government of Aragon (Spain) Cover illustration: Mathilde Filippi Translation: Évelyne Ridyard

Credits

What does Mystique mean?

In French, mystique can mean something or someone who is very religious. Sometimes the word is also used to describe something or someone who is mysterious.

Timpani

Timpani are percussion instruments. There are different sizes of timpani, as you can see in the video. Can you hear how each timpani produces lower or higher tones depending on their size?

The gryphon (or griffin) is a fantastic creature with the body of a lion, wings and the head of an eagle.

Gryphon

A unicorn is a very rare creature. It is said to be pure, innocent, kind. A unicorn is a horse with a horn in the middle of its forehead. They're often drawn all in white, but not all the time!

Unicorn

Imagine a unicorn galloping through composer Murray Schafer's choral piece:

Violin

Double bass

Cello

Viola

The string family is the most numerous in the orchestra. Violin, viola, cello and double bass players are placed at the front of the orchestra. The octobass is a very rare instrument, not often used in the orchestra.

Octobass

The

strings!

The faun is hairy, with pointed ears and the feet and horns of a billy goat.

Faun

Gargoyles are nocturnal creatures (who live at night) and transform into statues during the day! They often look like demons. But although they may look like monsters, gargoyles are generally there to protect buildings and people from evil spirits. They are often installed on the roofs of old buildings, where they can see what's going on around them.

GargoYle

Oil Painting

Oil paint is applied with a brush. It's an oil-based paint (you don't need to mix it with water to use it). This type of paint takes a long time to dry, compared with aquarelle (water-based paint). Here, Frédéric used oil paint to make the dragon's green skin!

The firebird is a bird with yellow, orange and/or red feathers. It emits light because it's on fire. Unlike the phoenix, it is not immortal. It is a sign of both good and bad luck.

Firebird

Need a challenge?

Try to finish drawing your creature before the music ends! But be careful, your creature still needs nice details ;)

Tuba

Le Tuba

Horn

Trumpet

Trombone

Le trombone

The brass family

The brass family includes the trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba. They are called brass instruments because they are made from different metals, including copper, a soft, shiny metal.

Objects

Frédéric likes to use objects we have around the house to help him make drawings. Whether it's a paper clip, a button or scissors, any object can be used to create certain parts of an illustration. Here, he used two leaves to make the dragon's wings!

Mason Bates1977-

• He is American.
• He is a composer and DJ.
• He has composed a lot of music, including the soundtrack for an animated film (Philharmonia Fantastique).

• He won a Grammy (a highly prestigious music award) for an opera he composed.

Need some inspiration?

Watch this video to see how an everyday object like paper can be used in many different ways to make different sounds!

A goblin is a creature that likes to play tricks (mischievous). Goblins are small and ugly.

GOBLIN

Try to imagine a goblin playing tricks as you listen to Dvořák's piece about a goblin who lives in water!

There are three types of clarinet in the orchestra. There is a small one in E-flat, which is very high pitched. The most common one is the B-flat clarinet. There is also the bass clarinet, which is much larger and lower pitched than the others. All clarinets are made of ebony, a very rare wood that grows in southern Africa. This type of wood produces a warm, rich sound. A clarinet player is called a clarinetist.

The clarinets

Roberto Sierra1953-

• He is Puerto Rican.
• He studied composition in Puerto Rico and Europe.
• He also taught composition at university for several years in the United States.

Charlotte Sohy1887-1955

• She was French.
• She signed her compositions with the pseudonym* “Charles Sohy”.*A pseudonym is a name chosen to hide one's identity. Years ago, many female composers used pseudonyms so that people wouldn't know the music had been composed by a woman.

Mason Bates1977-

• He is American.
• He is a composer and DJ.
• He has composed a lot of music, including the soundtrack for an animated film (Philharmonia Fantastique).

• He won a Grammy (a highly prestigious music award) for an opera he composed.

*Please note that not all the people who live here are Celts.

When we say that something is Gaelic, we mean that it comes from or has been influenced by the traditions of these people, in this part of the world.

What does Gaelic mean?

Gaelic is a language spoken by people (the Celts) who live in Ireland and the United Kingdom (in Europe).*

Felt-tip pens

Like you, Frédéric uses felt-tip pens! Here, Frédéric used a black felt-tip pen to make the dragon's scales and claws! Notice how he used different sizes of felt-tip pen to make the different details.

Mermaids are magnificent creatures. They have a woman's upper body and a fish tail. In stories, they are sometimes gentle, sometimes naughty. They are often described as having beautiful voices.

Mermaids

Try to imagine a group of mermaids in the water with this piece by composer Claude Debussy Sirènes.

L'oiseau de feu dans les histoires russes est un oiseau avec des plumes jaunes, oranges et rouges. Il émet de la lumière car il est en feu. Contrairement au phénix, il n'est pas immortel. Il est à la fois un signe de chance et de malchance.

Oiseau de feu

The concert harp has 47 strings and seven pedals. In orchestral music, the harp often plays solo parts and melodies. How is it played? The musician plays seated, with the instrument resting on their right shoulder. They pluck the strings with the fingers of both hands, excluding the pinkie finger. They use foot pedals to change the pitch of the notes. A harp player is called a harpist.

La harpe classique

Roberto Sierra1953-

• He is Puerto Rican.
• He studied composition in Puerto Rico and Europe.
• He also taught composition at university for several years in the United States.

L'oiseau de feu dans les histoires russes est un oiseau avec des plumes jaunes, oranges et rouges. Il émet de la lumière car il est en feu. Contrairement au phénix, il n'est pas immortel. Il est à la fois un signe de chance et de malchance.

Oiseau de feu

Amy Marcy Beach1867-1944

• She was American.
• She played piano.
• She was the first American woman to compose and publish a symphony.
• She composed over 150 works.

Piccolo

There are many types of flutes, including the piccolo, a small flute that can play very high notes. “Piccolo” is an Italian word that means “small.” The piccolo is often made of wood rather than metal like the flute.

The flute is played holding the instrument horizontally and on the right. It is made of metal. A flute player is called a flutist.

Flute

Il existe 2 types de sphinx. Les sphinx de l'Égypte ancienne ont le corps d'un lion et la tête d'un homme. Les sphinx dans la mythologie grecque ont le bas du corps d'un lion, le haut du corps et la tête d'une femme et les ailes d'un oiseau. Les sphinx sont souvent représentés comme des gardiens à l'entrée de temples.

Sphinx

Imagine une créature grande et magnifique dans le mouvement Sphinx de la pièce de Roberto Sierra.

In Greco-Roman mythology, a nymph has the body of a young woman. She is half-woman, half-goddess. She can die, but only after a very long life. She's a nature spirit found in the forest.

Nymph

Photo Credit: Graetz Bros

You can see him here in the photo with Pierre Béique (left), the first General Director of the OSM from 1939 to 1970. On the right is Stravinsky's partner, Catherine Gavrilovna Nossenko.

Did you know?

Igor Stavinsky conducted the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal on December 10 and 11, 1946! At that concert, he even conducted 2 excerpts from his own compositions, Berceuse and Finale from The Firebird.

Igor Stravinsky1882-1971

• He was Russian.
• He was a composer and conductor.
• He lived and worked in France for many years, and even longer in the United States.
• He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century.

The horn has a mouthpiece, flat valve levers, a wide bell, and many feet of coiled metal tubing. Horn players place their right hand in the bell to hold up the instrument and to adjust the sound. This instrument is often associated with hunting. The person who plays the horn is called a horn player.

Horn

Flute Tuba Piano

Violin Double bass Oboe

Did you know it's the same for composers?

Like an illustrator, a composer has plenty of tools at his or her disposal to write music... instruments! Listen here to the same melody from Peter and the Wolf played by different instruments. Do all instruments sound the same?

The bassoon is made of a 2.5-metre-long wooden tube that folds back on itself. It can be made of maple or rosewood. A curved metal tube, called a bocal or crook, extends from the top of the bassoon. This is where the reed is placed. Bassoon players hold their instrument at a slight angle, resting it on their right hip. A bassoon player is called a bassoonist.

The bassoon

Bassoon

Oboe

Clarinet

Flute

The Woodwinds

family!

The woodwind family includes flutes, clarinets, oboes and bassoons. These instruments are placed in the center of the orchestra.

The firebird is a bird with yellow, orange and/or red feathers. It emits light because it's on fire. Unlike the phoenix, it is not immortal. It is a sign of both good and bad luck.

Firebird

Claude Debussy1862-1918

• He was French.
• He studied composition and piano.
• He is considered one of the inventors of a new style of music: Impressionism.
• You may already have heard his piano piece Clair de lune.

Igor Stravinsky1882-1971

• He was Russian.
• He was a composer and conductor.
• He lived and worked in France for many years, and even longer in the United States.
• He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century.

L'oiseau de feu dans les histoires russes est un oiseau avec des plumes jaunes, oranges et rouges. Il émet de la lumière car il est en feu. Contrairement au phénix, il n'est pas immortel. Il est à la fois un signe de chance et de malchance.

Oiseau de feu

L'oiseau de feu dans les histoires russes est un oiseau avec des plumes jaunes, oranges et rouges. Il émet de la lumière car il est en feu. Contrairement au phénix, il n'est pas immortel. Il est à la fois un signe de chance et de malchance.

Oiseau de feu

A minotaur is a monster with the body of a man and the head and tail of a bull. The minotaur is present in Greek mythology, where it is described as a cannibal (who feeds on human beings).

Minotaur

Composer Harrison Birtwistle has written an opera about a minotaur. It's a very dark piece of music. You can listen to an excerpt here:

The phoenix is a magnificent bird in red, orange and/or yellow. When it becomes old, it burns and rises from the ashes, making it immortal (it never dies)!

Phoenix

Charcoal Drawing

Charcoal is in fact a stick of charcoal. It's all black and it is very handy when one wants to draw shadows. Different sizes of charcoal are available for smaller or larger details. You can also use your fingers or an eraser to spread the charcoal on the paper and create different effects. Here, Frédéric used it to make the dragon's belly and part of its tail. Watch this video to see an artist at work with charcoal!

A troll is a hideous (very ugly) and dangerous creature. Trolls are described as giant, unintelligent creatures. They are often found in the stories and legends of Nordic countries such as Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

Troll

Listen to composer Edvard Grieg's March of the Trolls.