Bestiary
Contemporary musical stories
Tales that come to life in a wildly new way. A musical journey beyond time and space. Step into alien, animal minds – hear their side of the story and what they have to say about us humans. Welcome to the contemporary music universe of Bestiary, the podcast.
Keep your ears open and dive into two tales from Bestiary, by contemporary Quebec (formerly British) writer Jim Burke.
Patrick Mathieu’s resolutely contemporary music takes you to places beyond time and space, cutting you loose from the world around you and immersing you in a sonic, hypnotic cocoon. Weightlessness, uncertainty, and ambition are the matter of The First Dog on the Moon, while Spout the Story of a Whale’s subaquatic score flips back and forth between the vast echoing ocean depths and a raucous Saturday night at the bar. The score – as much a part of the story as the voice of the narrator – is performed by 11 Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville members and the Quatuor Voxpopuli.
The First Dog on the Moon
Perhaps you've heard of Laika, the dog sent to space by the Soviets in 1957?
How did she get there? What did she think was happening? How did she feel, rocketing her way to the moon? Experience her journey from the inside. Squeeze into that cramped cabin and share the thrills, chills, and sheer terror of that canine hero as played by Sophie Nélisse.
Recorded in December 2020 at Théâtre Paradoxe in Montreal.
Spout, the Story of a Whale
What if Jonah's whale could tell us his side of the story?
Many long years have passed, and the whale in the tale looks back on it all and tells us his side, dredging memories up from the depths to face them in the here and now. Come along on this epic journey. Spout the Story of a Whale is played by Benoît Brière.
Recorded in March 2022 at Studio Upper Room in Drummondville.
Bestiary : Stories in Contemporary Music is a coproduction of the Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville and Voxpopuli.
