When the haunting, experimental soundscapes of Radiohead’s Kid A began seeping into the world’s collective unconscious via download back in 2000, one of the most noticeable additions was an ethereal wail of high-pitched frequencies that added an eerie counterpoint to the deep distorto-funk groove of “The National Anthem.” Unbeknownst to many, this was their first taste of the idiosyncratic ondes Martenot — one of the first electronic instruments ever produced, and an exceptionally rare piece of gear that uses radio frequencies and a sliding metal ring positioned over a keyboard to produce a sustained tone similar to that of a violin.

While the ondes played a key role as Radiohead shifted into an electro-based period of rapid artistic development, the instrument already had a long history in redefining music by way of its prominence in the works of French composer Olivier Messiaen. Radiohead wunderkind guitarist Jonny Greenwood is a self-professed fan of Messiaen, crediting the 20th-century master as the reason behind his use of the instrument and for having a huge impact on his own classical compositions. So when Toronto Symphony Orchestra director Peter Oundjian began contemplating themes for this year’s New Creations Festival, it’s not entirely surprising that such a rare instrument would figure into the program’s highlights.

With a focus on keyboard in the 20th and 21st century, the fourth annual New Creations weighs heavily on Messiaen by way of his famous Turangalîla-Symphonie, the ondes-heavy Trois petites liturgies de la Présence Divine as well as two other pieces. Appropriately, this year’s theme came indirectly from Messiaen who, according to TSO’s composer advisor Gary Kulesha, once responded to Oundjian’s request for a string quartet by saying, “You mean write a piece without piano?”  Though the exchange happened many years ago, it started Oundjian thinking about the composer’s relationship with the keyboard. Consequently, the initial piece for the program was Turangalîla, which Kulesha says has “the most elaborate ondes Martenot part.”

But finding an ondist is kind of like tracking down a stylus for a Victrola, especially in North America. Not only have the ondes themselves been out of production for something like 20 years, the ones that do exist are extremely valuable (upwards of $20,000, though Greenwood has had a hand in creating a more affordable replica with UK manufacturer Analogue Systems). Even the Conservatoire de Musique de Montreal stopped teaching the francophonic instrument many years ago. Enter ondist extraordinaire Jean Laurendeau. 

In the late 1950s, early in his career as a clarinettist studying and playing in Quebec and Paris, Laurendeau heard the ondes and was instantly intrigued. “The electronic sound seduced me very much since it was possible to modulate it in a very human way,” he says over the phone from his Montreal home. “It was not cold like instruments of the time — electronic organ or things like that.” Greenwood has referred to it as the most organic of electronic instruments, and Laurendeau elaborates on the sentiment saying, “You really have to be there as a sensitive human to make the ondes sound warm and lively.”

Take, for instance, the third movement from Trois petites liturgies, where the ondes’ emulation of a soprano singing voice gets swept into the middle of a musical whirlpool, swirling around with piano, horns and a choir only to conclude the section by exploiting the instrument’s most erratic possibilities of manipulating the electronic pitch. Imagine the sounds from a Morricone score cranked to a fever pitch of Sonic Youth intensity, but played by a symphonic orchestra. Aside from offering a unique sonic flavor, the ondes’ presence in the New Creations Festival also highlights a key element of Messiaen’s contribution to the classical canon, what Kulesha refers to as his being “one of the first great synthesists of styles and elements.”

The festival itself incorporates this very idea, combining the works of Messiaen with a harpsichord concerto by Philip Glass and even an accordion concerto, all accompanied by visual projections by Jimmy Hayes. Of particular note, New Creations also includes a much-hyped piano concerto by LA philharmonic music director Esa-Pekka Salonen (whose second movement originally featured the working title “Synthetic Folk Music with Artificial Birds”) and a TSO co-commissioned work featuring the Gryphon Trio by Canadian composer Jeffrey Ryan. “The thing that we’re hoping to encourage and it seems to have worked for the past couple of years,” says Kulesha, “is we are encouraging the idea that an audience can like or dislike what they are going to hear.

 “We’re going to try to guide you through some of it. Peter will be speaking from the stage and we will have lobby talks so we’re hoping it’s going to be a combination [of the] challenging and entertaining.” 

Email us at: LETTERS@EYEWEEKLY.COM or send your questions to EYEWEEKLY.COM
625 Church St, 6th Floor, Toronto M4Y 2G1