Press Quotes
“The musical writing of Fragments breathed with intelligence through the instruments carrying the melody, foremost among them the winds, and through the radiant interplay woven with the string quartet. […]
From the very first Fragment, we were captivated by an eloquent sound designer, drawing from nothing less than the spirit of the little-known Auguste Descarries (1896 to 1958). Beautiful melodic surges emerged, brief yet striking, without leaning into anything overtly cinematic. The second Fragment brought to mind the atmosphere of Jardin du sommeil d’amour from Messiaen’s Turangalîla, for the sense of mood it offered. The third Fragment once again highlighted the delicate and sumptuous dialogue between the wind instruments and the orchestra’s string quartet.
In the final Fragment, or movement of Fragments, […] the contrasts between percussion and woodwinds conveyed a gravity reminiscent, though in much briefer form, of the third movement of Ernest Amédée Chausson’s Concerto for Violin, String Quartet and Piano, Op. 21.
Overall, the experience recalled the way Charles Dutoit once took us on a journey, much like the day we discovered Jacques Ibert (Escales, Bacchanales, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Decca). ‘Studies in style, short and fleeting ideas,’ the young composer claims. I cannot bring myself to repeat that, for words are always powerless to express the true essence of music.”
Freely translated from french
-Les Artzés, Éric Sabourin, July 29th, 2024
''Before the Beethoven symphonies, the orchestra played Fragments, a piece by French-Canadian composer Charles Roy Dubuc. Fragments combines musical ideas and inspiration from other composers. Despite having never heard of Dubuc before, his music was impressive upon first listen.
The pieces’ first movement was melodic, featuring the strings and clarinets; the second was a hazy and calming lullaby, highlighting clarinet and the double-reed woodwinds. Its calm suspense felt like an orchestra holding its breath, with no release. The third movement, a waltz, featured pleasant harmonies in the flute section, while the fourth and final movement was the most ‘cinematic’ of them all, with the clarinets and sustained strings at the forefront, and heavy use of percussion near the end.
At just 25 years old, Dubuc has skillfully infused his music with different styles and moods — I look forward to hearing more from him, particularly with more varied orchestration''.
-La Scena (mascena), Amanda Wong, August 2nd, 2024
“As an opening, the work commissioned from Roy Dubuc by the Orchestre de la Francophonie had everything it needed to whet our appetite. Presented as a piece that explores the orchestra’s many colors through a variety of styles and influences, Fragments fully delivered on its promise. Beyond the clearly identified influence of Arvo Pärt, we could also hear echoes of John Williams in the first movement, as well as touches reminiscent of certain Disney film composers in the third.
The second movement, however, may have been the most compelling, thanks to its refinement, originality, and the remarkable control displayed by Rivard and the performers. Its delicacy was such that one could almost imagine a gentle breath drifting through a sunlit clearing. Stunning.”
Freely translated from french
-Pieuvre.ca , Martin Prévost, August 1st, 2024