Patrimony and Architecture

L'Histoire de la musique à Montréal by Frédéric Back

Patrimony and Architecture
Public art
Brilliant hues of reds, yellows, bronzes and blues bring Québec’s music history to life in an ethereal work of art.
© Tourisme Montréal - Marie Deschene
© Tourisme Montréal - Marie Deschene
© Tourisme Montréal - Marie Deschene

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L'Histoire de la musique à Montréal by Frédéric Back
Montréal, QC
Place-des-Arts
Downtown - Quartier des spectacles
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Frédéric Back’s huge work is composed of thousands of layered pieces of glass backlit by 105 lighting tubes and supported by a tonne of steel. The glass surface is rippled, causing the brilliant colours to shimmer ethereally. The work was originally intended to be homage to four important Quebec musical artists: the composers Calixa Lavallée, Guillaume Couture, and Alexis Contant, and soprano Dame Emma Albani. However, though their figures dominate, the artist chose to trace the history of music in Montreal, from its very beginnings.

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