2012-11-29 06:44:41.000
Leonard Cohen, Three Hours of Meditation
Leonard Cohen... (Photo Bernard Brault, La Presse)
The scene was a bit surreal: Leonard Cohen recites his deep voice the poem A Thousand Kisses Deep on supporting very discreet synths Neil Larsen on Wednesday night at the Bell Centre. And all around 12,562 spectators quiet, collected, beyond a laugh when Cohen gives the caustic humor and listening to a poem like this is probably not ever produced in a temple of hockey in Montreal.
Since his previous triumphant tour of two and a half years, Leonard Cohen has spent the circuit of theaters in the arenas where its popularity is justified. Including Montreal, his hometown. Wilfrid-Pelletier at the Bell Centre, there is a giant step Cohen and his brilliant musicians and singers have crossed with confidence on Wednesday.
However, here as elsewhere, Cohen does not compromise. On the contrary, arena, his new song Darkness becomes less blues supported on disk, more delicate as in the game of guitarist Mitch Watkins me he appeared when his predecessor Bob Metzger played it at the end the previous tour.
During the first part of the three hours of music, Cohen has focused on listening to the public. He sang classics, Dance Me To The End Of Love to Is not No Cure For Love through Bird on the Wire and Everybody Knows, but there are other songs that made us experience moments of grace the beautiful intro guitarist Javier Mas for Barcelona Who By Fire, the new anthem Come Healing launched by the violin rookie Alexandru Moldovan Bublitchi which combines the rough voice to those of Cohen, angelic, his three backup singers, In My Secret Life warmly applauded for its beautiful vocal harmonies, and moving - and aptly named - Anthem.
After the intermission, Cohen thanked the public for its sound quality by making him some gifts that The Partisan he had not played in Montreal in 2008 and, more than all the other songs in the program has shows the combined wealth of guitars Cohen, Mitch Watkins, Javier Mas and violin Bublitchi. Then, after a few words to the song Alexandra Leaving, he confided to the warm voice of one with whom he wrote, Sharon Robinson. As he was, recall, let Webb Sisters If It Be Your appropriating Will, as enchanting as the first time.
{VIDEO LINK - Dance Me To The End Of Love -
http://bit.ly/114Es5Y ]
Otherwise, in addition to songs from new album Old Ideas, well integrated, the directory has not changed. With this different than the violin brings to Cohen's songs, including Suzanne sober, more soul and warmth that could provide them with the electronic lutherie Dino Soldo. Maybe it was there Wednesday night not magic and surprise of unexpected reunion of four years ago, but the music was over, performed by artists more welded.
And he came to see that all is always impressive. While Watkins, and Mas Bublitchi play sitting for most of the evening standing Cohen sings, he kneels down and picks up frequently with a flexibility that would be the envy of those who do not have half of its 78 years. The little man is less talkative than four years ago, but he speaks the truth and self-deprecating mania better than anyone, as when returning from the intermission he thanked the people not to be returned home.
Fortunately they stayed. They would not bite Cohen heard the text of Hallelujah and push his voice in the irresistible So Long Marianne. They would not have smiled upon seeing the actor playing him I'm Your Man and pay the head of the 'lazy bastard living in a suit' for Going Home. And they have not seen dancing during the swarming First We Take Manhattan and exit stage frolicking with the air of saying I could do another hour if it was not already 23:40.
Leonard Cohen is at it again tonight at the Bell Centre and Sunday at the Quebec Coliseum.