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My favorite things Quebecois
No, I am not there, but I am catching up on requests from loyal MR readers. Today I will set this one right:
Pianist: Oscar Peterson. His best albums are The Trio and the set with Joe Pass at Salle Pleyel. For all his talent, many of his CDs are quite boring. On another front, I usually don't like Marc-Andre Hamelin. Despite the critical raves, I find him icy cold, enjoying only his rendition of the Scriabin sonatas.
William Shatner performance: I will opt for "City on the Edge of Forever." (NB: I haven't yet seen "Incubus".)
Actress: Genevieve Bujold, most of all in Cronenberg's Dead Ringers.
Popular music: I don't much like Leonard Cohen or Celine Dion. Rufus Wainwright is OK. Arcade Fire is OK. Help me out here people...
Author: Saul Bellow wins hands down, though he is not a personal favorite.
Philosopher: Charles Taylor. There is also G.A Cohen, though I have to put him on my "totally wrong about everything" list.
Linguist: Steven Pinker.
Movie Director: Mack Sennett, and yes I used Google/Wikipedia to find that one.
Painter: This guy would be the mainstream pick. I'm holding out for one of the strange naives, but the name escapes me.
The bottom line: I must be linguistically limited, because most of these names come from English-speaking families. It is also striking how many thorough web sites exist, dedicated to nothing but listing the many famous and meritorious Quebecois.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on June 18, 2007 at 01:47 PM in The Arts | Permalink
Comments
I don't much like Leonard Cohen
Philistine.
For other pop acts, in their time I liked The Box, Men Without Hats, and Voivod. Mitsou was a guilty pleasure. Melissa auf der Maur has done a few interesting things.
Posted by: bartman at Jun 18, 2007 2:25:08 PM
Pianist: Oscar Peterson. His best albums are The Trio and the set with Joe Pass at Salle Pleyel.
You should have included "My Favourite Instrument".
Posted by: Chris E at Jun 18, 2007 2:45:00 PM
I would suggest watching some of the performances Shatner has done on Boston Legal. He has won at least one Emmy, and, in my opinion, it was well deserved.
Posted by: Yancey Ward at Jun 18, 2007 2:50:40 PM
Prof. Cowen,
Arcade Fire is more than just OK. Id say bordering on greatness if you asked me.
Posted by: John Pertz at Jun 18, 2007 3:01:52 PM
Steve Pinker isn't even a linguist.
Posted by: steve at Jun 18, 2007 3:20:40 PM
Authors: Michel Tremblay, especially the Chroniques du Plateau Mont Royal - read this in French if at all possible. Another one of my favorites is Patrick Nicol, who seems to be all but unknown and entirely unavailable in translation.
Food: Poutine! Actually, no, I prefer frites sauce (poutine minus the cheese curds). Other favorites (not mine) include smoked meat and a strange variety of bagel.
Music: How about Kate and Anna McGarrigle? Great Francophone song: Louise Forestier singing "Demain matin Montreal m'attend," from the Michel Tremblay musical of the same name.
Word: tabarnac! Quebecois swearing is really the best part of the culture.
Posted by: nicole at Jun 18, 2007 3:31:44 PM
How about the greatest sports franchise of all-time?
I tink dat you forget da Habs.
Posted by: habs_fan at Jun 18, 2007 4:01:00 PM
Wolf Parade, anybody? They were founded in British Columbia, but currently operate out of Montreal. They're currently defunct, but the Unicorns were amazing. Their successor band, Islands, is great too. Oh, and what John Pertz said.
Posted by: Minipundit at Jun 18, 2007 4:47:25 PM
Rufus Wainwright is better than OK. I sometimes wince at his lyrical clunkers, but the voice and over-the-top orchestration... you should really check out "Between My Legs" on his new album if you haven't.
"California" from Poses and "Beautiful Child" from Want One are also very good.
Posted by: Lee B at Jun 18, 2007 5:14:59 PM
I can't believe you don't mention the movie The Barbarian Invasions. Especially as an economist writing for a site called Marginal Revolution.
It's also the perfect rejoinder to the Michael Moore's forthcoming paeon to the wonders of the Canadian healthcare system.
Posted by: Famous J at Jun 18, 2007 5:49:49 PM
Alanis Morissette is from nearby Ottawa and has a Quebecois father.
Posted by: mobile at Jun 18, 2007 5:57:34 PM
Are you discussing your favourite things Québécois or your favourite things French Canadian? :-)
Posted by: andrew smith at Jun 18, 2007 6:38:25 PM
Isn't Circue du Soleil from Quebec?
Posted by: Bill Stepp at Jun 18, 2007 6:50:04 PM
I've been rather enamored of Les Breastfeeders in the realm of "popular" music. One of those few bands that can do really good rock n' roll with a touch of punk while still sounding fresh and having more than 3 chords per song. Also, good lyrics (in French, too. I notice nearly everyone on your list produces works in English).
Posted by: Mike at Jun 18, 2007 7:32:43 PM
Beer. Unibrue makes wonderful beer. Le Fin du Monde, Maudite -- wonderful. http://www.unibroue.com/ . Check them out while there. Will second Famous J. on Barbarian Invasions. Scathing indictment of Canadian health care. Cirque is nice, but after you've seen one, marginal value of others much lower. The Just for Laughs festival is great. And the springtime street corner vendors selling maple syrup poured over snow....
Posted by: Eric Crampton at Jun 19, 2007 12:28:18 AM
Music: La Bottine Souriante plays traditional Québécois music, only with a horn section.
Posted by: Russell Nelson at Jun 19, 2007 1:22:11 AM
i'm going to have to agree with those who want to push arcade fire toward the great column. after seeing them live recently, it made me fall in love with the band all over again. wolf parade is much fun too, but all the action is from krug and i am not sure he counts for quebec.
something is to be said for eric gagne as well.
Posted by: t at Jun 19, 2007 1:25:21 AM
William Shatner performance: I would opt for his "I Am Canadian" stand up routine at Just For Laughs.
Popular music: Give Arcade Fire another try, I'm with John Pertz and Minipundit on that one, same for Wolf Parade and Malajube is a band showing great promise.
Author: Réjean Ducharme for his novel "L'Avalé des avalés" a wonderful book.
Movie Director: As with Famous J, Definitely Denys Arcand for "The Decline Of The American Empire" and "The Barbarian Invasions", I'm surprised Google or Wikipedia we're even needed :)
Actress: Marie-Josée Croze for many indies from Québec but most specially for her role in "The Barbarian Invasions" (Best actress winner at Cannes for that one) and in all her glory as Jeanette the Dutch Assassin in Spielberg's "Munich".
Painter: Jean-Paul Riopelle who was also a sculptor, his abstract expressionism period rivals Pollock's.
Food: Poutine is a guilty pleasure but Montreal's smoke meat is the best there is bar none. And there are so many regional delicacies from beer, duck, paté, etc...
Festivals: Every place in Quebec has its festival if its not one festival after another in larger cities during the summer season, my favorites are the Just For Laughs festival and Montreal's International Jazz Festival.
And yes Cirque du Soleil originated in Quebec.
Posted by: Tim at Jun 19, 2007 1:37:59 AM
I'd enjoy Arcade Fire a little bit more if they would just tune their instruments. Ugh, perfect pitch can be a curse.
Posted by: fustercluck at Jun 19, 2007 11:56:51 AM
Just for Laughs Gags,
Always improves a flight with AirCanada
Posted by: aaron_m at Jun 19, 2007 12:08:47 PM
Film directors: Claude ("Mon Oncle Antoine") Jutra and Denys Arcand.
Modern-dance diva: Margie Gillis.
Posted by: Michael Blowhard at Jun 19, 2007 1:48:10 PM
Film: Andre Turpin. Mainly cinematographer, but directed "Un crabe dans la tête", which was very good.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0878031/
Posted by: ricardo at Jun 19, 2007 2:45:00 PM
Forget the Arcade Fire - they're OK, but as far as I'm concerned the best Montreal-based arty-rock collective is still Godspeed You Black Emperor (they may no longer exist, but even so...).
Posted by: Dudley Morris at Jun 19, 2007 3:28:57 PM
Music: Cryptopsy
Posted by: Samson at Jun 19, 2007 5:06:30 PM
Oscar Peterson is from Mississauga, Ontario... not Quebec.
Posted by: Jenn at Jun 19, 2007 5:28:23 PM
