Raynald Grenier has had quite an illustrious career. I could say that listening to what he has uploaded on Spotify alone, but he’s had an even more interesting background. He began his career as an accompanying pianist and subsequently as a conductor for several groups. If a theatric frozen frame could verbally explain what music the moment required, Raynald Grenier quite possibly has the experience to alchemize it to a form of liquid poetry. Dolci momenti is a collection of such emotional pieces of music.

The title track is an emotional opening that reminded me of Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky. I don’t indulge in classical music much, but I can see when salutations are being paid to the greats. With rising strings and piano melodies, the mold is too complicated for a mere critic like me to criticize. Here I only elucidate what I felt. Complex potions of sorrow and joy make a swill that isn’t for the faint of heart. It is a moving piece, and a great way to start the album.

Doux instants makes way for an interlude in a drama, where thoughts and moments deliberate over relationships. Grenier knows how to set the scene with each of his pieces, so they’re precise and free flowing like a creek. The moment of unison for the swells in strings is what makes a track special and for a specific moment, even while composing.

Dictating a moment

There’s a regal quality, patience to this kind of listening. A moment isn’t served to you, you slowly chance upon it. Sweet Moments is such a segment, with the build being slow and steady. The crescendos don’t catch you unawares, and the moments have been retrieved as their original dexterity is acknowledged. The minor scale changes within tracks like Nostalgia make sure the tracks are heard for the moment they stand to narrate.

Watch the harps take charge and encapsulate the beauty of nature that is laid out in front of us. Soleil levant is a track that is a picturesque depiction of a breathtaking sight. Concertino en do diese pour piano et orchestre helps the instrument dominate, which it can clearly do being such a malleable producer of sound and emotion. The way the acts are set out for the tracks of the album are segments of memory, and must be viewed as such.

Dolci momenti is a glimpse into the life of a very accomplished composer. With years of bronze under his belt, he has chalked out instrumentals for various scenes and entire dramas. It would be riveting to hear his compositions with the theatrics and the audio-visual experience it deserves. This does not go to say you will not enjoy it for the quality of composition it is. Classical music fan or not, tune in to watch seemingly lifeless instruments toy with your emotions for the better part of 45 mins. You have only this music virtuoso and composer to thank.

The title track can easily be used in the James Bond film Skyfall in one of the scenic shots of the countryside. Check out the movie here – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1074638/