The Pavillon Charles-Baillargé of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec used to be the Québec City Jail, and it is filled with traces and memories. Grand dehors is an attempt at symbolically and poetically rehabilitating this location through sound. Two states of the same substance are at the heart of this project. Freedom and captivity are musically embodied in a narrative that balances back and forth between vivid, energetic drives with lots of movement, and behaviours of isolation and confinement. The piece unfolds like the changing paths of life, which, along the vagaries of the road, presents us with limits and liberties. The sounds I used come in part from the old cells now restored.

— Martin Bédard [English translation: François Couture, i-13]

Grand dehors [Great Outside] was realized in 2011 at the composer’s studio and premiered on January 28, 2011 during the concert Espaces de mémoires presented by Erreur de type 27 (E27) at Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. The piece was commissioned by E27. Thanks to Marie-Hélène Breault and E27, and to the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec for their hospitality and collaboration.

Premiere

• January 28, 2011, Espaces de mémoires, Pavillon central — Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Quebec City (Québec)