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Volume 15 Issue 6 - March 2010

  • Text
  • Toronto
  • April
  • Jazz
  • Arts
  • Symphony
  • Orchestra
  • Theatre
  • Recital
  • Concerts
  • Concerto

Depth and StrengthALLAN

Depth and StrengthALLAN PULKERToronto’s music-presenting scene could be described as being likea good hockey team – having depth, and with strength in allareas. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Canadian OperaCompany are both thriving; Tafelmusik is one of the best baroqueorchestras in the world; in Sinfonia Toronto and the Esprit Orchestrawe have two other professional orchestras, one focussed on thechamber orchestra repertoire and the other on contemporary repertoire.There’s great contemporary music strength in Toronto: Soundstreamsconsistently gives us innovative programming, as also doNew Music Concerts, the Music Gallery, the Art of Time Ensemble,Continuum and Arraymusic.At the presenter end of the spectrum, Music Toronto brings someof the world’s best chamber music and pianists to the city; the AldeburghConnection maintains a high level vocal recital series; andRoy Thomson Hall brings some of the world’s best singers, pianistsand orchestras to its stage; Off Centre and the Women’s MusicalClub also present chamber music at a very high level. While we havelost the influx of performers brought here when Livent was alive andwell, others – such as a newly invigorated Mooredale Concerts underAnton Kuerti’s direction and the RCM’s new Koerner Hall series –have moved in to take up the slack.Another relatively new presenteris Show One Productions, foundedand run by Russian-born “superwoman,”Svetlana Dvoretskaia. AsI write she is busy in Montreal,where she’s presenting the RotterdamPhilharmonic Orchestra, which,as you’ll know if you read my columnlast month, performs in Torontoon February 24. On March 20she is putting together on the stageof Roy Thomson Hall the remarkablecombination of baritone DmitriSvetlana Dvoretskaia.Hvorostovsky, soprano Sondra Radvanovsky and l’Orchestre de laFrancophonie with guest conductor Constantine Orbelian.A relatively new company, Show One first stepped into Toronto’scultural scene in 2004, presenting Vladimir Spivakov and the MoscowVirtuosi at the George Weston Recital Hall. In the early days,most of the audiences at Show One productions were from the Russiancommunity; but now, according to Dvoretskaia, “It’s totally different.Russians are still supporting me a lot, but I would say they’reabout 30-35 percent of my patrons now.” Encouraged by the successof her Weston Recital Hall concerts, she knew she wanted tomove to a downtown location. At that time (a little over two yearsago) there was nothing downtown comparable in size to the Westonso she took the risk and presented a recital by Hvorostovsky at RoyThomson Hall, with more than twice the seating. “Of course it was abig risk on my part, but so is our business – always a big risk!” Thatconcert was a great success, so concerts by the Moscow Virtuosi andthe Moscow Soloists followed, and now the March 20 concert.This collaboration between Hvorostovsky and Radvanovsky isone of many. They’ve performed together in Russia and Europe, aswell as in productions by the San Francisco Opera and the MetropolitanOpera. Orbelian is a frequent collaborator with “Dima” (asDvoretskaia refers to Hvorostovsky) – and a fortuitous meeting withJean Philippe Tremblay, conductor of L’Orchestre de la Francophonie,led to its involvement.To say that Svetlana Dvoretskaia is enthusiastic about the show,which is also being done in Montreal, would be an understatement:“Italian opera is very dramatic – especially when it’s performed bysuch superstars.” Kudos to Svetlana for her courage and willingnessto take risks! Toronto, as well as Montreal and Vancouver, are thePHOTO KAROLINA BALASH18 WWW.THEWHOLENOTE.COMMarch 1 - April 7, 2010

THE ROYALCONSERVATORY’SGlenn Gould School presentsFor the complete 09.10 Season line-up visit rcmusic.caCONTINUUM CONTEMPORARY MUSIC MUSICIANS FROM MARLBORONEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE MONICA WHICHERFRANCES PAPPASCONTINUUM CONTEMPORARYMUSICThe ThreadSunday, February 28, 2010, 8:00 pmContinuum performs the chamber works ofone of Canada’s most accomplishedcomposers, James Rolfe. Charting thedevelopment of his “muscular and strippeddown”sound and “delicate economy” ofform, the concert features such works asSimon & Garfunkel and the prophets of rage,Squeeze, Freddy’s dead, and others.MUSICIANS FROM MARLBOROThursday, March 4, 2010, 8:00 pmCelebrating their 45 th season, the MFMtouring program is an extension of Vermont'sMarlboro Music Festival. This concert willfeature Haydn String Quartet in E-flat, KodályViolin and Cello Duo, and Brahms ClarinetQuintet in B Minor.NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLEBRIAN CURRENT, conductorSongs of Love and SorrowSaturday, April 10, 2010, 7:00 pmIs there such a thing as socially responsiblemusic? Join Brian Current and the New MusicEnsemble of The Glenn Gould School as theyperform works by Claude Vivier (Canada),John Rea (Canada), Jonathon Berger (USA),Luciano Berio (Italy), and others. Listen andunderstand why the composers felt it wasimportant to write about these topics.Presented in partnership with the Centre forEthics, the Toronto School of Theology, theJackman Humanities Institute, and StanfordUniversity. Special guest: Livia Sohn, solo violin.The Glenn Gould School is supported by:MONICA & FRIENDSSunday, April 18, 2010, 1:00 pmMonica Whicher, soprano, Frances Pappas,mezzo-soprano, and Liz Upchurch, piano.Following her successful Mazzoleni Hallrecital last season, Monica returns to performa concert of solo and duet works with guestsFrances Pappas and Liz Upchurch. Recital willfeature Handel, Monteverdi, Mendelssohn,Fauré, Donizetti, Britten, and others.TICKETS FROM !Order now at rcmusic.ca416.408.0208All performances are in Mazzoleni Hall at theTELUS Centre for Performance and Learning.273 Bloor Street West (Bloor and Avenue Rd.)

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