Book ShelfPAMELA MARGLESPartita for Glenn Gould:An Inquiry into the Nature of Geniusby Georges LerouxMcGill-Queens University Press256 pages; .95it’s almost thirtyyears since Glenn Goulddied, yet there’s no letupin the number ofbooks written about him.This study by Georgespherwho taught at theUniversité du Québecà Montréal, is one of the best. In what helight on aspects of both Gould’s art and hislife. Ultimately he shows how inseparablethey were, since right from an early age,Gould devoted his whole life unreservedly tohis art.For all the extraordinary piano recordings,radio and television documentariesand writings Gould left us, he remainsfamous for giving up live concerts early innot abandoning anything, least of all hisaudience. Gould was searching for disembodiedmusical perfection, which he couldn’tachieve with live concerts, to share withaudiences. This means that his pioneeringradio documentaries, like the Idea of theNorth‘unequalled masterpiece’, deserve the sameconsideration as his piano recordings like thesecond Goldberg Variations.Gould’s humming, which can be clearlyheard on many of his recordings, woulddrive recording engineers, critics, conduct-another side, asking, “What is this unsettlingsong if not a message, a compassionatesignal designed to draw in to him those whoit represents Gould wanting “everyone,through him, to draw near to what is sublimein the work.”By providing philosophical underpin-is able to offer an appreciation of ThomasBernhard’s, provocative, revealing and oftenmisunderstood novel about Gould, TheLoser. Bernhard altered the facts of Gould’smade him an inspiring, visionary genius.This book is not an introduction to Glennitywith Gould’s playing. Nor is it a biography,though he does discuss events in Gould’s lifelike his love affair with Cornelia Foss.Gould’s famous description of art as a“state of wonder and serenity” resonatesthe extraordinary diaries Gould kept from1977 to 1978 — in one of the most fascinatingsections of this book — he sees Gould engulfedby anxiety. Surprisingly, these diariesdocumenting Gould’s crisis have never beenpublished in their original English, only in aFrench translation.Donald Winkler, who presents the originalFrench text in elegant and lucid English. TheEnglish version of the full title, however, ismisleading. The original subtitle, Musiqueet forme de vie,in acts and words, to view it in the contextof music as an art, and to take the measureof its generosity.” But An Inquiry into theNature of Genius describes a differentreferences is regrettable — to be unableto track down quotations not just fromfrom Wittgenstein to Robert Fulford, isfrustrating. There is, fortunately, a usefulbibliography and detailed index.Monument Eternal:The Music of Alice Coltraneby Franya J. BerkmanWesleyan University Press148 pages, photos, score excerpts;.95 paperin 1965, McCoyTyner left JohnColtrane’s legendaryquartet, so Coltraneasked his wife, AliceColtrane, to take overas pianist. AliceAwasan equally virtuosic, butmore meditative player.John Coltrane died two years later, but thegrumblings that she had ridden her husband’scoat-tails to success never stopped.music, musicologist Franya Berkman leadsAliceColtrane out from under the shadowof her husband and treats her as a musicianin her own right. When she met JohnColtrane she was already an accomplishedpianist and organist with her own distinctivesound. Berkman documents her early workas a church organist, gospel player, and jazzmusician, and her studies with her mentor,with John Coltrane before his early death,not just musical but spiritual as well.After John Coltrane’s death, AliceColtrane pursued her own path altogether.When she became the spiritual leader of anAshram in Southern California, she evenforged a new identity. She changed her nameto Swamini Turiyasangitananda, and concen-by Hindu and other eastern rhythms andharmonies. In bringing attention to the depthand beauty of her later devotional music,Berkman is able to show that even here AliceColtrane never strayed far from her rootsin gospel, blues, be-bop, and the classicalmusic she studied when young.Berkman’s study is considerably enrichedby the series of interviews she did withColtrane before her death in 2007. Berkmanpaints a compelling portrait of an extraordinarywoman. Fortunately Coltrane madealbums alone — providing plenty of materialfor Berkman’s thoughtful musical analyses.Alice Coltrane stopped recording andperforming in public in 1979. Then, aftera concert with her sons Ravi and OranColtrane on saxophones. It was a triumphantreturn, but the recording which resulted,Translinear Lightalbum. Berkman has produced a fascinatingand important study, showing that it’sColtrane’s years away from the jazz scene,rather than any musical shortcomings, thathave lead to her being so frequently overlooked.In fact, it’s because Berkman offerssuch a powerful defence of Coltrane’soeuvre, including the liturgical music of herlast years, that I would have welcomed moreattention to what Translinear Light accomplished,and where it pointed.Ravi Coltrane performs in KoernerHall at the Royal Conservatory of Musicon Saturday February 4, 2012 at 8.00.58 thewholenote.comSeptember 1–October 7, 2011
Editor’s CornerDAVID OLDSAbout a year ago in this columnI raved about hearing Americanstring band Joy Kills Sorrow at Hugh’sRoom and their “Darkness Sure BecomesThis City” which has since stayed inregular rotation on my stereo throughoutthe past year. Their sophomore releaseThis Unknown Science(Signature Sounds SIG 2041www.signaturesounds.com) hasrarely been far from the CDplayer since arriving on mydesk last month. Whereas theprevious outing was squarelyrooted in the “new grass” campwith its busy mandolin, banjo,bass arrangements, this newdisc incorporates that sensibilityinto a broader approachencompassing indie-rock andnew folk (the genre from whichCanadian lead singer EmmaBeaton originates). While myinitial response to the introspectiveand generally moresubdued material was disappointment,repeated listeninghas easily changed my mindhaunting new songs—in particularWhen I Grow up (… I’llget better) and the strangelydisturbing Somewhere over theAtlantic in which the protagonistdreams of plane crashesfact that she will be “sleeping —pursuingme through my days. The instrumentationon this album has expanded too, withBeaton adding cello and bass-player, chiefsong-writer Bridget Kearney, using a bowwith some frequency (and agility) and alsoadding piano and organ to the mix. This isnot to say that there are no up tempo, goodtimenumbers—One More Night is a case inpoint—and even the slow melodies are oftenlaid over fast, rhythmic accompaniments.In spite of my hankering for“more of the same” in this newrelease I congratulate theseyoung artists for the growthshown here and for not restingon their laurels.Concert Note: I’m very pleasedto say that Joy Kills Sorrowwill return to Hugh’s Roomon September 20. I’ll be therewith bells on.Joy Kills Sorrow does not havethey are none the worse forthat. But perhaps that is onereason I was so pleased toreceive, around the same timeas their new disc, That’s HowWe Run, the latest from OttawaApril Verch (Slab Town RecordsSTR11-01 www.aprilverch.com).toryto win both of Canada’schampionships, the GrandMasters and Canadian Open,is renowned as a performerof traditional Canadian music.She has branched out in this latest releasewhich was recorded in North Carolina andmastered in Colorado and here embraces themusical traditions of our neighbour to thesouth. Although there are several traditionalFlatt are represented, most of the 17 trackswere composed by April Verch in the stylesof Appalachia, the Ozarks, the Mid-Westernvocals are particularly well suited to themedium and the claw-hammer banjo accompanimenton many songs is very effective.There’s plenty to tap your toes to too, not topays tribute to the heyday of the Hot Clubof France when Reinhardt performed withStéphane Grappelli, interspersed with traditionalScottish and East Coast melodies, jigsand reels. Dwayne & Duane each contributea couple of original compositions, althoughthese too are couched in the language oftradition. Andrews’ The Chocolatier’sLament is so convincing in its Reinhardtstylings I could swear I’ve heard it before,played by the master himself. My onlyquibble with the recording is that Côté’s occasionalpizzicato accompaniments to theguitar are not very effective. That said thisis still a superior and invigorating adventureand the swing arrangement of Hank Snow’shit A Fool such as I (written by Bill Trader)makes a wonderful closer.we welcome your feedback and invitesubmissions. CDs and comments should besent to: The WholeNote, 503–720 BathurstSt., Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R4. Wealso encourage you to visit our website,www.thewholenote.comadded features including direct links to performers,composers and record labels, “buybuttons” for online shopping and additional,expanded and archival reviews.—David Olds, DISCoveries Editordiscoveries@thewholenote.comningguitarist from Newfoundland who hasdevoted his energy to developing in DjangoReinhardt’s style and technique. On his latestCD Duane Andrews is joined by violinistDwayne Côté (www.duaneandrews.ca andwww.dwaynecote.com) for an outing thatSeptember 1–October 7, 2011 thewholenote.com 59
Welcome to our December/January issue as we turn the annual calendar page, halfway through our season for the 25th time, juggling as always, secular stuff, the spirit of the season, new year resolve and winter journeys! Why is Mozart's Handel's Messiah's trumpet a trombone? Why when Laurie Anderson offers to fly you to the moon you should take her up on the invitation. Why messing with Winterreisse can (sometimes) be a very good thing! And a bumper crop of record reviews for your reading (and sometimes listening) pleasure. Available in flipthrough here right now, and on stands commencing Thursday Nov 28. See you on the other side!
Long promised, Vivian Fellegi takes a look at Relaxed Performance practice and how it is bringing concert-going barriers down across the spectrum; Andrew Timar looks at curatorial changes afoot at the Music Gallery; David Jaeger investigates the trumpets of October; the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution (and the 20th Anniversary of our October Blue Pages Presenter profiles) in our Editor's Opener; the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir at 125; Tapestry at 40 and Against the Grain at 10; ringing in the changing season across our features and columns; all this and more, now available in Flip Through format here, and on the stands commencing this coming Friday September 27, 2019. Enjoy.
Vol 1 of our 25th season is now here! And speaking of 25, that's how many films in the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival editor Paul Ennis, in our Eighth Annual TIFF TIPS, has chosen to highlight for their particular musical interest.
Also inside: Rob Harris looks through the Rear View Mirror at past and present prognostications about the imminent death of classical music; Mysterious Barricades and Systemic Barriers are Lydia Perović's preoccupations in Art of Song; Andrew Timar reflects on the evolving priorities of the Polaris Prize; and elsewhere, it's chocks away as yet another season creaks or roars (depending on the beat) into motion. Welcome back.
What a range of stuff! A profile of Liz Upchurch, the COC ensemble studio's vocal mentor extraordinaire; a backgrounder on win-win faith/arts centre partnerships and ways of exploring the possibilities; an interview with St. Petersburg-based Eifman Ballet's Boris Eifman; Ana Sokolovic's violin concert Evta finally coming to town; a Love Letter to YouTube, and much more. Plus our 17th annual Canary Pages Choral directory if all you want to do is sing! sing! sing!
Arraymusic, the Music Gallery and Native Women in the Arts join for a mini-festival celebrating the work of composer, performer and installation artist Raven Chacon; Music and Health looks at the role of Healing Arts Ontario in supporting concerts in care facilities; Kingston-based composer Marjan Mozetich's life and work are celebrated in film; "Forest Bathing" recontextualizes Schumann, Shostakovich and Hindemith; in Judy Loman's hands, the harp can sing; Mahler's Resurrection bursts the bounds of symphonic form; Ed Bickert, guitar master remembered. All this and more in our April issue, now online in flip-through here, and on stands commencing Friday March 29.
Something Old, Something New! The Ide(a)s of March are Upon Us! Rob Harris's Rear View Mirror looks forward to a tonal revival; Tafelmusik expands their chronological envelope in two directions, Esprit makes wave after wave; Pax Christi's new oratorio by Barbara Croall catches the attention of our choral and new music columnists; and summer music education is our special focus, right when warm days are once again possible to imagine. All this and more in our March 2019 edition, available in flipthrough here, and on the stands starting Thursday Feb 28.
In this issue: A prize that brings lustre to its laureates (and a laureate who brings lustre to the prize); Edwin Huizinga on the journey of Opera Atelier's "The Angel Speaks" from Versailles to the ROM; Danny Driver on playing piano in the moment; Remembering Neil Crory (a different kind of genius)' Year of the Boar, Indigeneity and Opera; all this and more in Volume 24 #5. Online in flip through, HERE and on the stands commencing Thursday Jan 31.
When is a trumpet like a motorcycle in a dressage event? How many Brunhilde's does it take to change an Elektra? Just two of the many questions you've been dying to ask, to which you will find answers in a 24th annual combined December/January issue – in which our 11 beat columnists sift through what's on offer in the upcoming holiday month, and what they're already circling in their calendars for 2019. Oh, and features too: a klezmer violinist breathing new life into a very old film; two New Music festivals in January, 200 metres apart; a Music & Health story on the restorative powers of a grassroots exercise in collective music-making; even a good reason to go to Winnipeg in the dead of winter. All this and more in Vol 24 No 4, now available in flipthrough format here.
Reluctant arranger! National Ballet Orchestra percussionist Kris Maddigan on creating the JUNO and BAFTA award-winning smash hit Cuphead video game soundtrack; Evergreen by name and by nature, quintessentially Canadian gamelan (Andrew Timar explains); violinist Angèle Dubeau on 20 years and 60 million streams; two children’s choirs where this month remembrance and living history must intersect. And much more, online in our kiosk now, and on the street commencing Thursday November 1.
Presenters, start your engines! With TIFF and "back-to-work" out of the way, the regular concert season rumbles to life, and, if our Editor's Opener can be trusted, "Seeking Synergies" seems to be the name of the game. Denise Williams' constantly evolving "Walk Together Children" touching down at the Toronto Centre for the Arts; the second annual Festival of Arabic Music and Arts expanding its range; a lesson in Jazz Survival with Steve Wallace; the 150 presenter and performer profiles in our 19th annual Blue Pages directory... this is an issue that is definitely more than the sum of its parts.
In this issue: The WholeNote's 7th Annual TIFF TIPS guide to festival films with musical clout; soprano Erin Wall in conversation with Art of Song columnist Lydia Perovic, about more than the art of song; a summer's worth of recordings reviewed; Toronto Chamber Choir at 50 (is a few close friends all it takes?); and much more, as the 2018/19 season gets under way.
PLANTING NOT PAVING! In this JUNE / JULY /AUGUST combined issue: Farewell interviews with TSO's Peter Oundjian and Stratford Summer Music's John Miller, along with "going places" chats with Luminato's Josephine Ridge, TD Jazz's Josh Grossman and Charm of Finches' Terry Lim. ) Plus a summer's worth of fruitful festival inquiry, in the city and on the road, in a feast of stories and our annual GREEN PAGES summer Directory.
In this issue: our sixteenth annual Choral Canary Pages; coverage of 21C, Estonian Music Week and the 3rd Toronto Bach Festival (three festivals that aren’t waiting for summer!); and features galore: “Final Finales” for Larry Beckwith’s Toronto Masque Theatre and for David Fallis as artistic director of Toronto Consort; four conductors on the challenges of choral conducting; operatic Hockey Noir; violinist Stephen Sitarski’s perspective on addressing depression; remembering bandleader, composer and saxophonist Paul Cram. These and other stories, in our May 2018 edition of the magazine.
In this issue: we talk with jazz pianist Thompson Egbo-Egbo about growing up in Toronto, building a musical career, and being adaptive to change; pianist Eve Egoyan prepares for her upcoming Luminato project and for the next stage in her long-term collaborative relationship with Spanish-German composer Maria de Alvear; jazz violinist Aline Homzy, halfway through preparing for a concert featuring standout women bandleaders, talks about social equity in the world of improvised music; and the local choral community celebrates the life and work of choral conductor Elmer Iseler, 20 years after his passing.
In this issue: Canadian Stage, Tapestry Opera and Vancouver Opera collaborate to take Gogol’s short story The Overcoat to the operatic stage; Montreal-based Sam Shalabi brings his ensemble Land of Kush, and his newest composition, to Toronto; Five Canadian composers, each with a different CBC connection, are nominated for JUNOs; and The WholeNote team presents its annual Summer Music Education Directory, a directory of summer music camps, programs and courses across the province and beyond.
In this issue: composer Nicole Lizée talks about her love for analogue equipment, and the music that “glitching” evokes; Richard Rose, artistic director at the Tarragon Theatre, gives us insights into their a rock-and-roll Hamlet, now entering production; Toronto prepares for a mini-revival of Schoenberg’s music, with three upcoming shows at New Music Concerts; and the local music theatre community remembers and celebrates the life and work of Mi’kmaq playwright and performer Cathy Elliott . These and other stories, in our double-issue December/January edition of the magazine.
In this issue: conversations (of one kind or another) galore! Daniela Nardi on taking the reins at "best-kept secret" venue, 918 Bathurst; composer Jeff Ryan on his "Afghanistan" Requiem for a Generation" partnership with war poet, Susan Steele; lutenist Ben Stein on seventeenth century jazz; collaborative pianist Philip Chiu on going solo; Barbara Hannigan on her upcoming Viennese "Second School" recital at Koerner; Tina Pearson on Pauline Oliveros; and as always a whole lot more!
In this issue: several local artists reflect on the memory of composer Claude Vivier, as they prepare to perform his music; Vancouver gets ready to host international festival ISCM World New Music Days, which is coming to Canada for the second time since its inception in 1923; one of the founders of Artword Artbar, one of Hamilton’s staple music venues, on the eve of the 5th annual Steel City Jazz Festival, muses on keeping urban music venues alive; and a conversation with pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, as he prepares for an ambitious recital in Toronto. These and other stories, in our October 2017 issue of the magazine.
In this issue: a look at why musicians experience stage fright, and how to combat it; an inside look at the second Kensington Market Jazz Festival, which zeros in on one of Toronto’s true ‘music villages’; an in-depth interview with Elisa Citterio, new music director of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; and The WholeNote’s guide to TIFF, with suggestions for the 20 most musical films at this year’s festival. These and other stories, in our September 2017 issue of the magazine!
CBC Radio's Lost Horizon; Pinocchio as Po-Mo Operatic Poster Boy; Meet the Curators (Crow, Bernstein, Ridge); a Global Music Orchestra is born; and festivals, festivals, festivals in our 13th annual summer music Green Pages. All this and more in our three-month June-through August summer special issue, now available in flipthrough HERE and on the stands commencing Thursday June 1.
From science fact in "Integral Man: Music and the Movies," to science fiction in the editor's opener; from World Fiddle Day at the Aga Khan Museum to three Canadians at the Cliburn; from wanting to sashay across the 401 to Chamberfest in Montreal to exploring the Continuum of Jumblies Theatre's 20-year commitment to the Community Play (there's a pun in there somewhere!).
In this issue: Our podcast ramps up with interviews in March with fight director Jenny Parr, countertenor Daniel Taylor, and baritone Russell Braun; two views of composer John Beckwith at 90; how music’s connection to memory can assist with the care of patients with Alzheimer’s; musical celebrations in film and jazz, at National Canadian Film Day and Jazz Day; and a preview of Louis Riel, which opens this month at the COC. These and other stories, in our April 2017 issue of the magazine!
On our cover: Owen Pallett's musical palette on display at New Creations. Spring brings thoughts of summer music education! (It's never too late.). For Marc-Andre Hamelin the score is king. Ella at 100 has the tributes happening. All; this and more.
In this issue: an interview with composer/vocalist Jeremy Dutcher, on his upcoming debut album and unique compositional voice; a conversation with Boston Symphony hornist James Sommerville, as as the BSO gets ready to come to his hometown; Stuart Hamilton, fondly remembered; and an inside look at Hugh’s Room, as it enters a complicated chapter in the story of its life in the complex fabric of our musical city. These and other stories, as we celebrate the past and look forward to the rest of 2016/17, the first glimpses of 2017/18, and beyond!
In this issue: a conversation with pianist Stewart Goodyear, in advance of his upcoming show at Koerner Hall; a preview of the annual New Year’s phenomenon that is Bravissimo!/Salute to Vienna; an inside look at music performance in Toronto’s health-care centres; and a reflection on the incredible life and lasting influence of the late Pauline Oliveros. These and more, in a special December/January combined issue!
In this issue: David Jaeger and Alex Pauk’s most memorable R. Murray Schafer collabs, in this month’s installment of Jaeger’s CBC Radio Two: The Living Legacy; an interview with flutist Claire Chase, who brings new music and mindset to Toronto this month; an investigation into the strange coincidence of three simultaneous Mendelssohn Elijahs this Nov 5; and of course, our annual Blue Pages, a who’s who of southern Ontario’s live music scene- a community as prolific and multifaceted as ever. These and more, as we move full-force into the 2016/17 concert season- all aboard!
Music lover's TIFF (our fifth annual guide to the Toronto International Film Festival); Aix Marks the Spot (how Brexit could impact on operatic co-production); The Unstoppable Howard Cable (an affectionate memoir of a late chapter in the life of of a great Canadian arranger; Kensington Jazz Story (the newest kid on the festival block flexes its muscles). These stories and much more as we say a lingering goodbye to summer and turn to the task, for the 22nd season, of covering the live and recorded music that make Southern Ontario tick.
It's combined June/July/August summer issue time with, we hope, enough between the covers to keep you dipping into it all through the coming lazy, hazy days. From Jazz Vans racing round "The Island" delivering pop-up brass breakouts at the roadside, to Bach flute ambushes strolling "The Grove, " to dozens of reasons to stay in the city. May yours be a summer where you find undiscovered musical treasures, and, better still, when, unexpectedly, the music finds you.
INSIDE: The Canaries Are Here! 116 choirs to choose from, so take the plunge! The Nylons hit the road after one last SING! Fling. Jazz writer Steve Wallace wonders "Watts Goode" rather than "what's new?" Paul Ennis has the musical picks of the HotDocs crop. David Jaeger's CBC Radio continues golden for a little while yet. Douglas McNabney is Music's Child. Leipzig meets Damascus in Alison Mackay's fertile imagination. And "C" is for KRONOS in Wende Bartley's koverage of the third annual 21C Festival. All this and as usual much much more. Enjoy.
From 30 camp profiles to spark thoughts of being your summer musical best, to testing LUDWIG as you while away the rest of so-called winter; from Scottish Opera and the Danish Midtvest, to a first Toronto recital appearance by violin superstar Maxim Vengerov; from musings on New Creations and new creation, to the boy who made a habit of crying Beowulf; it's a month of merry meetings and rousing recordings reviewed, all here to discover in The WholeNote.
2016 is off to a flying start! We chronicle the Artful Times of Andrew Burashko, the violistic versatility of Teng Li, the ageless ebullience of jazz pianist Gene DiNovi and the ninetieth birthday of trumpeter Johnny Cowell. Jaeger remembers Boulez; Waxman recalls Bley's influence, and Olds finds Bowie haunting Editor's Corner. Oh, and did we mention there's all that music? Hello (and goodbye) to the February blues, and here's to swinging through the musical vines of the Year of the Monkey.
What's a vinyl renaissance? What happens when Handel's Messiah runs afoul of the rumba rhythm setting on a (gasp!) Hammond organ? What work does Marc-Andre Hamelin say he would be content to have on every recital program he plays? What are Steve Wallace's favourite fifty Christmas recordings? Why is violinist Daniel Hope celebrating Yehudi Menuhin's 100th birthday at Koerner Hall January 28? Answers to all these questions (and a whole lot more) in the Dec/Jan issue of The WholeNote.
"Come" seems to be the verb that knits this month's issue together. Sondra Radvanovsky comes to Koerner, William Norris comes to Tafel as their new GM, opera comes to Canadian Stage; and (a long time coming!) Jane Bunnett's musicianship and mentorship are honoured with the Premier's award for excellence; plus David Jaeger's ongoing series on the golden years of CBC Radio Two, Andrew Timar on hybridity, a bumper crop of record reviews and much much more. Come on in!
Vol 21 No 2 is now available for your viewing pleasure, and it's a bumper crop, right at the harvest moon. First ever Canadian opera on the Four Seasons Centre main stage gets double coverage with Wende Bartley interviewing Pyramus and Thisbe composer Barbara Monk Feldman and Chris Hoile connecting with director Christopher Alden; Paul Ennis digs into the musical mind of pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, and pianist Eve Egoyan is "On the Record" in conversation with publisher David Perlman ahead of the Oct release concert for her tenth recording. And at the heart of it all the 16th edition of our annual BLUE PAGES directory of presenters profile the season now well and truly under way.
Paul Ennis's annual TIFF TIPS (27 festival films of potential particular musical interest); Wu Man, Yo-Yo Ma and Jeffrey Beecher on the Silk Road; David Jaeger on CBC Radio Music in the days it was committed to commissioning; the LISTENING ROOM continues to grow on line; DISCoveries is back, bigger than ever; and Mary Lou Fallis says Trinity-St. Paul's is Just the Spot (especially this coming Sept 25!).
