October
October '96 •6• PULSE Featuri~g ... Daniel at Gatsby 's--Opera's Everyman BY ALLAN PULKER Seeking performance the intermission the music providing employment for Quite a while ago I heard opportunities for his students, switched to musicals - Porgy ' singers at' various stages and Daniel Eby was "doing opera" he embarked in 1993 on an and Bess, Cabaret, Showboat, . with various needs, as well .as at Gatsby's on Church Stree.t. artistically successful but Carousel and South Pacific. a career development But only recently on .a very, financially taxing production The whole show wai opportunity for young · wet Friday night I actually · of Mozart's Don Giov'anni. (A competently accompanied on · singers. And all without went, to see for myself. Rogers TV documentary · the piano by David Moroney, government support. which One of Eby's apprentice about it; "Accepting the filling in for regular may be the way of the future. singers showed. us to our Challenge" has won several accompanist, Ra!sa Bravo! · · · table near the stage. Then . awards and still runs regularly N akpmanovich. Cam!llo de Liberato, on Rogers). The cast varies somewha~ proprietor of, Gatsby's sat At the time of his historic from show to sho\Y, but the with us for a few minutes. first encounter with Camillo one constant element is Eby (Daniel and Camillo are, at he ~was looking for less . . himself. The night we were first, as unlikely a partnership expensive opportunities for there he sang The Drinking as opera and eating: Camillo, his students! Gatsby's, which Song from Don Giovanni, a compact, quiet, methoqical- gives him a performance piece ofvocal virtuosity Daniel, tall, extroverted, venue at no cost and a share which he went at with the · impulsive.) of the receipts each night has same bravado and ebullience "How did you start become that opportunity. that he brings to his .offstage together?" I asked. endeavours, maklng up in "About 2% years ago Daniel As for my o~n night at pizzaz and enthusiasm for came here with Dave Nichols, Gatsby's, the good· lapses in tonal precision. a well-known actor, who was significantly outweighed the . His other singers were, on in one ofDaniel's so-so. Excellent poached the whole, very competent, ' productions." salmon was matched by an had pleasant voices, knew the Right there on the spot equally good Greek salad; music well and sang it Daniel got the idea that unmemorable fetuccine was convincingly. More often - Gatsby's would 'be great for offset by a ver)r good Caesar. than n?t they succeeded in opera. He approached At 8:30 the lights dimmed projecting the characters they Camillo. Arid that was that. and, to the strains of were playing as real people, Eby is originally from · . Chicago, studying music and voice at the Curtis Institute of Music, . at Temple ·University in Phila9elphia, and at the Mannes College of Music. Marriage to a . Canadian ballet dancer brought him to Toronto in 1985 and in 1 ~86 he opened the New School of Classical Vocal Studies. '"Another opening, another · Show" with words created for the occasion, Daniel Eby's "Magical Journey from Mozart to Musicals" began. lt continued with operatic excerpts from Mozart's' Marriage of Figaro, Don . Giovanni and The Magic Flute, respect.) _ , · Rossini's The Barber of Seville · and Puccini's Madame Butterfly - solo arias, duets and chorus numbers. Mter MiRg & 'Ctippe.M, , SPECIAL OFFER Photograph~rs BLACK & WHITE PUBLICITY • PORTRAITS .50 FOR QNE 8x10 . BLACK & WHITE GLOSSY (12 Poses Taken) something often lost in more elaborate productions. (I thought Suzanne Brown's. ~d Kathy Kossow's interpretation of the letter duet from The Marriage of Figaro, sung in English, particularly strong in this Daniei Eby is producing opera in an accessible and financially viable way, &ncert~esign Concert Not~s .. continued as "as a whole - the most unpleasant and narrow-mi,nded bunch of egomaiiia'cs in music excepr for conductors .") . ' . I Opera Ti111e Everybody! ' The COC hires film Airector Atom Egoyal) to direct its Salome -- to drag the 91 yearold rerelling of the 2000 year- ' old stoiy into post-modern times where an operatically virgin audience awaits. Meanwhile at the Royal Alex, Opera Atelier digs in for an exercise in a different kind of accessibility. Rather than update the opera, Atelier transports'the audience back 200 years--to a performance of Don Giovanni as close as ' possible to the way it would have been done in Mozart's time. Even the orchestra (Tafelmusik) will play authentic period-instruments and the · choreography will recreate the dance of the period. Which approach will win the hearts and minds of its audience? Go to both and let us· know. 1Husicians' Performance Products PEARL *LITE halogen lighting for music stands, pianos< conductor's podium PORTABLE/ AC Bring in this ad and receive an additional8x~O glossy free of charge. 200 DAVENPORT ROAD TORONTO, ONe MSR1J2 925-2222 St.udio Hours: Tuesday To Friday 9 - 5 Saturday by Appointment Only PERFORMANCE CHAIR THE FIRST QIAIR THAT FITS YOUR BODY - for all musicians 'and instruments (416)963-8484/1-S00-657-9909 FAX: (416) 963-8575 SHOWROOM LOCATED AT 84 BORDEN STREET TORONTO, ONTARIO, M5S 2N1 http://www .maestronet.com/ -concertd
October '96 •7• Snow, Eugene Martynec,' Nic Gotham, Ronda. Rindone and Daniel Janke. The Music Gallery, J 79 Richmond St. West. 204-1 080. Free. $hostakovich is 90! Glenn Gould Studio Oct. 5, 1995 at 8:00p.m. •12:00: Soundsational Concert Series. Aires del Sur. South American classical music performed on flute and guitar. Nathan Phillips Square, City Hall, Toronto. 392- . 0458/7902: Free. •8:00: Canadian Opera ' CompaiJY. Richard Strauss: Elektra. James Robinson, dir; John Crosby, cond.; Susan · Marie Pierson, soprano; Makvala Kasrashvi_li, soprano; Susan Shafer, mezzo; Claudio Otelli, baritone: Hummingbird Centre .• Front St. at Yonge St. 872-2262, 363-8231. to 0. ·•8:00: Ford Centre. Master Pianists Series. Peter Frankl, •1 :00: Cathedral Church of piano. Schubert: Drei St. James. Great Organ ' Klavierstucke, K.946; Works ofJ.S. Bach. G Major , Janacek: In the Mists (1912); Prelude & Fugue (G,541 ); Debussy: Preludes, Book I. Sonata V (C,529); Toccata & 5040 Yonge St. 872-2222. Fugue (F,540). Christopher ,,. Dawes, organ. 65 Church St. •8:00: Suling Nova. An . at King. 369-0020. Free. . . evening of compositions and •7:00: Canadian Opera improvisations highlighting the Company. Richard Strauss: suling (the ring flute from Salome. Atbm Egoyan, dir; Sunda, West Java). - Richarr;l Bradshaw, cond; Kasem~ts: composition for Ljuba Kazarnovskaya, soprano; Gregg Bak'er, baritone; David Rampy, tenor; Jane Gilbert, mezzo; Simon Estes,, bass-baritone. Hummingbird Centre, Front St. at Yonge St. 872-2262, 363-8231. to 0. •9:00: Made in Canada - A Festival of Canadian Music. CCMC.r This real-time , composition team is made up , of composers such as Paul -Dutton, John Oswald, Michael PLEASE CHECK AHEAD Concert-goer· beware! INFORMATION PHONE NUMBERS ARE PROVIDED for ALL PULSE VENUES. PLEASE phone ahead to confirm. GREAT NORTHERN PRODUCTIONS I Audio taping and · viqeo taping. Concert, auditioFI and archival tapes, Tapes for promotion, fundraising, & grant applications. Special occasions Soloists, choirs, ensembles, orchestras (416) 604-9872 A, celebration of the music of Shostakovich in honour of his 90th birthday. INCLUDES THE PERFORMANCE OF RECENTLY DISCOVERED WORKS · · Sophia Moshevich, Piano; . Youri Zaidenberg, Violin Gory Schmidt. Piano; Sterling Beck"'{ith, Bqss Programme_ Suite for two pianos op. 6 0922) (Toronto Premiere) · Sonata for Yiolin .and Piano op. 134 · Songs for Bass voice Preludes Op. 34 arr. for piano and violin Admission: .00 . Tickets available at Glenn Gould . Studio box. office(476J 205-5555 (Hrs: 77:00 am. - 6:b0 p.m. and two Hrs prior to concert/ VISa, Mastercard, Amercian Express Admission .00 (reserved seating! VISa, Mastercard, Amercian Express David rallis. Artistic Dir~ctor A COUQTIEQ'& CH1IrE~T 012NAMINT Tilt DANCI featuring the KEN PIERCE DANCE COMPANY rriday O ctober 4 at 8 p.m. Trinity 0l. Paul's United Church 4'27 Bloor 0 treet West Gust west of 0padina) Don't miss thi~ rare opportunity to see Ren a i~a nce dance at its besl. Th~ Ken Pierce Dance Company. accompaQied' by recorder consort, lute and voices will dance pavans, 8alliards, brawls, canaries and voltas Call (416) 964-6337
