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Volume 27 Issue 7 | May 20 - July 12, 2022

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  • Thewholenotecom
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Schafer at Soundstreams; "Dixon Road" at High Park, Skydancers at Harbourfront; Music and art at the Wychwood Barns; PODIUM in town; festival season at hand; Listening Room at your fingertips; and listings galore.

father of string quartet

father of string quartet writing, composing almost 70 quartets; for me the “Lark” Quartet is one of the highlights (named “Lark” because of the soaring violin melody in the first movement). This quartet has another less famous nickname though – the “Hornpipe” – due to the hornpipe melody in the last movement. Haydn didn’t attach either of these nicknames, but do you think he was aware of these connections when writing? Was he hoping to provide this sort of imagery in his Jonathan Crow music, or are we attaching these ideas ourselves while we listen? Mozart’s “Dissonance Quartet” was also not nicknamed by Mozart! It was part of a set dedicated to Haydn. Ravel’s quartet was similarly dedicated to his teacher Fauré (who didn’t care much for the work); it was modelled, however, on Debussy’s earlier quartet and Debussy very much liked the piece, sending Ravel a letter of encouragement. Mozart and Ravel both derived inspiration from a previous-generation composer, not looking to match the earlier composer’s work, but very much looking at setting out on new compositional paths – Mozart with unsettling new uses of harmony (hence the title “Dissonance”) and Ravel with a search for a new sound world. What led you to choose the specific works in “Two Canadians in Paris” (July 25)? Did you consult with your performing partner Philip Chiu? Similarly to The Americas program, Phil and I were searching for an anchor work that we had never performed; we’ve done the Franck Sonata dozens of times, but not the Fauré A Major; I also liked the idea of trying to pair French music with something of a different style, and although Louise Farrenc is French, she would have grown up hearing Beethoven and other Germanic works, as French music wasn’t in vogue (even in France…) at the time. In a way this is a program that brings together pieces that don’t have significant musical connections to highlight how composers from similar areas can have such different styles. And using “Inspirations” as the title for the evening concert (July 28) featuring Keiko Devaux’s Arras and Mahler’s glorious Symphony No.4? Well – we had to have one concert that used our theme for the title! Seriously though, these two works incorporate similar ideas into the music, with Mahler’s Symphony exploring themes of religion – specifically Heaven – and Arras also bringing together sacred musical references. As well, Arras incorporates several extra-musical concepts, in particular the idea of memory, and weaves them together into what Keiko Devaux refers to as a “tapestry” even including the sound of a mechanical loom into the work! What I find fascinating are the different ways the two composers approached bringing these extra-musical elements to the awareness of the listener. Keiko speaks beautifully about all of her influences on the violin channel (theviolinchannel.com/vc-new-music-tuesday-composer-keiko-devaux-arras/). Where do you personally find inspiration? I think I find different inspirations when I’m performing and when I’m curating; when playing the violin I definitely find inspiration from the people around me – teachers, students, colleagues, family… Hearing someone play a piece and interpret it differently than I would, always opens up new ideas for me and helps me to challenge the way I might approach a piece I’ve played many times. And I think we’ve seen recently that most organizations have been inspired by current events such as the Black Lives Matter movement to change how music can reach people, and to question what role we play when we put musicians and works of music on a public stage – how what we program and put on stage can perhaps help to inspire others… Toronto Summer Music runs from July 7 to July 30. For further information please visit torontosummermusic.com. KINDRED SPIRITS ORCHESTRA 16 | May 20 - July 12, 2022 thewholenote.com

QUICK PICKS MAY 25, 27 & 28: Toronto Symphony Orchestra music director Gustavo Gimeno is joined by Garrick Ohlsson in a performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat Major Op.73 “Emperor”. The concert also includes the world premiere of TSO Spotlight Artist, Samy Moussa’s Symphony No. 2. On MAY 27, at 6:15PM there is a pre-concert performance for ticketholders, by the TSO Chamber Soloists performing Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock for soprano, clarinet and piano, written during the last months of the composer’s life. JUN 1, 2, 4 & 5: Child prodigy, world-class pianist and trail-blazing composer, Clara Schumann wrote her Piano Concerto at 14 to showcase her own virtuosity. Here it serves as a showcase for Toronto-born pianist Tony Siqi Yun, gold medalist at the first China International Music Competition in 2019. JUN 9 & 11 Gustavo Gimeno pays tribute to his native Spain: composer Francisco Coll’s new work, Elysian, reinforces his reputation as one of today’s most striking and individual musical voices, and Javier Perianes is is the soloist in Grieg’s lush, melodic Piano Concerto. JUN 15, 16, 17 & 19 Beethoven’s transcendent Symphony No.9 is an ideal closer to the TSO’s 2021/22 season. Don’t miss it. MAY 29, 3PM: Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts presents pianist Jon Kimura Parker in a program of Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata; a Scherzo by Clara Schumann; Brahms’ dynamic Variations on a Theme by Handel; Schubert’s lovely Impromptu in B-flat Op.142 No.3; Chick Corea’s Got a Match?; and other works. FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines. JUN 6, 8PM: Trio Arkel performs Ravel’s String Quartet and Caplet’s Conte fantastique for harp and string quartet. Marie Bérard, violin; Emily Kruspe, violin; Rémi Pelletier, viola; Heidi Elise Bearcroft, harp; Winona Zelenka, cello. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre. JUN 24, 7:30PM: Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra music director, Gemma New, conducts the HPO in Alexina Louie’s Music for a Celebration; Mozart’s divine Clarinet Concerto; Matthias McIntire’s Yangon Connection; and Prokofiev’s delightful Symphony No.1 in D Op.25 “Classical”; Dominic Desautels, solo clarinet. FirstOntario Concert Hall, Hamilton. JUN 26, 7:30PM: Gemma New conducts the HPO in propulsive new works accompanied by vibrant video installations created by Hamilton artist Andrew O’Connor: Paul Frehner’s Voluptuous Panic imitates the thrill of rollercoasters and fast cars; Juliet Palmer’s Foundry explores the sounds of metal transforming. Dragon Unfolding, by Kelly-Marie Murphy, portrays an origami dragon rising and taking flight. Luis Ramirez’s new work evokes an Aztec deity emerging from an ancient temple. The flow of water over Webster’s Falls inspires Abigail Richardson-Schulte’s Downstream. And Jordan Pal’s On the Double offers a bright conclusion to the evening. The Cotton Factory, Hamilton. JUN 27, 12:15PM: Andrew Sords (violin) and Cheryl Duvall (piano) return to Music Mondays with a dive into the Romantic literature: from Beethoven’s “Spring” Sonata and Ravel’s Tzigane to Sarasate’s Pamplona. Works by Chopin and Brahms fill out this 19th-century feast. Church of the Holy Trinity, Trinity Square. Andrew Sords and Cheryl Duvall. MIKE THOMAS Paul Ennis is the managing editor of The WholeNote. L ve Music is back! RUNNING FROM JULY 9-15, 2022 The Collingwood Music Festival brings exceptional performances to Collingwood each summer, featuring award-winning artists in the fields of classical, world, jazz and Indigenous genres. Tickets & Info: COLLINGWOODFESTIVAL.COM | (705) 416-1317 FREE YOUTH EVENTS Sat, July 9 at Duntroon Highland Golf Club thewholenote.com May 20 - July 12, 2022 | 17

Volumes 26-29 (2020- )

Volumes 21-25 (2015-2020)

Volumes 16-20 (2010-2015)

Volumes 11-15 (2004-2010)

Volumes 6 - 10 (2000 - 2006)

Volumes 1-5 (1994-2000)