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8 years ago

Volume 9 Issue 8 - May 2004

  • Text
  • Choir
  • Toronto
  • Choral
  • Singers
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  • Chorus
  • Choirs

time. Our objective is

time. Our objective is to introduce opera to people that might be afraid of attending a full-scale opera while having some fun in the process. Last, something about the upcoming Toronto Masque Theatre project? I didn't know what masque was before this. It's a newly born group, created and directed by Larry Beckwith, who writes an article in this magazine. A masque, popular in the 16th and 17th century in England, combined things such as verse, music and dance. TMT is dedicated to producing masques new and old. As I mentioned before, the classic work is Charpentier's La Descente d'Oifee aux Enfers. It's a charming piece full of what you expect to hear from Charpentier. Monica ANTON KWIATKOWSKI FRoM 1969 till 1977 I worked in London, England for EMI. I was initially assigned to (razor-blade) tape editing oot two months later I was given my first opportunicy to produce and engineer a record - a solo guitar recital. Then this LP turned up in Gramophone magazine's "Critics' Choice" records of the year and, at age twenty-one, I felt I was on to a good thing! Subsequently I recorded with theLondon Philhannonic, London Symphony, ... English Chamber, Halle and Scottish National Orchestras' plus numerous chamber ensembles and recitalists. (Thirty years later, many of these artists' names are now preceded by Dame or Sir, including "our own" Sir Andrew Davis, with whom I first worked in 1971 at Royal Albert Hall.) In addition to classical, I also made recordings in the field of popular music, including many at EMI's famous Abbey Road studios. In 1977, thanks to my UK "portfolio", I was invited to come to Canada with the directive to "upgrade the recording quality of Broodazst Recordings, the CBC's in-house classical record label. Apart from striving for artistic and recording excellence (which often involved takjng my own microphones and equipment to sessions), I travelled to Southern California to seek . out the best mastering and pressing facilities. The CBC's SMSOOO label, featuring artists from across Canada, was launched in 1981 to showcase the new recordings, and our efforts were rewarded with immediate critical success in the international music press. 111e US classical review magazine Fanfare wrote: "For qunlity of sound and soundness of quality-control this disc 8 Whi'cher is singing both Euridice and Prosperine, Paul Grindlay is singing Pluto and I am singing Orfee. For me, the most exciting thing about the project is singing with not just one but three gambas played by the well-knowri group, Les V oix H umaines. The contemporary piece, called Orpheus and Eurydice, has been composed by James Rolfe with words by Andre Alexis . Rolfe's piece uses the same instruments as Charpentier uses and is meant to pick up where Charpentier's opera leaves off. At the time of writing this, I haven't heard the piece yet but look forward to participating in a new work. It's always very exciting to perform a newly composed piece. • . I • suit, the list of artists I have recorded lively unknown performers. The 1993 reads rather like a ivho's ivho of Ca- Juno award for Best Classical AlbJm padian music. Thanks to these wonderful collaborations, my recordings recording of· soprano Claudette Leb­ - Vocal Perfonnance was won by my have received 21 JUNO awards plus lanc, who, I am sure, was at the time 96 JUNO nominations, among many unfamiliar to many members of the jury. other awards. I aII1 delighted that two As for the longer term, I hope to be of the JUNO nominations are for "Recording Engineer qf the Year"- a unique drop dead, whichever comes sooner. involved in recording till I go deaf or distinction for a classical engineer Currently, I have b

l%ft{'!!:f!:.~~:!.,,. °""""' • JEANNE LAMON, Music D11t1;cT

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