20 TICl, i.. J. " : "' T _. • .,., .1;1 IL FORNELLO f .. t I • ,1 r • ., I 1' EARLY Music by Frank Nakashima Countertenor Matthew White is clearly the fastest-rising star in the early music scene having appeared with some of the most prestigious companies in the world, including Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the Houston Grand Opera, Cleveland Opera, and Chicago Opera Theater, Netherlands Bach So- "--'-'----'--'-------'----'-'-- ciery, Le Parlement de Tallis Scholars, Dec 7: book early Musique, Le Concert Spiriruel and at rhe Utrecht Early Music Fesrival . Come, hear for yourself, a feast of the finest music of rhe Renaissance - the luxurious music of William Byrd, John Dowland and Nicolas Vallet. He'll be accompanied by the Montreal viola da gamba group, Les Voix Humaines, whose recent landmark double-disc ATMA recording of music by Sainte-Colombe (the subject of the film Tous les Matins du www. I HFWHOIENOT LCOM Monde) has received critical acclaim (Toronto Consort November 5, 6), www.torontoconsort.org It has been said that at the peak of his career, Mozart's compositions had reached such a level of technical and expressive complexity that his contemporaries considered them "too difficult to be played". Now, for me, a lot of music fits that category, but for the Toronto Classical Players (Sharon Burlacoff, fortepiano; Rona Goldensher, violin; Anthony Rapoport, viola; and Laura Jones, cello), I'm sure this will be a piece of cake! (Academy Concert Series, November 6). The music in question is his two Piano Quartets (K478 and K493), which combine the extroverted virtuosity of a solo concerto with the intimate and introspective domain of chamber music; www .academyconcertseries. corn British maestro Andrew Parrott conducts Tafelmusik in collaboration wirh Opera Atelier. Mozart's Don Giovanni (November l 1, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21), often regarded as the greatest opera of all time, recounts the scandalous adventures of Don Juan, a dashing young seducer constantly (also passionately and recklessly) in search of his next conquest. By the way, last month, did you see the Poculi Ludique Societas' (University of Toronto) presentation of "Don Juan, Ladykiller of Seville" - a rranslation by Michael Kidd of the original 17th century play upon which Don Giovanni is based? In any case, I'm sure you'll enjoy Opera Atelier's colourful performance. Website: www.operaatelier.com Okay, who are these guys? Have you heard of Baron, Hagen, Falkenhagen, and Weiss? They just happen to be some of the greatest Baroque master composers for the lute, and two of North America's leading young lutenists, Lucas Harris and Daniel Swenberg, are going to treat you to the magical and resonant sounds of this repertoire, in A 26-Course Feast, brought to you by Baroque Music beside the Grange. Also on the program are orchestral works by Handel and Muffat arranged by Harris and Swenberg (November 27). To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the l 7th-century French master, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and Orchestra usher in the Christmas season with the exquisite Christmas oratorio In nativitatem domini canticum and the beautifully rich Missa Assumpta e t Maria, Charpentier's last and most sumptuous mass setting (m:cember 1-5) . • Website: www.tafelmusik.org There was once a time when the Toronto Chamber Choir sang only Renaissance music. Drawing on their vast repertoire, they'll be presenting a musical Yuletide offering in a delightful afternoon of some of the most beautiful music ever written for Christmastime, with motets and cạrols from 16thcentury England, Spain, Italy and Germany. Included on the program will be works by William Byrd, Tomas Luis de Victoria, Orlando NOVEMBER 1 · 0ECEMER 7 2004
di Lasso and Michael Praetorius as well as favourite Renaissance carols sung by the whole audience (December SJ. Website: www.geocities.com/toronrochamberchoir Britain's a cappella superstars, The Tallis Scholars (Peter Phillips, director), are without rival in the world of Renaissance choral music. Named after the 16th century Englisl.1 composer. Thomas Tallis. this early music group has gained a legion of devoted worshippers worldwide and garnered countless awards through more than 50 albums and nearly 1,300 performances around the globe. If you haven't heard these people in a live performam;e (although Roy Thomson Hall is not the ideal location for this kind of mu ic), hurry and get yourself a seat up close and bathe in the glorious sounds (December 7). Website: www .roythomson.com Fmnk T. Nakashima (frank11ak@i111erlog.co111) is 1/re Preside/// of1/re Toro/I/a Early Music Ce11rre. a 11011-projit clrarirable orgrmiza1io11 wlriclr promo1es tire apprecinrion of lris1orically-i11- for111ed pe1for111ances of early 11111src ww1v. inler/og. com/ -1e111 A mystical mediaeval evening THE Music OF HILDEGARD voN BfNGEN In the candlelit sanctuary of the Church of the Holy Trinity near . the Eaton Centre in Toronto. accompanied by Tibetan singing bowls, Norma Gentile will sing sacred songs composed by the medieval mystic, visionary. abbess, and one of the earliestknown composers, Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179). Using the human voice as a medium upon which spirit moves, and 900-year-old chants written by Hildegard, the audience will learn how to meditate by singing overtones, and those who are able will be invited to contribute their voices to some of the songs. Though Norma Gentile holds a Master's degree in Voice Performance, she is no ordinary singer. She is also a passionate sound healer who has recorded four solo CDs of chant by Hildegard von Bingen. She has appeared on CBS TV, demonstrating the properties of Gregorian style chant to relax the body, and has be_en profiled by National Public Radio's All Things Considered, as well as the Toronto Star newspaper. Gentile confides, "My joy is to create sacred space through music, silence and candle! ight. The music that comes through me helps people to find that deep. still place inside of their ,. Norma Gentile, Holy Trini(v, November 12 bodies. Hildegard herself is no Jess the importance of one's state of passionate: she spoke of her music as being a translation of the listen, the ability to breathe free consciousne s. a willingness to 'Cosmic Symphony' which she ly, and how this contributes to heard during her visions. In being a better audience. Hildegard's words, "All the arts Article about Hildegard von Bingen, along with other information serving human desires and needs are derived from the breath that about Norma Gentile's works and God sent into the human body." recordings, can be found on M While this concert may appear Gentile's website, Imp:// to be taking the form of a public www.healingchants.com meditation, it also reminds us of Frank Nokashima
