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Volume 11 Issue 2 - October 2005

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JS. Bach in the World

JS. Bach in the World Today THE POETRY AND POLITICS OF BACH'S EARLY CANTATAS HELMUTH RILLING FESTIVAL CONDUCTOR AND LECTURER THE NICHOLAS GOLDSCHMIDT VISITING CONDUCTOR-IN-RESIDENCE DOREEN RAO ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Exp loring the artistic, educational and social benefits of Bach's universal voice, the 2005 Festival will celebrate the important poetry and politics in Bach's early cantatas with a special focus on the politics of the Old Testament, the poetry of the Psalms and related theological U1'' 1\'E RSITY OF TORONTO perspectives for the 21" century. IJ t tJ fJ For tickets, call 416-978-3744 www. internationalbachfestival.ca JOIN US! OCTOBER 1-9, 2005 THE CANTATA SERIFS October 2-6 Explore five of Bach's cantatas over five days. Daily events include Bach Talks (lectures), Discovery Series (rehearsals), Cantata Cafos and Intimate Evenings (lecture-concerts). FFSTTYAL GALA OPENING CONCERT October 1 A TRJO OF ORGAN RECITALS October 3-5 TAFELMUSIK BAROQUE ORCHFSTRA October 7 THE MORAN CHAMBER ENSEMBLE (ISRAEL) October 8 THANKSGMNG CANTATA SERVICE October 9 FACULTY t;~~ NI. UN IV E RS IT Y OF TO RONTO EAR LY Mus ic by Frank Nakashima WHEN ONE HEARS the term "early music ", it's usually in reference to some point in the history of Western art music that the speaker thinks of as pre-dating the "classical". Not just the music before our time, but the music that influenced the music before our time. There has always been something to learn from our past, and music is no different. In the study of traditional harmony and counterpoint, Palestrina, Bach and Rameau are the same lofty peaks that must be scaled today, as they were one hundred years ago . When it comes to performing works in an historically truthful way, there have been some significant changes in thinking in the past twenty or thirty years. Anyone with a musical conscience tries to honour the intentions of the composer and the integrity of the music . But there' s no doubt our ears are becoming more finely tuned . Think back on some relatively recent attempts at re-creating hi s­ torical quality . To call them a compromise is putting it mildly: such as the "Frankenstein-like" ironframed, seven-pedalled, modern customized harpsichord, made by the Pleyel piano company, to Wanda Landowska's specifications; or Julian Bream's instrument that was essentially a guitar made to look like a lute . Then there 's Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields' (Sir PHILIP L. DAVIS Luthier Formerly with j]. Schroder: Frankf urt, i#st Germany A Fine Selection of Small and 416-466-9619 67 Wolverleigh Blvd., Toronto ON M4} 1R6 20 Back to Ad Index WWW , TH EWHOLENOTE ,COM O CTOBER 1 - N OVEMBER 7 2005

Neville Marriner, director) unparalleled output of Baroque chamber repertoire on modern instruments. In all three cases it was the exuberance of the performance, rather than the accuracy of its timbres, that rang true, drawing the attention and fascination of many who were trying to imagine what kind of sounds listeners, say, in Bach's time or earlier, might have heard. The genuine article In the true service of historicity, cornetti and sackbuts, the early brass instruments that inspired musicians in 17th-century Europe, are being used to accompany the voices of the Toronto Chamber Choir in the music of Heinrich Schlitz, Giovanni Gabrieli, and Orlando di Lasso . It is sure to be a thrilling experience when the guest brass ensemble, the Spiritus Collective, join the choir, October 29, in a program titled "The Brilliance of Brass." Toronto Chamber Choir website: www .geocities.com/torontochamberchoir Putting the true in troubadour Another example of rediscovery - the troubadours who , with lute and voice, entertained in intimate settings not unlike the coffee house settings (remember The Riverboat?) that spawned Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, to name a few . October 1, Musicians in Ordinary, Hallie Fishel and John Edwards, will be joined by guests Christopher Verrette (Renaissance violin) and Laura Jones (bass viol) to perform music from the Last Book of Songs by John Dowland, the forward-looking master of Renaissance song. Visit their website at: www.musiciansinordinary.ca Early eighteenth century Paris Rich, sumptuous and virtuosic; all apt words for the music for violins by Francois Couperin, Louis­ Fery Rebel and Jean-Marie Leclair, that will be on display October 2 in the Baroque Music Beside the Grange series. From the courts of Paris and Versailles, it's a music that demonstrates the blending of French and Italian styles in the early 18th-century. Another example of this musical merging is October 12- 16 , in Tafelmusik' s tribute to Rome where Charpentier and Handel travelled to study with Carissimi, Corelli, and the Scarlattis. Finest flute (one of) Chris Norman, a specialist in Celtic and Baroque repertoire, is regarded as "one of the finest flute players of our time." Did you know he will be here in Toronto leading an all-day T.E.M.P.o'. workshop (October l)? It's sure to be a tremendous opportunity to learn from the master. IBF A reminder too about the International Bach Festival (October 1-9) which explores the poetry and politics in Bach's early cantatas, under the direction of prominent Bach specialist, festival conductor and lecturer, Helmuth Rilling. For tickets, call 416-978-3744 or visit www.internationalbachfestival.ca Operatic rarity One rarely has an opportunity to hear an early opera, fully-staged, like the Canadian Opera Company's production (with modern string instruments, theorbo, and "Italian" harpsichord) of Handel's Rodelinda (October 18, 20, 22, 26, 28, 30). "In an opera that celebrates enduring love in the face of political and personal adversity, a wife clings to the hope that her exiled husband still lives." These fine singers - Danielle de Niese (Rodelinda), Michael Colvin (Grimoaldo), Gerald Thompson (Bertarido), Peter Savidge (Garibaldo), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Eduige), and Daniel Taylor (Unulfo) - are conducted by Harry Bicket; and directed by Tim Albery . Website: www.coc.ca Newest oldies Toronto's newest early music choir, Studio Sixteen, performs a repertoire of rarely-heard sacred choral treasures, featuring the 8- part Missa Bella Amfitrit Altera by Orlando Lassus, two Psalmen Davids by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, and also motets for seven, eight, ten, and twelve voices by Giaches de Wert, Josquin Desprez, Jean Mouton, and Peter Philips (October 22). Website: www.studiosixteen.ca Frank T Nakashima (franknak@ interlog.com) is President of the Toronto Early Music Centre, a nonprofit charitable organization which promotes the appreciation of historically-informed performances of early music. www.interlog.com/ - temc CHORAL Scene by Larry Beckwith As we head into October and the first part of November, there is much to ~rite about. on th.e choral scene in Toronto. Most of our premier chotrs are active this month, we have a major Bach festival at the University of Toronto with one of the world's pre-eminent choral conductors at the helm, and some visiting choral ensembles promise to spice things up , as well. _ "'- The International Bach Festival at U of T gets underway on October 1 with a gala concert, the first of nine days offering a feast of Bach-related activities. These include an impressive rosters of speakers on a range of stimulating topics (eg Phillip Bohlman: "The Jewish landscape of Bach' s Christian world" - Oct 2), a series of organ recitals, a daily in-depth discussion of Bach's cantata texts and much more. The central events, of course, are the cantata performances. This year, several of Bach's early cantatas will be performed with Rilling conducting a combination of U of T students and top professionals. The Festival Choir is made up of Doreen Rao's MacMillan Singers, the Elmer Iseler Singers and the visiting Moran Chamber Ensemble oflsrael (who give their own concert on Oct 8). Rilling also leads a Thanksgiving service on the morning of Oct. 9 at Trinity­ St. Paul's United Church at which will be sung Cantata 29 "Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir" . Eufonia On the website for the Consulate General of Germany - who presents the Eufonia Male Choir in concert at Trinity's Sealey Hall on Oct 2 - the choir is described as " irreverently sending up the rituals of traditional men' s choruses with a repertoire that ranges from sacred music to barbershop and operetta. Attired in top hats and tails, the two dozen members might engage in mime and shtick, but they don' t compromise on musical quality". " Suzie LeBlanc appears with Tafelmusik Oct 12-16 Bostridge Also on Oct 2, though not a choral concert, the brilliant English tenor Ian Bostridge gives a recital at Roy Thomson Hall . Bostridge is heard on the operatic stage frequently these days, but his real triumphs have been in recital. His Toronto appearance, with pianist Julius Drake, is in support of a Schubert Lieder recording they've recently released. LeBlanc at Tafelmusik The Tafelmusik Chamber Choir begins its season on Oct 12, with guest soprano Suzie Leblanc, in a program of 17th and 18th century choral music from Rome. Of special interest are the rare excerpts by Domenico Scarlatti (mostly known for his keyboard sonatas) and the first-rate music of Giacomo Carissimi. Known as the developer of the oratorio form, Carissimi was wellknown all over Italy (he turned down the top music job at St. Mark's in Venice after the death of Monteverdi) and must have been a wonderful teacher. His students included the German Johann Philipp Krieger and the French marvel Marc-Antoine Charpentier. CONTINUES Sing ~£$$lUQ in CARNEGIE HALL April 9, 2006 Auditions will be held in Toronto on Sunday, October 23 for interested choristers who are already familiar with the work. For details of this 5-day/4-night residency at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, visit www.cammac.ca (click Tour, then Messiah at Carnegie 2006) or contact Prof. Pierre Perron at pperron@dal.ca or (902) 425-5205. O CTOBER 1 - N OVEMBER 7 2005 Back to Ad Index WWW .THEWHOLENOTE.COM 21

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