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Volume 11 Issue 3 - November 2005

  • Text
  • Toronto
  • November
  • Jazz
  • Theatre
  • December
  • Musical
  • Index
  • Concerto
  • Ensemble
  • Choir

Our cover stories Here

Our cover stories Here at WholeNote we often find ourselves scurrying to come up with things to say about events that haven't happened yet, or people who haven't yet arrived in town. This time though, Pamela Margles waited for Galina Gorchakova's visit to interview her (page 18), so the story comes to you after the visitor has departed, rather than being part of the build-up towards her visit. It makes for an interestingly different read. I suspect you'll be getting more stories like this one from us. In terms of our other cover story, "New Music at the cross roads" (rather than crossroads) was what I was tempted to call it. But saner heads prevailed. Still, there's enough of an edge to the story (page 12) that you'll see where the temptation came from . That being said, this issue of the mag is full of interesting intersections. For one, there's the fact that although the stated focus of the issue is new music, Musical Life (page 67 and on) is largely devoted to adventures in early and baroque performance practice. It's a happy accident, I think. The early music community and the new music community have much in common, creatively, philosophically, and in practical terms. A word of explanation about these "special focuses" and "themes" - we try not to belabour them. In this issue, our new music columnists Jason van Eyk and Keith Denning (page 32-4) have no choice but to "go with the flow ." But what's as interesting is to see how the topic resurfaces in less expected places. Phil Ehrensaft in "Opera at Home" (p. 38) latches onto "The first Great Opera of the 21 51 century"; Allan Pulker's conversation with Andrew Burashko (Quodlibet, p.22) is as relevant to the discussion as the new music cover story itself. And then there's the official French view of the place of musicians in society, as explained to Jim Galloway jazz-cruising the Moselle (page 34). Transplant that attitude to our local governments (and the society that elects them) and how would things be? Not at this particular cross roads, I dare to say. David Perlman Back to Ad Index 1\vo SUMMERS AGO, in WholeNote, multifaceted musician Alain Trudel talked about how the Women's Musical Club of Toronto had given him 'carte blanche' to put together an ensemble for a concert for their 2005-6 season 'with local musicians I work with ... it will be a musical journey, an interesting one' he says. (July 2004) Well , here that concert is: Thursday November 24 1 :30: Women's Musical Club of Toronto. Trombone: The Voice of Our Time. Works by Sulek, Towers, Bretons, Berio, Hovhaness, Blacher & Trudel. Alain Trudel, trombone; members of TSO. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Bldg., 80 Queen's Park. 416-923-7052. . Trudel's Nov 24 host, The Women's Musical Club of Toronto, has what Toronto Star writer William Littler called, in 1999, "an enviable talent-spotting reputation." The occasion for Littler's comment was the Toronto debut of the Mir6 String Quartet, opening WMCT's 102nd season. But the words could apply to almost any year in the past hundred. The list of artists who have made their Toronto or Canadian debuts for the WMCT reads like a who's who of the greats: Hess; Landowska; Mitsuko Uchida; the Flonzaley and Kolisch String Quartets; Segovia; Szigeti, Enesco, ... In an age of specialized concert presenters and venues, it's a timely reminder of the role clubs and societies of one kind or another have played, and continue to play , in the nurturing of music here. Speaking of such societies, last month's "page ten pick" was the Mozart Society of Toronto October 5 concert & I'm ashamed to say that having picked it, I wasn't there. (Not something I make a habit of.) I invite someone who was there to tell us about it. And here's a reminder of their next: Wednesday Nov 23 at 8pm - Prague's Penguin Quartet playing Richter, Mozart & Beethoven. There are as many stories about making a magazine as go into it. Such as stopping the presses to take Henry Brant's monumental work lee-Fields out of an Esprit Orchestra ad last season, because Brant was not willing to compromise on the "organ with 64-foot stop" called for in the piece, and refused permission for it to be played. Well the requisite mother of all organs has been found, and December 1 the long awaited work arrives in town: Esprit Orchestra. Mystery & Illusion. Metropolitan United Church. Details in the concert listings. David Perlman WWW, TH EWHOLENOTE,COM A very curious national virtue FOR SOME curious reason Canadians often elevate self-effacement to the status of a national virtue and for this reason I find it refreshing that WholeNote unashamedly gives place and space to the work of both popular and classical Canadian artists. Well done and keep up the good work! In this context I wanted to share a memory of a Canadian jazz pianist whose work no doubt is virtually unknown to most people. His name was Chris Gage (actually the name was Giesinger) and as popular music critic of a Vancouver newspaper in the late 1950s I was privileged to know him when he was house pianist of the Arctic supper club in that city. I am not sure, but I believe Oscar Peterson also knew Chris and respected his work. Regrettably, I don't believe that Chris ever cut a record though he often performed on CBC Radio in that era. One memory of Chris remains with me. During a concert in Vancouver by the Kingston Trio, a widely known U.S. singing group, Chris was the intermission pianist and he closed with a magical rendition of "Ebb Tide". After that, there was no more Kingston Trio - he was that good, but unfortunately, he had an abysmal lack of confidence. Today, with adequate promotion, he would be a marquee name on the popular concert stage and his CDs would be hot items in my opinion. So much for the past, but let us not forget him. Douglas Peck Editor's note: www .thecanadianencyclopedia.com lists "Gage, Chris (b Giesinger, Christian). Pianist, organist, b Regina 12 Dec 1927, d North Vancouver 27 Dec 1964 ... .. ". www.vancouverjazz.com/inview/ dt weeds.shtml is an interview by Cory Weeds with Don Thompson in 2002 (on the state of jazz in Vancouver) in which Thompson calls Gage "the best doggone piano player you'd ever hope to hear. " "BE OUR GuEsT'' invites WholeNote readers ' responses to views expressed in Who/eNote. E-mail editorial@thewholenote.com. Or mail "Be our Guest" WholeNote 503- 720 Bathurst Street, Toronto M SS 2R 4.

Come hack to 18th-century Eng Land with ll.1 I The always enthusiastic and lively British Director and keyboardist Richard Egarr leads Tafelmusik in works by Purcell, Boyce and Avison, and performs two of Handel's popular organ concertos. Thurs - Sat Dec 1- 3 at 8pm Sun Dec 4 at 3:3opm Trinity-St. Paul's Centre 427 Bloor Street West (one block west of Spadina) Call 416.964.6337 Tues Dec 6 at 8pm George Weston Recital Hall 5040 Yonge St in the Toronto Centre for the Arts CALL 416.872.1111 "Richard Egarr led with a combination of refinement and ,,itality, makillg Handel'.J nuuic vi11io, e.tciti,~9 a/lo acutely e.tpred.Ji11e. " The Oregonian Handel's Messiah Wed - Sat, Dec 14 - 17 at 7:30pm Trinity-St. Paul's Centre 427 Bloor Street West (one block west of Spadina) lvars Taurins, conductor Anne Grimm, soprano Laura Pudwell, mezzo-soprano Benjamin Butterfield, tenor Christopheren Nomura, baritone Call 416.964.6337 www.tafelmusik.org Sing-Along Messiah Sun, Dec 18 at 2pm Massey Hall Let your voice ring out! Join 2700 enthusiastic choristers as "Maestro Handel" himself conducts his beloved Messiah. Bring your own score or purchase one at the performance. Non-singers always welcome. Great fun for the whole family! Call 416.872.4255 Go as a Group! For a 20% group discount call 416.593.4822 x225 Dec 1 & 3 Sponsored by SciCan Dec 6 Sponsored by Margaret and Jim Fleck 200512006 Season Presenting Sponsor 4~\ Sun~.: Life Financial All Messiah performances are sponsored by AGINCOURT AUTOHAUS (ill) Au, 200512006 Season Presenting Sponsor Suni) Life Financial

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