often as not lingered to listen to whomever came next, becoming partof the lively throng, the buzz that rolled around the little lobby and thewarren of adjacent rooms, whenever the event was not "live to air"(and occasionally, it must be said, even when it was).During the time I was there (7-10 pm approximately) MeashaBrueggergosmanjousted entertainingly with host John van Driel anddelivered an extraordinary little three-song set from her new CDwhich, yes, she got to mention several times. (The half-year's worthof "ambush concerts" seem to have provided a great opportunity forthe station's announcers to fine-tune their craft, Van Driel kept upbeat for beat with the mercurial Brueggergosman, even when theexchanges sounded more like something you'd hear on the ShoppingChannel than the Classical 96 of old.)After her, the Gryphon Trio laid in a lovely little layered set(Schubert to Silvestrov), followed by Sondra Radvanovsky, one of theworld's great living Verdi sopranos - try La Scala with Domingo foran example of the company she gets to keep - who just happens to liveright here. Brueggergosman was still there, half way up the spiralstaircase, when Radvanovsky sang, and that is the image I carriedaway from the evening - the young Canadian already soaring in herown right, leaning on the railing of the stairs, drinking in throughevery pore the artistry of a stellar peer, and as a result glimpsing herown future (and what it will take to get there) a little more clearly.It's amusing to compare the image the New Classical 96.3 presentson the inside back cover of this issue of WholeNote with the way ithas put itself forward in print over the years. The first time round, inMarch 1996, classical Indian dancer Menaka Thakkar was on ourcover, John van Driel and Alexa Petrenko were already on air withthe station, and it was, as the tagline to the ad informed us , "Radiofor Grown-Ups" . By December '97, the tagline was "TimelessRadio"; by March '99, it was "enriching, eclectic, entertaining - thesound of a different drummer."Mind you, today's taglines are not that much more informative, cometo think of it - "The greatest music of all time" is one; "Yesterday'shits. Today's classics" is another. (You could rationalize a steady dietof the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix with either.)Back in 1996-97, when WholeNote was still Pulse, and Classical 96.3was "Radio for Grown-Ups" Moses Znaimer was at the other end ofQueen Street standing the world of independent tv on its ear."TV is not a problem to be solved, but an instrument to be played " hesaid at the time. And did.I can't wait to hear the sound of this new instrument.David Perlman, editorCALENDAR OF WboleNot8 DIRECTORIESWholeNote Magazine is celebrated for its series ofDirectories, published in print and online, connecting andstimulating musical communities across the full continuumfrom presenters to concert-goers. Canary(yellow) Pages, Green Pages, Blue Pages, and more - allworth their weight in GOLD!October:WholeNote Members Issue Blue Pages(Presenters, Performers, Venues)November: Community Band DirectoryMarch:May:June:Summer Music Education DirectoryChoral Directory Canary PagesSummer Music Festival Directory Green PagesGREAT CHAMBER MUSIC DOWNTOWNGryphon TrioBeethoven, Sylvestrov,RavelTuesday October 16at8pmQua tu orBozziniVivier, Stiegler,BrahmsThursdayNovember 1,at8pmtorontdartsbounci IAna,m's lengthbodyo!1heCUyofToronto~ ,1+1 ~:~;:~:n ::~!:1:l~eTakacs StringQuartetHaydn, Janacek,BrahmsThursday October 112007, at 8 pm.Janina FialkowskaMendelssohn, Schubert,ChopinTuesday October 23at8 pmBlfB Canada Council Conseil des Artsc::E> for the Arts du Canada~ ~ ONTARIO ARTS COUNCILTOlloN1& j~ ne Mall:;~·;·~·;:;~:www.music-toronto.com St. LAWRENCE CENTRE 1i'. 1\RTS416-366-7723 • 1-800-708-6754order online at www.stlc.comO CTO BER 1 - NOVE M BE R 7 2007 WWW. TH EWHOLENOTE. COM 7Back to Ad Index
