Jazz NotesArts Fundingby Jim GallowayThis month's column is being written well in advance, since I'll be inEurope at deadline time, but looking back at October and at the monthahead, there are some events worth a mention.October was an exciting month at Massey Hallfeaturing such big names as Wynton Marsalis and theLincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and Molly Johnson.Mr. Marsalis can be a controversial figure on thescene with his neo-classical approach but he is asuperb musician and the orchestra is, without aquestion, a wonderful musical organization. Mollytook to the stage just before her European tour. Shewas performing from her newest album, "Messin'Around." Just in case you don't already know, Mollyhas a regular slot on CBC Radio 2, hosting the newweekend morning shows airing Saturdays from 6 amto 10 am, and Sundays from 6 am to 8 am. No morelate night hangs on Friday or Saturday, Molly!Massey Hall will continue to feature other greatjazz artists in November such as Colin Hunter andStarlight Orchestra with guest artist Joe Sealy. Colinand the orchestra will be presenting music from theirnewest album "Timeless" which features classicsongs sung by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat KingCole, and Tony Bennett. Colin's career has an interesting spin, as heis the founding president, CEO and owner of the airline carrierSunwing Airlines by day and a crooner by night. He will be performingat Massey Hall November 7 at 8 pm.Looking ahead to December, it looks like big band season withJAZZ.FM91 at The Old Mill. On December 8, I'll be there withThe 17 piece Wee Big Band, and on Tuesday and Wednesday, December16 and 17 The Boss Brass will be there, in a history-makingreunion concert.Sometimes I cast around in my mind for a topic-sometimes pastor upcoming events suggest a subject. No matter what, I always findmyself taking detours as I do research into a theme. It's time-consuming,but always rewarding .Well, on October 14, Canada went to the polls; funding for thearts, or lack of it, has been a hot topic . Patronage of the arts hasbeen around since the ancient world, and without it we would bewithout many of our great artistic achievements. It was for centuriesbestowed mainly by individuals with influence, power, and deeppockets, which was mostly royalty, nobility, or the church. By the20th century the pattern had changed and patrons tended to be politicalparties, the state, private industry and foundations .In the process of doing a bit of research into the business of patronageand funding for the arts, I found some revealing facts, onegoing back to the time of Queen Elizabeth I. She instructed LordBurleigh, the Lord High Treasurer, to give one hundred pounds to thepoet Edmund Spenser, best known for his epic poem "The FaerieQueen", written at a time when it meant just that. Apparently nogreat lover of the arts, Lord Burleigh's emotional response was ,"What? All this for a song? "The 18th century author, Samuel Johnson, defined a patron as"one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in thewater, and, when he has reached ground, encumbers him withhelp" , while George Crabbe, the English poet and naturalist, writingin The Newspaper (a satire published in 1785) said, "Feed the musicianand he's out of tune." A hundred years later, W.S Gilbert composedthe following lines for The Mikado: "A wandering minstrel IA thing of shreds and patches. " Gustav Holst is quoted as saying,"Music making as a means of getting money is hell."The reality is that without patronage and sponsorship, symphonicmusic, opera and ballet would not survive. Jazz has always been thechurch mouse when it comes to support for the arts. It is still regardedby too many people as not quite respectable, perhaps because ofCatch Molly on CBC Radio 2 from6 am to 10 am on Saturdays and6 am to 8 am on Sundays.its ability to make us aware of our emotions. Wikipedia, the freecontentinternet encyclopedia, has the following entry: "Canadianculture is a term that encompasses the artistic, musical, literary,culinary, political , and social elements that are representative ofCanada, not only to its own population, but to people all over theworld. " Some of this country's leaders would do well to understandthe importance of that definition.Throughout history, music has had a huge influenceon the way people and communities interact.Likewise, music reflects the attitudes of people ina community. Examples of this sort of connectioninclude the Baroque era in Europe, and in recenttimes, New Orleans, which is undeniably differentfrom any other culture in the world. It hasalways inspired musicians and artists, who in turninfluence cultures worldwide.Research has shown that those with an interestin the arts say they would almost always or frequentlybuy a product sponsoring arts or culturalevents. Even more revealing is that almost onehalf( 48 %) of Americans with an interest in artand cultural events indicated that they hold a highertrust in companies that sponsor these events. Itmight also be the case that governments that don'tshow support for the arts will lose votes . Politiciansbeware!Closing thought-A Gallup Poll-the rush ofpeople going to cast their vote.Happy listening.In the Clubs: Autumn's Dayby Ori DaganAlthough temperatures will surely decline this month, don't expectthe jazz to follow suit. Example: The Rex Jazz & Blues Bar offers19 shows a week, year-round, making it the ultimate jazz hang, hereor anywhere. Some highlights this month:· Sly Juhas Quintet: Tuesdays at 6:30 with saxmen Richard Underhilland Sal Rosselli, James McEleney on bass and Tom Juhas onguitar. Typically a sought-after sideman, drummer Sly guarantees agood time.· Holly Clark Trio: first four Saturdays at 7:00. Beautiful vocals ,sensitively delivered.· Shannon Butcher: Sundays at 7:00. Sunshine-like, this radiant singerexudes warmth.· Bob Brough Quartet CD release: November 7th at 9:45. A prominenttenor player in Toronto for over 25 years, Brough is a commandingsoloist and skilled composer. Supported by Adrean Farrugia onpiano, Artie Roth on bass and Terry Clarke on drums .Two other CD release parties to mention: charming pianist RonDavis launches "The Bestseller" at Hugh's Room on November 20thand scintillating singer Yvette Tollar releases "Ima" at Glenn GouldStudio on November 28th.Ragtime piano master John Arpin (1936-2007) was one of the mostversatile Canadian musicians in generations. On November 30th atThe Diesel Playhouse, Louise Pitre, Michael Burgess, Peter Appleyard,Robert Scott, and others will pay tribute to this virtuoso. Ticketsare .50 and proceeds go to the St. Michael's Choir SchoolAlumni Gala Fund, one of Arpin's favourite institutions and a placehe taught at for many years .Parents take note: The Beaches Jazz Festival Youth Initiatives is anew program aimed to provide opportunities for youth as audiencemembers, learners and performers. As part of this innovative program,The Next Generation Jazz Jam happens every other Sundayfrom 3:00-6:00pm at The Dominion on Queen with a rhythm sectionled by host Robert Scott.20 WWW. THEWHOLENOTE .COM N OVEM BER 1 - D ECE M B ER 7 2008
Bandstand and Podiumsby Jack MacQuarrieI thought I'd start with the true story of an incident during a concert bya local community symphony orchestra some years ago: a performancewhich laid an egg, but in a very different way. It was not a memberof the orchestra who laid the egg. On the contrary, the egg waslaid on the performer. A trombone player with, coincidentally, thesame name as me, had his slide extended to sixth position in anticipationof the downbeat for the next movement of a Brahms symphony.Then it hit. A solid strike of an egg on the inner slide provided an unintendedlubricant for the astonished musician. As it turned out, theconductor was not aware of the missile, and the performance went offwithout a hitch. After the performance, a noted contralto, and wife ofthe conductor, who had been in the audience, related how she hadwatched in disbelief, contemplating during the egg's arc where themissile might most disastrously strike.It was an unusually warm evening for that time of year, you see,and the auditorium was a bit on the warm side. To provide a morecomfortable temperature for the orchestra members, the stage crewdecided to open the stage doors to let in cooler air. They had not anticipatedwhat else they might let in.If you think you can top that, let me know. I'll wager that there is abook's worth of similarly memorable moments out there. Point is thefall season is well under way and most orchestras and bands are preparingfor their fall and winter concerts, and with all their carefulplanning behind them, they will now be well into rehearsals and lookingforward to memorable performances. But what about the unforeseen,the unexpected, the unanticipated: the incident which could notpossibly have been considered in the planning? There is always thepossibility of something occurring to make the performance memorable,but for the wrong reasons.All of which leads us, by a somewhat circuitous route, to the topicI wanted to get you thinking about-namely planning for contingencies.Granted, one can't guard against qualified critics happening to walkpast an open stage door, but how can we minimize the impact of unwantedsurprises? As a key component of the planning process, insurancecomes to mind. Is your group's insurance adequate? Does itprovide for adequate coverage? What is realistic coverage? To explorethe topic we contacted some insurance brokers, hoping to bring yousome definitive answers. Some of the forms of coverage we inquiredabout included: liability, personal injury, damage to or loss of instrumentsand music, and event cancellation.I can report, as I am sure some of you could have told me, thatdefinitive answers were in short supply. Our questions tended toprompt questions in reply. Here is a summary:In the case of personal injury, such as a group member falling offthe stage or off a riser, who, if anyone, was negligent? Would anyclaim be covered by your policy or that of the performance venue? Doyou have a contract with that venue which spells out such matters?What about injuries to audience members? Litigious lawyers love tosue everyone in sight.When querying damage to, or loss of, instruments and music, wewere asked about the worst case scenario. One insurance contactsuggested a situation where the group might own an irreplaceable setof parts for a composition no longer in print. When such a case isdiscussed, the result is usually that the premium would be prohibitivelyexpensive. In such cases, perhaps the best that can be done is to providestorage that is reasonably safe from fire and water damage. Afew years ago the Newmarket Citizens Band had their rehearsal venuedestroyed by arsonists. Fortunately, most of their music was stored insturdy steel filing cabinets rather than on open shelves. For the most,the music survived both heat and water damage.Event cancellation is a form of insurance that one rarely hearsmentioned. Is it important for your group? Would a cancellation resultin a financial loss? How often are performances cancelled? Last year,in the two week period just before Christmas, heavy snow stormsforced the cancellation of no fewer than three performances in whichI was involved. In these cases there was no financial loss, but if therehad been, we had no cancellation insurance. I have met brokers whospecialize in such insurance, but some digging would be required tolocate one.As with my story of the egg toss, I hope this brief discussion ofsome of the whys and wherefores of insurance will prompt some interestingand useful observations. I'll be sure to pass them along.Coming Events - Please see the listings section for full detailsHannaford Street Silver Band (Nov. 16)The Northdale Concert Band (Nov. 17, Dec. 7, 14)The Etobicoke Community Concert Band (Dec. 19)Please write to us: bandstand@thewholenote.com-----:)\'C051fl0 Exp erts in m eeting a ll of your'--music musica l needs for ove r 4 0 years.Featuring some of Toronto's best jazz musicianswith a brief reflection by Jazz Vespers ClergySunday, November 2nd at 4:30 p.m.MARK EISENMAN TRIOMARK EISENMAN - piano; JOHN SUMNER - drumsSTEVE WALLACE - bassSunday, November 16th at 4:30 p.m.JOE SEALY - piano; PAUL NOVOTNY - bassChrist Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge Street(north of St. Clair at Heath St.) 416·920·5211Admission is free.An offering is received to support the work of the church, including Jazz Vespers.N OVEMBER 1 - D ECEMBER 7 2008 WWW. TH EWHO LENOTE.COM 21
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Welcome to our December/January issue as we turn the annual calendar page, halfway through our season for the 25th time, juggling as always, secular stuff, the spirit of the season, new year resolve and winter journeys! Why is Mozart's Handel's Messiah's trumpet a trombone? Why when Laurie Anderson offers to fly you to the moon you should take her up on the invitation. Why messing with Winterreisse can (sometimes) be a very good thing! And a bumper crop of record reviews for your reading (and sometimes listening) pleasure. Available in flipthrough here right now, and on stands commencing Thursday Nov 28. See you on the other side!
Long promised, Vivian Fellegi takes a look at Relaxed Performance practice and how it is bringing concert-going barriers down across the spectrum; Andrew Timar looks at curatorial changes afoot at the Music Gallery; David Jaeger investigates the trumpets of October; the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution (and the 20th Anniversary of our October Blue Pages Presenter profiles) in our Editor's Opener; the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir at 125; Tapestry at 40 and Against the Grain at 10; ringing in the changing season across our features and columns; all this and more, now available in Flip Through format here, and on the stands commencing this coming Friday September 27, 2019. Enjoy.
Vol 1 of our 25th season is now here! And speaking of 25, that's how many films in the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival editor Paul Ennis, in our Eighth Annual TIFF TIPS, has chosen to highlight for their particular musical interest. Also inside: Rob Harris looks through the Rear View Mirror at past and present prognostications about the imminent death of classical music; Mysterious Barricades and Systemic Barriers are Lydia Perović's preoccupations in Art of Song; Andrew Timar reflects on the evolving priorities of the Polaris Prize; and elsewhere, it's chocks away as yet another season creaks or roars (depending on the beat) into motion. Welcome back.
What a range of stuff! A profile of Liz Upchurch, the COC ensemble studio's vocal mentor extraordinaire; a backgrounder on win-win faith/arts centre partnerships and ways of exploring the possibilities; an interview with St. Petersburg-based Eifman Ballet's Boris Eifman; Ana Sokolovic's violin concert Evta finally coming to town; a Love Letter to YouTube, and much more. Plus our 17th annual Canary Pages Choral directory if all you want to do is sing! sing! sing!
Arraymusic, the Music Gallery and Native Women in the Arts join for a mini-festival celebrating the work of composer, performer and installation artist Raven Chacon; Music and Health looks at the role of Healing Arts Ontario in supporting concerts in care facilities; Kingston-based composer Marjan Mozetich's life and work are celebrated in film; "Forest Bathing" recontextualizes Schumann, Shostakovich and Hindemith; in Judy Loman's hands, the harp can sing; Mahler's Resurrection bursts the bounds of symphonic form; Ed Bickert, guitar master remembered. All this and more in our April issue, now online in flip-through here, and on stands commencing Friday March 29.
Something Old, Something New! The Ide(a)s of March are Upon Us! Rob Harris's Rear View Mirror looks forward to a tonal revival; Tafelmusik expands their chronological envelope in two directions, Esprit makes wave after wave; Pax Christi's new oratorio by Barbara Croall catches the attention of our choral and new music columnists; and summer music education is our special focus, right when warm days are once again possible to imagine. All this and more in our March 2019 edition, available in flipthrough here, and on the stands starting Thursday Feb 28.
In this issue: A prize that brings lustre to its laureates (and a laureate who brings lustre to the prize); Edwin Huizinga on the journey of Opera Atelier's "The Angel Speaks" from Versailles to the ROM; Danny Driver on playing piano in the moment; Remembering Neil Crory (a different kind of genius)' Year of the Boar, Indigeneity and Opera; all this and more in Volume 24 #5. Online in flip through, HERE and on the stands commencing Thursday Jan 31.
When is a trumpet like a motorcycle in a dressage event? How many Brunhilde's does it take to change an Elektra? Just two of the many questions you've been dying to ask, to which you will find answers in a 24th annual combined December/January issue – in which our 11 beat columnists sift through what's on offer in the upcoming holiday month, and what they're already circling in their calendars for 2019. Oh, and features too: a klezmer violinist breathing new life into a very old film; two New Music festivals in January, 200 metres apart; a Music & Health story on the restorative powers of a grassroots exercise in collective music-making; even a good reason to go to Winnipeg in the dead of winter. All this and more in Vol 24 No 4, now available in flipthrough format here.
Reluctant arranger! National Ballet Orchestra percussionist Kris Maddigan on creating the JUNO and BAFTA award-winning smash hit Cuphead video game soundtrack; Evergreen by name and by nature, quintessentially Canadian gamelan (Andrew Timar explains); violinist Angèle Dubeau on 20 years and 60 million streams; two children’s choirs where this month remembrance and living history must intersect. And much more, online in our kiosk now, and on the street commencing Thursday November 1.
Presenters, start your engines! With TIFF and "back-to-work" out of the way, the regular concert season rumbles to life, and, if our Editor's Opener can be trusted, "Seeking Synergies" seems to be the name of the game. Denise Williams' constantly evolving "Walk Together Children" touching down at the Toronto Centre for the Arts; the second annual Festival of Arabic Music and Arts expanding its range; a lesson in Jazz Survival with Steve Wallace; the 150 presenter and performer profiles in our 19th annual Blue Pages directory... this is an issue that is definitely more than the sum of its parts.
In this issue: The WholeNote's 7th Annual TIFF TIPS guide to festival films with musical clout; soprano Erin Wall in conversation with Art of Song columnist Lydia Perovic, about more than the art of song; a summer's worth of recordings reviewed; Toronto Chamber Choir at 50 (is a few close friends all it takes?); and much more, as the 2018/19 season gets under way.
PLANTING NOT PAVING! In this JUNE / JULY /AUGUST combined issue: Farewell interviews with TSO's Peter Oundjian and Stratford Summer Music's John Miller, along with "going places" chats with Luminato's Josephine Ridge, TD Jazz's Josh Grossman and Charm of Finches' Terry Lim. ) Plus a summer's worth of fruitful festival inquiry, in the city and on the road, in a feast of stories and our annual GREEN PAGES summer Directory.
In this issue: our sixteenth annual Choral Canary Pages; coverage of 21C, Estonian Music Week and the 3rd Toronto Bach Festival (three festivals that aren’t waiting for summer!); and features galore: “Final Finales” for Larry Beckwith’s Toronto Masque Theatre and for David Fallis as artistic director of Toronto Consort; four conductors on the challenges of choral conducting; operatic Hockey Noir; violinist Stephen Sitarski’s perspective on addressing depression; remembering bandleader, composer and saxophonist Paul Cram. These and other stories, in our May 2018 edition of the magazine.
In this issue: we talk with jazz pianist Thompson Egbo-Egbo about growing up in Toronto, building a musical career, and being adaptive to change; pianist Eve Egoyan prepares for her upcoming Luminato project and for the next stage in her long-term collaborative relationship with Spanish-German composer Maria de Alvear; jazz violinist Aline Homzy, halfway through preparing for a concert featuring standout women bandleaders, talks about social equity in the world of improvised music; and the local choral community celebrates the life and work of choral conductor Elmer Iseler, 20 years after his passing.
In this issue: Canadian Stage, Tapestry Opera and Vancouver Opera collaborate to take Gogol’s short story The Overcoat to the operatic stage; Montreal-based Sam Shalabi brings his ensemble Land of Kush, and his newest composition, to Toronto; Five Canadian composers, each with a different CBC connection, are nominated for JUNOs; and The WholeNote team presents its annual Summer Music Education Directory, a directory of summer music camps, programs and courses across the province and beyond.
In this issue: composer Nicole Lizée talks about her love for analogue equipment, and the music that “glitching” evokes; Richard Rose, artistic director at the Tarragon Theatre, gives us insights into their a rock-and-roll Hamlet, now entering production; Toronto prepares for a mini-revival of Schoenberg’s music, with three upcoming shows at New Music Concerts; and the local music theatre community remembers and celebrates the life and work of Mi’kmaq playwright and performer Cathy Elliott . These and other stories, in our double-issue December/January edition of the magazine.
In this issue: conversations (of one kind or another) galore! Daniela Nardi on taking the reins at "best-kept secret" venue, 918 Bathurst; composer Jeff Ryan on his "Afghanistan" Requiem for a Generation" partnership with war poet, Susan Steele; lutenist Ben Stein on seventeenth century jazz; collaborative pianist Philip Chiu on going solo; Barbara Hannigan on her upcoming Viennese "Second School" recital at Koerner; Tina Pearson on Pauline Oliveros; and as always a whole lot more!
In this issue: several local artists reflect on the memory of composer Claude Vivier, as they prepare to perform his music; Vancouver gets ready to host international festival ISCM World New Music Days, which is coming to Canada for the second time since its inception in 1923; one of the founders of Artword Artbar, one of Hamilton’s staple music venues, on the eve of the 5th annual Steel City Jazz Festival, muses on keeping urban music venues alive; and a conversation with pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, as he prepares for an ambitious recital in Toronto. These and other stories, in our October 2017 issue of the magazine.
In this issue: a look at why musicians experience stage fright, and how to combat it; an inside look at the second Kensington Market Jazz Festival, which zeros in on one of Toronto’s true ‘music villages’; an in-depth interview with Elisa Citterio, new music director of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; and The WholeNote’s guide to TIFF, with suggestions for the 20 most musical films at this year’s festival. These and other stories, in our September 2017 issue of the magazine!
CBC Radio's Lost Horizon; Pinocchio as Po-Mo Operatic Poster Boy; Meet the Curators (Crow, Bernstein, Ridge); a Global Music Orchestra is born; and festivals, festivals, festivals in our 13th annual summer music Green Pages. All this and more in our three-month June-through August summer special issue, now available in flipthrough HERE and on the stands commencing Thursday June 1.
From science fact in "Integral Man: Music and the Movies," to science fiction in the editor's opener; from World Fiddle Day at the Aga Khan Museum to three Canadians at the Cliburn; from wanting to sashay across the 401 to Chamberfest in Montreal to exploring the Continuum of Jumblies Theatre's 20-year commitment to the Community Play (there's a pun in there somewhere!).
In this issue: Our podcast ramps up with interviews in March with fight director Jenny Parr, countertenor Daniel Taylor, and baritone Russell Braun; two views of composer John Beckwith at 90; how music’s connection to memory can assist with the care of patients with Alzheimer’s; musical celebrations in film and jazz, at National Canadian Film Day and Jazz Day; and a preview of Louis Riel, which opens this month at the COC. These and other stories, in our April 2017 issue of the magazine!
On our cover: Owen Pallett's musical palette on display at New Creations. Spring brings thoughts of summer music education! (It's never too late.). For Marc-Andre Hamelin the score is king. Ella at 100 has the tributes happening. All; this and more.
In this issue: an interview with composer/vocalist Jeremy Dutcher, on his upcoming debut album and unique compositional voice; a conversation with Boston Symphony hornist James Sommerville, as as the BSO gets ready to come to his hometown; Stuart Hamilton, fondly remembered; and an inside look at Hugh’s Room, as it enters a complicated chapter in the story of its life in the complex fabric of our musical city. These and other stories, as we celebrate the past and look forward to the rest of 2016/17, the first glimpses of 2017/18, and beyond!
In this issue: a conversation with pianist Stewart Goodyear, in advance of his upcoming show at Koerner Hall; a preview of the annual New Year’s phenomenon that is Bravissimo!/Salute to Vienna; an inside look at music performance in Toronto’s health-care centres; and a reflection on the incredible life and lasting influence of the late Pauline Oliveros. These and more, in a special December/January combined issue!
In this issue: David Jaeger and Alex Pauk’s most memorable R. Murray Schafer collabs, in this month’s installment of Jaeger’s CBC Radio Two: The Living Legacy; an interview with flutist Claire Chase, who brings new music and mindset to Toronto this month; an investigation into the strange coincidence of three simultaneous Mendelssohn Elijahs this Nov 5; and of course, our annual Blue Pages, a who’s who of southern Ontario’s live music scene- a community as prolific and multifaceted as ever. These and more, as we move full-force into the 2016/17 concert season- all aboard!
Music lover's TIFF (our fifth annual guide to the Toronto International Film Festival); Aix Marks the Spot (how Brexit could impact on operatic co-production); The Unstoppable Howard Cable (an affectionate memoir of a late chapter in the life of of a great Canadian arranger; Kensington Jazz Story (the newest kid on the festival block flexes its muscles). These stories and much more as we say a lingering goodbye to summer and turn to the task, for the 22nd season, of covering the live and recorded music that make Southern Ontario tick.
It's combined June/July/August summer issue time with, we hope, enough between the covers to keep you dipping into it all through the coming lazy, hazy days. From Jazz Vans racing round "The Island" delivering pop-up brass breakouts at the roadside, to Bach flute ambushes strolling "The Grove, " to dozens of reasons to stay in the city. May yours be a summer where you find undiscovered musical treasures, and, better still, when, unexpectedly, the music finds you.
INSIDE: The Canaries Are Here! 116 choirs to choose from, so take the plunge! The Nylons hit the road after one last SING! Fling. Jazz writer Steve Wallace wonders "Watts Goode" rather than "what's new?" Paul Ennis has the musical picks of the HotDocs crop. David Jaeger's CBC Radio continues golden for a little while yet. Douglas McNabney is Music's Child. Leipzig meets Damascus in Alison Mackay's fertile imagination. And "C" is for KRONOS in Wende Bartley's koverage of the third annual 21C Festival. All this and as usual much much more. Enjoy.
From 30 camp profiles to spark thoughts of being your summer musical best, to testing LUDWIG as you while away the rest of so-called winter; from Scottish Opera and the Danish Midtvest, to a first Toronto recital appearance by violin superstar Maxim Vengerov; from musings on New Creations and new creation, to the boy who made a habit of crying Beowulf; it's a month of merry meetings and rousing recordings reviewed, all here to discover in The WholeNote.
2016 is off to a flying start! We chronicle the Artful Times of Andrew Burashko, the violistic versatility of Teng Li, the ageless ebullience of jazz pianist Gene DiNovi and the ninetieth birthday of trumpeter Johnny Cowell. Jaeger remembers Boulez; Waxman recalls Bley's influence, and Olds finds Bowie haunting Editor's Corner. Oh, and did we mention there's all that music? Hello (and goodbye) to the February blues, and here's to swinging through the musical vines of the Year of the Monkey.
What's a vinyl renaissance? What happens when Handel's Messiah runs afoul of the rumba rhythm setting on a (gasp!) Hammond organ? What work does Marc-Andre Hamelin say he would be content to have on every recital program he plays? What are Steve Wallace's favourite fifty Christmas recordings? Why is violinist Daniel Hope celebrating Yehudi Menuhin's 100th birthday at Koerner Hall January 28? Answers to all these questions (and a whole lot more) in the Dec/Jan issue of The WholeNote.
"Come" seems to be the verb that knits this month's issue together. Sondra Radvanovsky comes to Koerner, William Norris comes to Tafel as their new GM, opera comes to Canadian Stage; and (a long time coming!) Jane Bunnett's musicianship and mentorship are honoured with the Premier's award for excellence; plus David Jaeger's ongoing series on the golden years of CBC Radio Two, Andrew Timar on hybridity, a bumper crop of record reviews and much much more. Come on in!
Vol 21 No 2 is now available for your viewing pleasure, and it's a bumper crop, right at the harvest moon. First ever Canadian opera on the Four Seasons Centre main stage gets double coverage with Wende Bartley interviewing Pyramus and Thisbe composer Barbara Monk Feldman and Chris Hoile connecting with director Christopher Alden; Paul Ennis digs into the musical mind of pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, and pianist Eve Egoyan is "On the Record" in conversation with publisher David Perlman ahead of the Oct release concert for her tenth recording. And at the heart of it all the 16th edition of our annual BLUE PAGES directory of presenters profile the season now well and truly under way.
Paul Ennis's annual TIFF TIPS (27 festival films of potential particular musical interest); Wu Man, Yo-Yo Ma and Jeffrey Beecher on the Silk Road; David Jaeger on CBC Radio Music in the days it was committed to commissioning; the LISTENING ROOM continues to grow on line; DISCoveries is back, bigger than ever; and Mary Lou Fallis says Trinity-St. Paul's is Just the Spot (especially this coming Sept 25!).