Jazz NotesThe Ghost Of 'Christmas Present'It's that "festive " time of the yearagain - rival groups of Ho 1 Ho!Hos! in the red corner and BahHumbugs! in the blue, myselfamong them. Please don't misunderstand.I'm just tired of thecommercialism and big sell insincerity.School may be out, butcrass isn't dismissed!The first Christmas card's inscriptionread: "Merry Christmasand a happy New Year to you.""Merry" was then a spiritual wordmeaning "blessed," as in "merryold England." But today the secularmeaning of merry is winning ata canter, with what might well becalled "giftmas" lasting for at leasttwo months.By far, most of the music associatednowadays with Christmas isof a secular nature; I was going tosuggest some Christmas jazz albums- until I discovered the enormousnumber of available Yuletiderecordings. The rest of this columncould simply consist of a list!So instead, here's some history.It was widely believed that theearliest jazz recording celebratingChristmas was Bessie Smith's"At The Christmas Ball", composedby Fred Langshaw and recordedon November 18, 1925 inNew York City with Joe Smith oncornet, Charlie Green on trombone,and a piano player who wasdestined to be a major figure in thebig band era, Fletcher Henderson.But "Santa Claus Blues" by GusKahn and Charley Straight wasrecorded almost two weeks earlieron November 5th 1925 (also inNYC) by The Gulf Coast Sevenconsisting of June Clark (cornet),by Jim GallowayJimmy Harrison (trombone),Buster Bailey (a/sax, clarinet),Prince Robinson (t/sax), Willie'The Lion' Smith (piano), BuddyChristian (banjo), a tuba player(probably Bill Benford), and'Jazz' Carson (drums).(An aside about trumpeter JuneClark. His real name was Junius -so, to take liberties with the JohnnyCash song, he was a boynamed June. His name does indeedshow up in some lists of earlyfemale jazz players! A minorfigure in the jazz landscape, illhealthforced him to give up playingand he was, for a time, roadmanager for Louis Armstrong. In1939, suffering from tuberculosis,he went into hospital. He recoveredenough to act as musical assistantto Earl Hines, then in thelate 40s made a complete turnaround,getting involved in boxing,eventually becoming SugarRay Robinson's manager!)"Christmas Night in Harlem"by Raymond Scott and MitchellParish, sung on a 1934 recordingby Johnny Mercer and Jack Teagarden,was a memorable additionalto the seasonal songbook aswas Fats Waller's boisterous 1936"Swingin' Them Jingle Bells".The 1940s gave us the all-timeChristmas classic by Irving Berlin,"White Christmas" and "TheChristmas Song" by Mel Tormeand lyricist, Bob Wells, again allnonreligious in character (althoughthe two last mentioned do evokethe feelings of love and compassionassociated with the originalsense of a merry Christmas. Thereis by contrast a rare, somewhatFeaturing some of Toronto's best jazz musicianswith a brief reflection by Jazz Vespers ClergySunday, December 14th at 4:30 p.m.THE DIXIE DEMONSSunday, January 4th at 4:30 p.m.TED QUINLAN QUARTETSunday, January 1 Bth at 4:30 p.m.NANCY WALKER TRIOChrist 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.stringent version of "White Christmas" by Charlie Parker with MilesDavis on trumpet, Al Haig on piano,Max Roach on drums andCurly Russell on bass, recorded atthe Royal Roost, New York onDec 25, 1948.The Modern Jazz Quartet, notsurprisingly, was among the firstto adapt a sacred song to theirbrand of jazz - an 1833 Englishcarol, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"(there's that "merry"again!) which they recorded underthe title "England' s Carol".Stan Kenton also chipped in withan album of Christmas carols, andin 1960 Tchaikovsky's "NutcrackerSuite" was given a wonderfuland respectful jazz interpretationby Ellington and Strayhorn.Perhaps as jazz became moreintrospective, willingness to accepta spiritual awareness grew. ThinkColtrane's "A Love Supreme".In vocal jazz it was Ella Fitzger -aid who raised the bar with her"Ella Wishes You a SwingingChristmas", (re-released on CDthis year with six bonus tracks). Ifyou like Ella, this should be inyour collection. Anyway, there isabsolutely no shortage of seasonaljazz CDs. It seems that just abouteverybody who is anybody hasjumped on to the bandwagon - orshould that be sleigh?A couple of Canadian releasesdid come my way this year:"Hark, The Herald Angel Swings"presents Bob De Angelis and his"Champagne Symphony" orchestra,arranged and conducted byJohn MacLeod with guest singersMelissa Stylianou and RobinLangdon. You can also hear themlive at Roy Thomson Hall at 2 pmon New Year' s Eve."Jazz For Christmas" on theAnalekta label features The LorraineDesmarais Trio with CamilBelisle, drums, Frederic Alarie,bass, and special guest Jean-PierreZanella, saxophone, reinventingsome of the festive classics includingJingle Bells and Schubert'sAve Maria.By the way, if you want toswing into the New Year, I'll be atQuotes, 220 King Street West withLaurie Bower (trombone), IanBargh (piano), Rosemary Galloway(bass), Don Vickery (drums).For info call 416-979-7717 .Closing thought: Don't eat theChristmas decorations. You gettinsel-itus! Hope yule have a merryjazzy Christmas, and will resolvethroughout the new year tomake at least some of your listeninglive!In the Clubs:Come to the Cabaret,Then Check Out ThatChordless Quartet!By Ori DaganCabaret seems to be enjoying a revivalin Ontario's capital. For severalseasons, the TD Canada TrustToronto Jazz Festival has featureda sold-out Cabaret Series bookedby Sybil Walker. Challenging , thecabaret art form forbids late admittanceand requires an audience ofengaged listeners to remain silentwhile they drink. Enter the UpstairsCabaret series at the PolarIce Lounge, right above StatlersPiano Lounge at 487 ChurchStreet. Founded and booked byfirst-class cabaret performerGeorge Evans, the series has beena hit since launching in September.Highlights have included the miraculousMaureen Kennedy Singsfor Hipsters and Beatnicks andHeather Bambrick's hilarious Life,Laughs, Love. Get madly happywith George Evans as he proudlypresents Happy Madness: Songs ofLove and Hypomania on Friday,December 5th at 8 o'clock.November 9th, 2008 at Gate 403marked the official debut of a newjazz quartet. Much like the LinaAllemano Four, the Bobby Hsu/Sophia Perlman Quartet is "chordless": only bass and drums supportthe soloists. Leading this groupwith finesse , Bobby Hsu is an altosaxophonist whose fortes includewarm tone and an intelligent senseof humour. Vocalist Sophia Perlman'sdazzling set of pipes andphenomenal pair of ears producesinging that is consistent! y creativeand always engaging (check outher gigs at Chalkers on December14th, The Old Mill's Home SmithBar on December 19th and everyMonday night with The Vipers atThe Reservoir Lounge). Thequartet is completed by brilliantbassist Ross Macintyre and soulfuldrummer Ernesto Cervini, bothideal for their contagiously highenergy. The cherry on the cake:quirky repertoire choices such as"We Kiss in a Shadow" , "ShallWe Dance?" and "You Taught MyHeart to Sing". The icing on thecherry: Bobby Hsu's programnotes. The quartet returns to theGate on December 26th.And for all the club action,please turn to the club listings onpage 51.22 WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM D EC EM BER 1 2008 - F EB RUARY 7 2009
Bandstand and Podiumsby Jack MacQuarrieWhether it be Christmas, Hanukkah or some other festival, most wintersolstice observances have, as dominant components, celebration throughmusic and gift giving. For community musical groups, this translates toa busy, but rewarding, schedule of performances at a broad spectrum ofvenues from seniors' residences and long term care facilities to churchfunctions. From performances with chorus and full orchestra to smallensembles, the message is the same. We are giving the gift of music.But we are receiving it too! As musicians we receive personal satisfactionin the knowledge that we have conveyed pleasure to our audiences.However, there is growing evidence that performers derive an additionalgift - enhanced mental capabilities. Just as physical exercise does forbody health, mental stimulation maintains brain function.It's not rocket science - arguably it's something far more complex!Think how a series of little black dots on a piece of paper prompts thealmost infinite variety of complex psychomotor tasks required of thevarious members of a modem band or orchestra. Provide the same sequenceof dots to a cellist, bassoonist and trombonist and compare howthey translate those marks into such diverse physical tasks. All three canproduce the same melody. However, the information processing in theirbrains translated into the playing of their instruments couldn't be muchmore diverse. For the cellist, superb dexterity for the fingers of the lefthand is paramount, but the thumb does not participate. For the bassoonist,not only is finger dexterity required, but the thumb has no fewerthan eight keys to deal with. For the trombonist, the left hand supportsthe instrument, but in many instruments the left thumb must bekept free to operate the valve to shift from Bb to F. What this all meansis that the human brain is processing patterns on a page into complexmovements which result in the production of what we call music.Each year at this time I play in a small ensemble at long term carefacility where all of the residents have some form of dementia. We, asperformers, have no way of knowing the effects of our music in theminds of our audience, but we do observe a broad spectrum of facialexpressions to convey to us that our message is being received. And theevent serves as a reminder of what a gift it is to still be able to makemusic the way we do.My curiosity about the benefits of music in maintaining and/or enhancingbrain function led me to two research facilities: the BaycrestCentre, affiliated with the University of Toronto; and McMaster Universityin Hamilton. I contacted one of the researchers in the ResearchCentre for Aging and the Brain at Baycrest and mentioned my personalinterest in how lifelong involvement in music might minimize or slowthe adverse effects of aging on brain function. This led to my volunteeringas a subject in one of their research studies. Initially I was given astandard audiology test to determine any hearing loss due to aging (ormy exposure to gunfire while serving in the navy). This standard testdetermined that my hearing was as good as, or better than, the averagefor my age. Then I spent two hours in the same small anechoic chamberperforming a series of sound perception tests. This data, and that fromother subjects with lifelong musical experience, will be compared withthe results of subjects with no significant experience as musicians.Hopefully, we will learn more on the results of these experiments in thecoming months.With a visit to the website of McMaster University's Institute forMusic and Mind, I learned that their 4th Annual Music and the MindBrass - Woodwind -String Instruments - GuitarBuy direct from the DistributorAUTHORIZED DEALER FOR:Armstrong, Artley, Besson, Buffet,Conn, Getzen, Holton, Jupiter,Keilworth, King, Noblet,Selmer, Vito, Yanagisawa~1~~HARKNET'f.Musical Services Ltd.MUSIC BOOKSBEST SELECTIONOF POPULAR&EDUCATIONAL MUSICPiano - Guitar - Instrumental905-477-11412650 John Street, Unit 15Uust North of Steeles)www.harknettmusic.comWorkshop: Musical Connections in the Brain was to be held on Saturday,November 29, 2008. It was too short notice to consider attending.But the findings will be worth persuing. The introductory comment ontheir website states: Critically, the developmental neuroscience perspectivewill inform the research community on how music induces emotionalreactions, how musical experience and training affect brain development,and how musical training/exposure affects language, cognitive,and social abilities in both children and adults. Visit their website athttp :I lmimm. mcmaster. ea/From the preliminary information we have seen so far, there isstrong evidence that when musicians give the gift of music, they givetwo gifts. They give the gift to listeners, but they also give a significantgift to themselves in the form of a healthier brain.Musicians wanted: The Markham Concert Band is looking for anothertuba player. For information contact kchapin@sympatico.ca.Coming Events - Please see the listings section for full detailsSunday, December 7, 2:00 pm The Northdale Concert Band atScarborough Civic Centre. Free.Sunday, December 7, 2:00 pm The East York Concert Band windup their 60th Anniversary Celebrations with a Christmas Concert at St.Patrick Catholic Secondary SchoolTuesday, December 9, 7:30 pm The Weston Silver Band presenttheir Annual Community Christmas Concert at Central United Church.Saturday, December 13, 8:00 pm The Hannaford Street Silver Bandpresent Christmas Joy with The Canadian Children's Opera Chorus,Metropolitan United ChurchSaturday, December 13, 8:00 pm The Milton Concert Band presenttheir Second Annual Christmas Concert at St. Paul's United Church.Sunday, December 14, 3:00 pm The Northdale Concert Bandpresent a holiday concert at St. Jude's Anglican Church (Wexford).Friday, December 19, 8:00 pm The Etobicoke Community ConcertBand present Christmas Pops at Etobicoke Collegiate Auditorium.Please write to us: bandstand@thewholenote.comD ECEMBER 1 2008 - F EBRUARY 7 2009WWW. THEWHOLENO TE. COM
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Choral Scene: Uncharted territory: three choirs finding paths forward; Music Theatre: Loose Tea on the boil with Alaina Viau’s Dead Reckoning; In with the New: what happens to soundart when climate change meets COVID-19; Call to action: diversity, accountability, and reform in post-secondary jazz studies; 9th Annual TIFF Tips: a filmfest like no other; Remembering: Leon Fleisher; DISCoveries: a NY state of mind; 25th anniversary stroll-through; and more. Online in flip through here, and on stands commencing Tues SEP 1.
Following the Goldberg trail from Gould to Lang Lang; Measha Brueggergosman and Edwin Huizinga on face to face collaboration in strange times; diggings into dance as FFDN keeps live alive; "Classical unicorn?" - Luke Welch reflects on life as a Black classical pianist; Debashis Sinha's adventures in sound art; choral lessons from Skagit Valley; and the 21st annual WholeNote Blue Pages (part 1 of 3) in print and online. Here now. And, yes, still in print, with distribution starting Thursday October 1.
Alanis Obomsawin's art of life; fifteen Exquisite Departures; UnCovered re(dis)covered; jazz in the kitchen; three takes on managing record releases in times of plague; baroque for babies; presenter directory (blue pages) part two; and, here at the WholeNote, work in progress on four brick walls (or is it five?). All this and more available in flipthrough HERE, and in print Tuesday Nov 3.
In this issue: Beautiful Exceptions, Sing-Alone Messiahs, Livingston’s Vocal Pleasures, Chamber Beethoven, Online Opera (Plexiglass & All), Playlist for the Winter of our Discontent, The Oud & the Fuzz, Who is Alex Trebek? All this and more available in flipthrough HERE, and in print Friday December 4.
July/August issue is now available in flipthrough HERE, bringing to a close 25 seasons of doing what we do (and plan to continue doing), and on stands early in the week of July 5. Not the usual bucolic parade of music in the summer sun, but lots, we hope, to pass the time: links to online and virtual music; a full slate of record reviews; plenty new in the Listening Room; and a full slate of stories – the future of opera, the plight of small venues, the challenge facing orchestras, the barriers to resumption of choral life, the challenges of isolation for real-time music; the steps some festivals are taking to keep the spirit and substance of what they do alive. And intersecting with all of it, responses to the urgent call for anti-racist action and systemic change.
"COVID's Metamorphoses"? "There's Always Time (Until Suddenly There Isn't)"? "The Writing on the Wall"? It's hard to know WHAT to call this latest chapter in the extraordinary story we are all of a sudden characters in. By whatever name we call it, the MAY/JUNE combined issue of The WholeNote is now available, HERE in flip through format, in print commencing Wednesday May 6, and, in fully interactive form, online at thewholenote.com. Our 18th Annual Choral Canary Pages, scheduled for publication in print and flip through in September is already well underway with the first 50 choirs home to roost and more being added every week online. Community Voices, our cover story, brings to you the thoughts of 30 musical community members, all going through what we are going through (and with many more to come as the feature gets amplified online over the course of the coming months). And our regular writers bring their personal thoughts to the mix. Finally, a full-fledged DISCoveries review section offers cues and clues to recorded music for your solitary solace!
After some doubt that we would be allowed to go to press, in respect to wide-ranging Ontario business closures relating to COVID-19, The WholeNote magazine for April 2020 is now on press, and print distribution – modified to respect community-wide closures and the need for appropriate distancing – starts Monday March 30. Meanwhile the full magazine is right here, digitally, so if you value us PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK AS WIDELY AS YOU CAN. It's the safest way for us to reach the widest possible audience at this time!
FEATURED: Music & Health writer Vivien Fellegi explores music, blindness & the plasticity of perception; David Jaeger digs into Gustavo Gimeno's plans for new music in his upcoming first season as music director at TSO; pianist James Rhodes, here for an early March recital, speaks his mind in a Q&A with Paul Ennis; and Lydia Perovic talks music and more with rising Turkish-Canadian mezzo Beste Kalender. Also, among our columns, Peggy Baker Dance Projects headlines Wende Bartley's In with the New; Steve Wallace's Jazz Notes rushes in definitionally where many fear to tread; ... and more.
Visions of 2020! Sampling from back to front for a change: in Rearview Mirror, Robert Harris on the Beethoven he loves (and loves to hate!); Errol Gay, a most musical life remembered; Luna Pearl Woolf in focus in recordings editor David Olds' "Editor's Corner" and in Jenny Parr's preview of "Jacqueline"; Speranza Scappucci explains how not to reinvent Rossini; The Indigo Project, where "each piece of cloth tells a story"; and, leading it all off, Jully Black makes a giant leap in "Caroline, or Change." And as always, much more. Now online in flip-through format here and on stands starting Thurs Jan 30.
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!
On the slim chance you might not have already heard the news, Estonian Canadian composing giant Udo Kasemets was born the same year that Leo Thermin invented the theremin --1919. Which means this is the centenary year for both of them, and both are being celebrated in style, as Andrew Timar and MJ Buell respectively explain. And that's just a taste of a bustling November, with enough coverage of music of both the delectably substantial and delightfully silly on hand to satisfy one and all.
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!).