Views
8 years ago

Volume 14 - Issue 6 - March 2009

FREE CONCERTS IN

FREE CONCERTS IN THERICHARD BRADSHAW AMPHITHEATREA: ls that related to the internet?P: Absolutely. I feel it 's just good advertising. But we still do sellCDs, especially after concerts; and in fact we ' re always among thetop sellers in the country. We 're on MySpace and YouTube, whichare great ways to reach a younger audience and to build sales. Thereare just so many ways now to sell that didn 't even exist twenty yearsago. The benefits of the internet far outweigh the reduction in CDsales .A: Tell me about your upcoming CD launch concerts.P: The program and the CD are called "Musica Latina. " A memberof the new Cuban community in Toronto, the pianist Hilario Duran,has done most of the arrangements. We've been known for the romanticpieces, our soft approach, so were looking for more rhythmicand up-tempo repertoire. Hilario performs on the first track ofthe CD, but won't be with us in the concerts. For the first time everwe've added percussion, and in "Suite Latino Americana" we'veadded the Penderecki String Quartet. The singing is more in the styleof the modern tenors, like Andrea Bocelli or Josh Grobin. •Most Tu esdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at noon or 5:30 p.m.coc.ca 416-363-8231Official Media Partners:FOUR SEASONS CENTREFOR THE PERFORMING ARTS145 Queen St W. (at University)\\\\\\\\\\\\\MAR-27-8PMFRIDAY MARCH 27 AT 8PM I OOORS:6PM I MUSIC:8PM\\\\\ PERFOR MANC ES BY\\\\\THE GRYPHON TRIOJOVINO SANTOS NETOPIAND*PHIL OWYERsmPHONEROBERTO OCCHIPINTleAss *MARK KELSOORUMSLYNN KUOVIOLIN*KATHLEEN KAJIOKAVIOLAMANINHO COSTAPERCUSSION..L FOR DINNER AND TICKET RESERVATIONS _.16·588·0307 _LT LlMIHO SEA.TING GUARANTEED WITH DINNER RESERVATION If 'TICKm:s25 AT THE DOOR I SHOW AND DINNER:S65LULA LOUNGE I WWW.LULA.CA I 1585 DUNDAS STREET WESTBEAT BY BEAT: EARLY MUSICHaydn, Handel, et al.by Frank NakashimaWHAT WOULD WE DO without conductors? Would we be wanderingaimlessly around the musical streets, searching for direction signs?Conductors offer ideas, projects, sense of purpose, interpretations,and guidance, not to mention encouragement and inspiration.For example, take the Classical Music Consort, conducted by thenew kid on the block, AshiqAziz. If it's Haydn that you ' reseekin', take a look at his extraordinaryconcert series dedicatedto Franz Joseph Haydn ,marking the 200th anniversaryof his death. Highlights of theCMC series include Haydn 'stwelve London Symphonies,Nos. 93 to 104, in four concerts,in the order they werefirst performed, to allow thelistener to hear the progressionof compositional refinement.Aziz clearly reveres thisclassical master and notes thatinterpretive clues are in the score. "I hope," he says, "that we aresomehow able to bring out the wonderful humour that is so inherentin his music . Often the cleverness and wit of his ideas are expressedthrough the manipulation of form , harmony and structure." Azizcontinues: "For example, the element of surprise in Haydn 's musicis one that I feel is quite important to recognize in order to ensure asuccessful performance. "I tell him that I notice the CMC performances use period andmodern instruments. Aziz says he is aware of the differences, buthis general approach is not significantly changed."The concepts, with respect to phrasing and articulation, remainthe same. It is just when dealing with balance issues that it becomesslightly more complicated, as modern instruments generally soundbrighter and louder. Also, achieving the phrasing and articulationthat comes naturally with period instruments is sometimes moredifficult, as players have been trained in a different manner." Azizis thankful that his players are "open and flexible in trying out differentmanners of interpretation" and that rehearsal time enablesthem an opportunity to overcome these obstacles. His enthusiasm isWWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM M ARC H 1 - APRI L 7 2009

infectious. His website: www.ashiqaziz.com.There are more Haydn performances coming up. Giles Tomkinswill be singing a selection of Haydn's Scottish song arrangements(September 25); the Salomon quartets will be presented in theirentirety by the Windermere and Cecilia string quartets (September10, and October 7, respectively); Adam Sherkin will perform threeLondon piano sonatas (April 22) ; and the most famous of his manytrios, the Gypsy Trio in G Major, along with a few other trios willbe played by the Duke Trio (May 14). See the website for moredetails: www.classicalmusicconsort.org.Also commemorated this year is the 250th anniversary of Handel'sdeath. This month, the Toronto Chamber Choir, under thedirection of their new conductor, Mark Vuorinen, is presenting areconstruction of a Vespers service comprised of music from Handel'sItalian period, around 1707, some chant, as well as the demandingDixit Dominus (March 28). Website:www.torontochamberchoir.ca. And the Tafelmusik Orchestra,Chamber Choir and soloists, under the guidance of lvars Taurins,perform festive choral music (March 12 - 15) by Handel (Ode to St.Cecilia) and Zelenka (a mass dedicated to St. Cecilia) .Of course, there are other noteworthy early music performancescoming up that aren't related to anniversaries. David Fallis conductsone of the greatest masterpieces of all time, Monteverdi's Vespers of1610 (March 20, 21) . Singers and players, including British tenorCharles Daniels, are directed by Fallis, one of our country's foremostearly music specialists. Website: www.torontoconsort.orgJoin Tafelmusik and Montreal's Les Voix Baroques for a performanceof Bach's St. Matthew Passion (April 2 - 5, 7). The internationalcast of vocalists include Hana Blazikova, Monika Mauch,Matthew White, Margaret Bragle, Hans Jorg Mammel, StephenMacLeod, Sumner Thompson, and Charles Daniels as the Evangelist.Often performed in grand style, with two big choirs and two bigorchestras, Bach's great masterpiece is, this time, sung with onevoice to a part, and no conductor. However, the performers will stillbe under the watchful eye of director-violinist Jeanne Lamon. Website:www.tafelmusik.orgCanada's conducting Wunderkind Yannick Nezet-Seguin, nowmusic director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic is , in fact, conductingmany of the leading orchestras of the world (such as the LondonPhilharmonic). He will be in Toronto (March 29) conducting a performanceof Bach's St. John Passion , marking his fifth appearancewith the Bach Consort. Maestro Nezet-Seguin has led their ChristmasOratorio, the B Minor Mass, the St. Matthew Passion , andnow, the St. John Passion . For many, he has certainly proven hismastery in conducting the music of this Baroque master.The vocal ensemble Cantemus celebrates the first day of spring(March 21) with a program La Primavera , which includes somefavourites and also some rarely heard sacred and secular music ofthe Renaissance and early Baroque - works by Gibbons, Gesualdo,Schuetz, Buxtehude and others, directed by Michael Erdman. Website:www.cantemus.caCorrection: In last month's column, I incorrectly stated that theWomen's Musical Club of Toronto had presented the Flanders RecorderQuartet, when, in fact, they had presented that other ensemble,the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet (in 2003). Sorry for anydistress this may have caused.Frank T. Nakashima (franknak@interlog.com) is the President of theToronto Early Music Centre, a non-profit charitable organizationwhich promotes the appreciation of historically-informed performancesof early music.•GREAT CHAMBER MUSIC DOWNTOWNPRAZAK QUARTETwith ROGER TAPPINGviola quintets of Brahms and DvorakThursday March 5 at 8 pmAlso coming March 5:Announcement of our2009-10 season!JONI HENSONAccomplished soprano Joni Hensonsings Beethoven, Wagner, Brittenand Morawetz, with the ableassistance of pianist Stephen RallsThursday March 12 at 8 pmTickets just IChamber at ,Cu/a ,CoungeFriday March 27See page 12, oppositeSearch our Listings Beat by BeatYou can now search WholeNote listings by musicalcategory on our website. Click on "Concert Listings"and go to "Search Listings" for details.Visit www.TheWholeNote.com416-366-7723 • 1-800-708-6754order online at www.stlc.comM ARCH 1 - APRIL 7 2009 WWW. THEWHOLENOTE,COM 13

Volumes 21-25 (2015-2020)

Volumes 16-20 (2010-2015)

Volumes 11-15 (2004-2010)

Volumes 6 - 10 (2000 - 2006)

Volumes 1-5 (1994-2000)