VOCALIn Nativitate Beatae Mariae VirginisSchola Sanctae Sunnivae; Anne KleivsetLindberg Lyd AS 2L-069• Norway’s Reformationof 1537 washarsh on liturgicalcodices; very fewsurvived. Ten foliosfrom a choir bookfrom Nidaros Cathedralin Trondheimdid survive (havingbeen cut into strips for ledger covers!) andthey are the basis of this celebration of theNativity.In fact, thirteen sung antiphona are interlacedwith five interludia for melodic percussionby the Norwegian composer HenningSommerro. Under the title Maria, the workas a whole was performed for the 800th anniversaryof Our Lady Church, Trondheim. Atranscription for melodic percussion was thenmade especially for this recording.Twelve female voices and their conductorexplore the nativity in the greatest detail onthis CD. As no individual singers are singledout, the entire ensemble may claim collectivesuccess in an uplifting rendition of thiscollection of simply-written but richly spiritualpieces.There is, it must be said, a contrast, perhapsa void, between the chanted antiphonaeand the instrumental interludia, which aremodern in their style. This can not distractfrom the purity of the voices of Schola SanctaeSunnivae.One criticism. The final interludium unfortunatelydoes not blend in with the remainingpieces - its own style is out of place, notleast as in the preceding track, the last sungpiece, singers and percussionists join in a celestialplea to observe the birthday of Mary.Michael SchwartzVerdi - OtelloAleksandrs Antonenko; MarinaPoplavskaya; Carlos Alvarez; WienerStaatsopenchor and Philhamoniker;Riccardo MutiUnitel Classics 701408• With the first shriekingchords of the orchestraVerdi forcefullydraws us into the worldof Shakespeare’s horrifyingtragedy, one of fullestembodiments of evilever created. Each of thecharacters is widely differentfrom one another:Otello the accomplished fearless hero, but insecureand gullible; Desdemona full of love,but naïve; and Jago congenitally and relentlesslyevil. Their interaction is the stuff ofdrama and of one of the greatest in Verdi’soeuvre.Salzburg hasn’t seen a production ofOtello since 1970 when Karajan conducted itin a noble, unforgettable performance withour Jon Vickers in the title role. Now it’s RiccardoMuti’s turn. Muti today has become aconductor of stature and a true master of Italianopera repertoire since his early years as ayoung firebrand when I saw him a few timeshere in Toronto. His usual forceful stylehelps ‘shine a light on Otello’s violence’ andturns the orchestra into a snarling monsterwhen required. His orchestra is well balancedthroughout, swift moving yet he finds time tobring out much of the richness, hidden meaningand delicacy of the score.The extraordinary width of the stage ofGrosses Festpielhaus has always been difficultto handle for stage designers and directors.Director Stephen Langridge withGeorge Souglides solved the problem by subdividingit into multiple elements: galleries,stairs, projection screen and a fragile transparentplatform that shatters at the end of act3, symbolizing Otello’s descent into insanejealousy.The cast is international, nearly all young,very talented singers with spectacular voices.Latvian Aleksandrs Antonenko is a powerful,clear heldentenor whose ‘ringing’ entry‘Esultate!’ sets the tone for his performance.Russian soprano Marina Poplavskaya bringsmuch richness to the part of Desdemona notjust with her voice but her wonderful acting.Famous Spanish baritone Carlos Alvarez’sturncoat portrayal of Jago, alternately eviland suave, is skilfully acted and brilliantlysung. His shattering ‘Credo’ is one of the bestI ever heard. This is a performance worthy ofVerdi and Shakespeare, highly recommended.Janos GardonyiTenor AriasMarc Hervieux; Orchestre Metropolitain;Yannick Nézet-SéguinATMA ACD2 2618• After years of writing CD reviews for thismagazine, it’s time tocome out of the closet:I am a big, loud,unabashed snob. I believethat cross-overartists are sell-outsand that Il Divo, AndreaBoccelli andCharlotte Churchcheapen, not popularize, classical music. Apersonal opinion, to be sure, but one augmentedby many years of education, listeningto music and developing some discernment.The battle lines drawn, I can now review thelatest disc from the quintessential cross-overartist, Marc Hervieux. The Quebec singerdid not read music until his mid-twenties,sang in a rock band and still cannot pass overan opportunity to sing for kings, presidents orwith Patsy Gallant (don’t ask!). Except for thefact that Hervieux has a great, undeniable talentwith a capital T. His voice, a spinto tenorin full Italian style, invites positive comparisonswith young Pavarotti. This truly wonderfulrecording spans all the classics – fromVerdi, Mascagni, Cilea, and Leoncavallo toa good dose of Puccini. Moreover, it allowsthe music, deftly handled by Nézet-Séguin(whose own meteoric rise takes him onto podiumsof the greatest opera houses in theworld) breathe in unison with the voice. Atthe end, you are left with a feeling of peacefulcontemplation – not at all a feeling I expectedfrom a “cross-over” artist. So as longas Monsieur Hervieux continues to recorddiscs as beautiful as this one, I will keep onlistening to them, my snobbery be damned!Robert TomasEXTENDED PLAYRecent Opera DVDs from Britainby Pamela MarglesSomething unusual happened even beforethe curtain came up on this performanceof Rossini’s Il Barbiere diSeviglia at Covent Garden last July - theconductor himself, Antonio Pappano, cameout on stage. He told the audience that theevening’s Rosina, Joyce DiDonato, hadbroken her leg during the previous performance.She would sing –but in a wheelchair. Thedirectors, Moshe Leiserand Patrice Caurier, hadalready left town, theirwork apparently done.So it was up to the castto figure out how to accommodatea wheelchairboundheroine restrictedto a ramp across thefront of the stage. The results on this DVD(Virgin Classics 9 694581 9) are so fresh, invigoratingand thoroughly enjoyable that it’seasy to overlook the unflattering costumesand drab, claustrophobic sets. The splendid54 THEWHOLENOTE.COMJuly 1 - September 7, 2010
DiDonato, in a role she has made her own,is such a feisty and alluring heroine that thewheelchair proves to be just another aspectof who this Rosina is. The mellifluous PietroSpagnoli creates an unconventionally soulfulBarber. But, inevitably, it’s Juan DiegoFlórez as the Count who stops the show withhis ravishing Cessa di più resistere.Sophie’s Choice, composedby British composerNicholas Maw tohis own massive libretto,made a lengthy drawnoutevening when it waspremiered at CoventGarden in 2002. Butnow that it has finallybeen released on DVD(OpusArte OA 1024 D) it’s possible to seewhat conductor Simon Rattle meant whenhe called it “an instant classic” in a bonusinterview here. There’s much to appreciate inMaw’s moving work, with its tender melodies,atmospheric harmonies and searing orchestrations.I can’t imagine a more impassioned,convincing cast, especially with Canadiantenor Gordon Gietz as the impressionableyoung writer, Dale Duesing as his olderself, who narrates this tragic tale, Rod Gilfryas the charming and dangerous Nathan,and above all, Angelika Kirschschlager ina fearless, unforgettable performance as thedoomed Holocaust survivor Sophie. DirectorTrevor Nunn shapes the too-frequent scenechangesand flashbacks into a compelling narrative,which gains resonance with each viewing.By the time narrator sings the final lines,“At Auchwitz, tell me, where was God? Theresponse: where was Man?”, the incalculablecost of the Holocaust for all of humanity isinescapable.Boito based his libretto for Verdi’s finalopera, Falstaff, on Shakespeare’s comedy,The Merry Wives of Windsor. Director RichardJones’ delightfully boisterous and wittyproduction, recorded last summer at Glyndebourne(OpusArte OA1021 D), is set in a post-World War II middleclasssuburb where thehouses are mock-Tudor,the furniture covered inchintz, and the gardensare planted in obsessivelyneat rows of cabbages.The terrific cast and orchestraattack Verdi’sfinal work with alacrity, especially in the ensembles.Christopher Purves gleefully exploitsthe foibles of Verdi’s puffed-up safarisuitedknight, but still gives him some dignity.The vocally nuanced Canadian contraltoMarie-Nicole Lemieux, in a brilliant pieceof acting, plays Mistress Quickly as a cunningmartinet. Conductor Vladimir Jurowski,leading the London Philharmonic, supportsthe remarkable teamwork on stage evento the extent of downing a pint with the castwhile they do full justice to the magnificentclosing fugue, Tutto nel mondo è burla – lifeis a joke.Although Acis and Galatea was Handel’smost popular stage work during his lifetime,this production with Christopher Hogwoodconducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenmentfrom last year marks the first atCovent Garden in almost a century. Especiallynoteworthy is how the director-choreographer,Wayne McGregor, has teamed upboth of Covent Garden’s resident companies,the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet. Bypairing each singer with a dancer, McGregorworks choreography into every element ofthe score. Just how moving this can be is apparentin the enchanting final scene whensoprano Danielle de Niese - a trained dancer– as Galatea performs a captivating pasde deux with Acis’s ethereal double, EdwardWatson. But the semi-divine enchantmentsof this work, based onclassical mythology, areundermined by HildegardBechtler’s bizarrecostumes, which dampenboth the comedy andthe pathos. Bass MatthewRose as the giantPolyphemus sings withplenty of bravado, buthe looks like a thug withhis bare chest covered in scars. Di Niese’svoice is expressive, but her shapeless coat,ratty scarf, and bleached-blond braided wigturn this lovely-looking singer – surely a director’sdream – into a frump. At least tenorPaul Agnew’s costume as the shepherd Damonworks, since his ardent, stylish Considerfair shepherd provides the vocal highlight ofthe DVD (OpusArte OA 1025 D).Concert Notes: Gordon Gietz sings with theToronto Summer Music Festival Ensemble ina program including Mahler’s Das Lied vonder Erde and the world premiere of Song ofthe Earth by Glenn Buhr on Saturday, August7 in the MacMillan Theatre. Opera Atelieris mounting a new production of Acis andGalatea, directed by Marshal Pynkoski andchoreographed by Jeanette Lajeunesse Zingg,at the Elgin Theatre from Oct. 30 – Nov. 7.David Fallis conducts the Tafelmusik BaroqueOrchestra.EARLY & PERIOD PERFORMANCESenza ContinuoMargaret LittleATMA ACD2 2612• The formidable gamba player Margaret Little– one half of the legendary Montreal duoLes Voix Humaines – is “a chamber musicianat heart” and “this is her first adventurein solo repertoire.” So says the bio of her atthe back of the booklet of this outstandingrecording. From theopening strains of thefirst of three preludesby Jean de Sainte-Colombewhich open thedisc, I was transfixedby Little’s tone andfreedom of sound.The varied programof music ranges from the late 16th century tothe early 18th and clearly demonstrates whythis instrument was so beloved, particularlyin France.Two solo suites, one by Le Sieur deMachy – a 17th century viol player aboutwhom virtually nothing is known – and anotherby the celebrated virtuoso MarinMarais, make up the meat of the program andare both played with ease, elegance and poetry.Little has complete command of the ornamentationand character of each dance movement,and manages to convey the beautifulemotional arc of both large works. The restof the CD is made up of four airs by the Englishcomposer Tobias Hume and two short“recercatas” by Italians Aurelio Virgilianoand Giovanni Bassano.This lovely recording is a reminder ofhow special and expressive the viola da gambais. In the hands of a confident and tendermusician such as Little, a strong case ismade for the unique solo repertoire of this oftundervalued instrument.Larry BeckwithBach - Brandenburg ConcertosEnglish Baroque Soloists;John Eliot GardinerSoli Deo Gloria SDG 707• Rare is the list ofessential classicalrecordings whichdoes not include theBrandenburgs. Whatmakes this interpretationstand out is notjust the actual playingbut also some thoughtful commentariesby the conductor and soloists on the challengesBrandenburg players face.From the start, this interpretation respectsthe instruments of Bach’s times. The horns ofAnneke Scott and David Bentley are literallyhunting horns, although never the “disruptiveinfluence” she claims they are. All instrumentsblend into an enjoyable performance ofConcerto No 1.The reviewer is a life-long lover of No 2,Bach’s allegro movements bringing out thebest of baroque ensembles in general and thebaroque recorder in particular. Rachel Beckettdemolishes the idea that the recorder is ateaching instrument for children.So to No 3, best-known of the six. Thisrecording is upbeat in the initial allegro, enhancedby a silvery quality to the stringswhich continues through the much-overlookedadagio to the second even more inspiredallegro.July 1 - September 7, 2010 THEWHOLENOTE.COM55
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!).
