ity and genius of the composer. The recording,captured in faultless sound, was made inthe sonically impressive Concertgebouw inBruges to which this group is very well attuned.For me, this has been an unexpectedand rewarding discovery.—Bruce SurteesCLASSICAL & BEYONDBeethoven – Live SymphoniesOrchestra de la Francophonie; Jean-Philippe TremblayAnalekta AN 2 9975-9a particular musicologistonce said,“French orchestrasare incapable of playingGerman music.”Whoever it was whomade this claim wouldsurely have secondAnalekta recording of the complete Beethovensymphonies featuring l’Orchestre de laFrancophonie under the direction of Jean-Philippe Tremblay. Founded in 2001 for thefourth Jeux de la Francophonie in Ottawa-Hull, this ensemble has earned a reputationtras,having given more than 200 concertsacross Canada, and undertaking a successfultour of China in 2007.There is certainly no dearth of Beethovencomplete symphonies sets, so do we reallyneed one more? Having said that, I canassure you that this one, recorded live atQuébec City’s Palais Montcalm in July of2009, can easily hold its own against theolder more established recordings. From theopening hesitant measures of the SymphonyNo. 1, the listener is immediately struck bythe youthful freshness of OF’s approach. Theplaying is noble and elegant, and when dramaticintensity is called for, it is achievedwithout the heavy-handed bombast that hassometimes characterized Beethoven recordingsfrom the past.Admittedly, one of my favourite symphoniesof all time is Beethoven’s No.7. I’mpleased to report that the interpretation heremovements, where the strings seeminglyshimmer in joyful exuberance. The secondmovement, mysterious and somewhat cryptic,is treated in a deservingly subtle man-compared to the merry-making of peasants,brings the symphony to a rousing conclusion.Wagner, who also happened to love this work,(once referring to it as “the very apotheosisof the dance”), would be pleased indeed!The climax of the set comes with thepowerful Symphony No. 9, a true world untoitself. Soloists Marie-Josée Lord, GenevièveCouillard Després, Guy Bélanger, andla Francophonie maintain a wonderful vocalcohesion, admirably blending with the or-Despite this being a live recording, extraneousnoises are minimal, and the burst ofenthusiastic applause at the end of each sym-the superb performances. My only quibblecordingsuch as this deserves better. Kudosto l’Orchestre de la Francophonie, to thesoloists, the chorus, and to Jean-PhilippeTremblay for breathing some overdue freshair into this well-trodden repertoire.—Richard HaskellBeethoven – Symphony No.9Christine Oelze; Petra Lang; KlausFlorian Vogt; Matthias Goerne;Deutscher Kammerchor; DeutscheKammerphilharmonie Bremen;Paavo JärviSony 88697576062chestrawas founded in 1980 by a group ofexceptional young students and went on tobecome one of the most sought-after chamberorchestras, appearing at the UN in 1983.They were invited to play at Gidon Kremer’sLockenhaus Festival where their 1986performance of Gubaidulina’s Seven Wordswas issued by Philips. Since 1992 they havebeen based in Bremen and are self governing,owned by the players. Paavo Järvi has beentheir conductor since 2004 and in Augustof that year they began recording a newBeethoven cycle using the Barenreiter UrtextEdition, starting with the Eighth.The reduced strings contribute to the creationof new textures that are in no way lesssatisfying for theaudience. The windsand brass are morepresent without losingperspective. Listenerswill have a newappreciation of thegenius and beauty ofBeethoven’s scores.Järvi has a clearstamp on these performances wherein he refreshesthe scores with his own phrasing andaccents, with tempi that adhere to Beethoven’smetronome markings. Diehard fans ofvitoo acerbic and will not easily accept hisapproach. Even though I was very familiarwith Järvi’s performances of all the others,this Ninth came as a quite a shock. It is as ifaside and let Beethoven speak for himself,unencumbered by generations of well meaninginterpreters. It works well for me andterpretationsthroughout the nine fully justifytheir existence among a plethora of sets,new and re-issued, which are mostly indistinguishablefrom each other.The state-of-the-art hybrid SACD/CDs,whether heard in stereo or surround, areof audiophile quality accurately delineatingthe instruments exactly as the conductor intended.The executive producers of these recordingsare the orchestra itself and MaestroJärvi, which just may account for theirexcellence.—Bruce SurteesLive from the Lugano Festival 2009Martha Argerich and FriendsEMI Classics 6 07367 2you try Lugano, capital of the Italian speakingcanton Ticino near the sun drenchedsouthern slopes of the Swiss Alps. Preferablyin June when Martha Argerich’s annual festivaltakes place. Since 2002, BSI Bank hassponsored this event, focused on the onceraven haired (now completely grey) Argentineanbeauty and pianiste extraordinaire, alongwith a coterie of young musicians to rehearseand perform concerts of the highest caliberand inspiration.The 3 discs are nicely subdivided intothe chamber music of 1) Schumann, Mendelssohnand Chopin, 2) the Hungarians andRussians, and 3) theSpanish and French.Already on CD1 there is a stunningpiano duet versionof the MidsummerNights Dream Overturewhere the shimmeringpp strings aretranscribed into translucent, lightning fastand wonderfully controlled virtuoso pianoplaying of Argerich and Cristina Marton.Chopin’s early work from his years in Poland,Introduction and Polonaise Brillante,is guaranteed to raise everyone’s blood pres-abandon by Martha Argerich and GautierCapuçon (cello).More unusual pieces follow on CD 2.First the inimitable young violinist RenaudCapuçon plays Bartok’s 2nd Violin Sonata,a “multilayered study in sonority, predominantlydiscordant harmony and structure yetstill traceable to Hungarian folk tradition.”From the Russians we encounter Glinka andRachmaninov, from the latter a curious rarity,a Waltz for 6 hands at a single piano(!).I would have liked to see this as I’d imaginethere could be some logistical problems here.The third disc features larger scale worksand here my favorite was Ravel’s RapsodieEspagnole transcribed for two pianos bythe composer and played atmosphericallyand with imagination by Sergio Tiempo andKarin Lechner. A set to treasure. State of theart recordings.—Janos GardonyiTchaikovsky – Romeo and Juliet; StringSerenade; Francesca da Rimini; VictorEwald – Brass QuintetsPhiladelphia Orchestra; Christoph EschenbachOndine ODE 1150-2D56 THEWHOLENOTE.COMMay 1 - June 7, 2010
Orchestra becamefamous, both live and,since 1926, throughrecordings, for theopulence of its sound.One has only to experienceOrmandyconducting the RachmaninovSecond Symphony on the EuroArtsDVD (EA 2072258) to hear exactly what Imean. Christoph Eschenbach was one of therecipients of this legacy, serving as the orchestra’sMusic Director from 2003 to 2008.Francesca da Rimini has been a favouriteof mine since time began. I enjoyed it asa rather lurid piece, with swirling strings andwinds, much percussion and tormented passagesfrom the whole orchestra (I was veryyoung). Eschenbach has a broader, romanticview of the work, perhaps prosaic, focusingmore on the emotions of the condemnedFrancesca than on her surroundings in a sensationalperformance that is more expressivethan ever. As he does in his Houston recordingfor Virgin, Eschenbach broadens out theRomeo and Juliet, too, is unhurriedwith meticulous attention to detail, conveyingthe poignant tragedy of this oft told tale.Similarly, the Serenade for Strings may bethe best you’ll ever hear.Victor Ewald (1860-1935) was a contemporaryof Tchaikovsky… at least for a while,and his compositions for brass are highly regarded…at least by the members of the orchestrawho perform them here. These Quintetspresent no problems to the listener andare, in fact, rather pleasant to hear.The sound throughout is clear, spacious,and well suited to the repertoire.—Bruce SurteesSaint-Saëns – Piano TranscriptionsLucille ChungXXI XXI-CD2 1682are only two kinds of music: The good andthe boring kind.” Well, Saint Saëns may notbe the greatest composer or even one of thegreatest, but he certainly never wrote boringmusic. And he couldn’t have picked a betterperformer of his piano music than the young,immensely talented Montreal-born virtuoso,Lucille Chung. Since 1989, when only10 years old, she has built an impressive careerwith the world’s leading orchestras andperformed in over 30 countries. Her playinghas self assured attack, virtuosity, romanticabandon and a sense of youthful exuberance,but there is still room for more subtlety.She hasn’t recordedmuch as yetand this unorthodoxdisc proves that sheis not afraid of takingproachwas sceptical.What would the 2ndPiano Concerto soundlike on solo piano? One of the most impressiveopenings in the piano concerto literatureis the impassioned solo cadenza that developsinto a breathtaking crescendo leadingup to the ff entry of the orchestra, a big momentindeed, which cannot be duplicated bypiano solo, but this problem notwithstandingthe 1st movement takes shape almost like theoriginal. As she proceeds, the Mendelssohn-dlesection seductively swings with no effortat all. She has the time of her life, totally relaxedand happy.The works that follow, except for the ubiquitousBacchanale, are mostly piano/orchestrapieces transcribed for piano solo by thecomposer, who was a tremendous pianist inhis own right. An interesting curiosity is Africawith its exotic and oriental atmosphere,ending with the Tunisian national anthemcarried off triumphantly by our pianist.—Janos GardonyiMODERN & CONTEMPORARYPoulenc Plays PoulencPoulenc TrioMarquis 81403composer FrancisPoulenc (1899-1963),the Poulenc Trio isa world-class chamberensemble. OboistVladimir Lande, bassoonistBryan Young,and pianist Irina KaplanLande all have busy orchestral and solocareers in the Baltimore/Washington DCto come together to explore some of the mostexquisite music written for their trio of instruments.To my knowledge this is theirto come. The recording opens with Russiancomposer Mikhail Glinka’s Trio Pathétiquein D minor, which hails from the composer’stime spent in Italy. Operatic lyricism is carriedin the oboe and bassoon lines, and thepiece ends in an effortless-sounding blaze oftechnical virtuosity. Next is the well-lovedand much performed trio by the group’snamesake. Poulenc was a member of “LesSix”, French composers who eschewed pretentiousnessin music in favour of simplicityand sometimes satire. Best known forhis chamber music, Poulenc’s Trio for Oboe,Bassoon and Piano expresses a wide paletteof sentiment, from dark and brooding, towildly playful, to suave sensuality, the threeinstruments playing off each other as equalparticipants in an engaging conversation.Following this is the light-hearted, singlemovementFantasie Concertante on Themesfrom Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri, by 19thcentury arrangers, oboist and bassoonistCharles Triébert and Eugène Jancourt. Themost interesting work to me however, is thelast, and perhaps least known, the 1995 Triofor Oboe, Bassoon and Piano by Americancomposer, conductor and Glenn Gould Prizelaureate André Previn. Its three movements,20th century aesthetic, while still tonal, andincorporate elements of jazz, and mixed meterwriting.The playing on this recording is bothtechnically superb and musically sensitive,and the CD is well engineered in termsof balance and sound quality. The trio hasalso commissioned a number of new works,which is part of their mandate of expandingthe repertoire for this combination of instruments.I look forward to their futurerecordings!—Karen AgesCastelnuovo-Tedesco; Respighi;Guastavino – Violin ConcertosJose Miguel Cueto; St. PetersburgSymphony Orchestra; Vladimir LandeMarquis 81407rarely heard music. Here he assembles a recitalthat combines not just little-known compositionsbut also the intricacies one wouldexpect of a piece by Castelnuovo-Tedescocommissioned and premiered by Heifetz. Infact, all the pieces he selects are virtuosicand technically demanding.The Castelnuovo-Tedesco Concerto looksto religious inspiration; Jewish melodiesgrace what the composer described as a biblicalconcerto. Those looking for the solemnityof synagogue liturgy, however, mustintroduces more popular, folkloric arrangements.For all that, this music remains virtuosicthroughout- Cueto’s playingin the third movementunderlines hisreputation.Concerto gregorianowas not well received,which disappointedRespighi.This adverse criticism is hard to understand.In the second movement one may listen toCueto’s sensitive interpretation of the andanteespressivo; in the third, masterful play-Chant awaits.And so to Guastavino - a chemical en--Guastavino avoided direct inspiration fromfolk-music. And yet these last four minutes,evocative of Guastavino’s Argentine backgroundand transcribed by Cueto himself, isa wonderful way to celebrate José Miguelby religion or folklore.—Michael SchwartzMay 1 - June 7, 2010 THEWHOLENOTE.COM 57
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!).
