among them). The episodes are typically anhour long, though the latest Mahler instalmentis twice that length. The retail version of thebroadcast includes a second CD featuring thecomplete First Symphony and isolated movementsfrom three more symphonies (detailsare available at keepingscore.org). This handsomelyproduced and thoughtful documentaryis considerably enhanced by on-location visitsto Mahler’s boyhood home of Iglau (nowJihlava, in the Czech Republic) and the re-creationof its unique soundscape: a melange ofmilitary bands, the hymnody of St. Jacob’schurch (Mahler, though Jewish, joined thechoir there), the rustic sounds emanatingfrom his father Bernard’s tavern, and the sylvanstillness of the ravine just beyond thetown walls. Tilson-Thomas delivers an extendedand quite engaging thematic analysis ofMahler’s First Symphony, convincingly demonstratinghow Mahler forged the touchstonefor all his subsequent works from these disparatecultural elements. Mahler’s rapid rise tothe very top of his profession as a conductor istraced via stops in Budapest, Vienna and NewYork, including an unprecedented opportunityto enter his villa on the Wörthersee and visitsto the various “composing huts” he had builtfor his precious few summers of composing.We learn of the genesis of most, though not all,of his 10 symphonies along the way. It is perhapsunderstandable, considering the huge expenseof the recording contracts involved, thatthe choral symphonies (2 and 8) are glossedover and the grandiose 8th symphony rates buta single sentence. It is nonetheless an unfortunateomission, as both these works embracea message of resurrection and transcendencethat belie the clichéd thesis of Mahler’s introverted“otherness” which forms such a largepart of Tilson-Thomas’s argument.—Daniel FoleyStrings AttachedThe polish composer Henryk Gorecki,who died last November, wrote threestring quartets fairly late in his career— a fourth was apparently unfinishedat the time of his death — and these arepresented on the specially-priced 2-CD setGorecki: The Three String Quartets (HyperionCDA67812) performed by the Warsaw-basedRoyal String Quartet. It’s certainly not easylistening, with predominantlyslow, quiet, and often dissonantmeditative passages withlow harmonies and little vibrato,interspersed with rich tonal outbursts.Already it is dusk, from1988, Quasi una fantasia, from1991, and … songs are sung, completedin 1995 but not releaseduntil 2005, all offer ample supportfor Adrian Thomas’ commentin the booklet notes that“contemplation was always centralto Gorecki”— certainly there is asacred as well as a secular feel tothese complex and very individualisticworks. All three quartetswere commissioned and first performedby the Kronos Quartet,who have also recorded them. Ihaven’t heard their versions, buthowever different they may beit’s hard to believe that theycould be any more authoritativethan these exemplary performancesby the Polish ensemble.Hyperion continues to addoutstanding discs to its catalogue, and hasjust re-issued the Anthony Marwood andSusan Tomes recital of Music for Violin andPiano by D v o ř á k in their Helios budgetlabelseries (CDH55365). It’s an absolutedelight from start to finish, with really fineworks, outstanding playing, and a beautifulrecorded sound. The Sonata in F minor andthe Sonatina in G are the major works, butthere isn’t a single track that is less thantop-drawer. The Four Romantic Pieces wereTERRY ROBBINSoriginally written for 2 violins and viola,Dvořák arranging them almost simultaneouslyfor violin and piano; two shorter works,the Ballad in D minor and the Notturno in Bmajor, complete the disc. Marwood’s playingis simply faultless, with perfect intonation,a lovely tone, and sensitive and intelligentphrasing. He is matched in all respects byTomes. Marwood has a half-dozen otherfascinating and highly-acclaimedCDs on the Hyperion label, rangingfrom Weill and Stravinskyto little-known British Romanticconcertos. He’s clearly a playerwith a range to match his ability— and that’s saying something.I’m constantly reminded ofhow difficult it is to keep upwith contemporary performersand compositions — or at leastreminded of the fact that I’mprobably not doing as well as Ishould be in that respect. A casein point is the new CD from theIsraeli violinist Ittai Shapira,who is active as a soloist and asa composer. He performs hisown Concierto Latino on anabbreviated (26 minutes) CDfrom Champs Hill (CHRCD020)with the London Serenataconducted by KrzysztofChorzelski. Shapira is a newname to me, but in addition tohis own works he has alreadyhad 14 concertos written for himby other composers! This concerto waswritten in response to a personal assaultShapira experienced when he was mugged bya New York gang in January 2005: the threemovements, titled Assault, Lament and Party,clearly indicate the therapeutic nature of thework, and Shapira’s celebration of hisrecovery. It’s an interesting and accessiblepiece, with a mix of various technical andmusical influences — Latin, Iberian,Sephardic, Cuban, among others — and isextremely well played by all the performers.Recorded at St. Paul New Southgate,London the sound quality is excellent.Naxos has releasedVolume 3of the projected8-volume seriesof the completeMusic for Violinand Orchestra bySarasate (8.572275).I wrote a glowingreview of the earlier volumes a few yearsago, and this latest CD is clearly their equal.The young Chinese violinist Tianwa Yangis again simply brilliant throughout, playingSarasate’s own violin on two of thetracks. The Orquesta Sinfonica de Navarra(founded by Sarasate himself in 1879) underErnest Martinez Izquierdo provides the mostidiomatic support imaginable. And don’tthink for a moment that the standard of theworks themselves is lagging as the seriesproceeds: the Concert Fantasy on Mozart’sDie Zauberflõte is dazzling; Navarra (withthe soloist double-tracked) is an exuberantduet; the bagpipe-influenced Muineiras is adelight. The Nouvelle fantasie sur Faust deGounod, the Barcarolle venitienne and theIntroduction et Caprice-Jota complete animmensely satisfying, entertaining and probablydefinitive disc.string attached continues onlinewith string quartets of Saint-Saëns (FineArts) and Beethoven (Artemis) and theBruch Violin Concerto (Vadim Gluzman) atwww.thewholenote.com.MODERN & CONTEMPORARYErich Wolfgang Korngold –Symphony in F SharpHelsinki Philharmonic Orchestra;John StorgårdsOndine ODE 1182-2Here is a fine addition to the significantrevivals and original works recorded by JohnStorgårds with the Helsinki Philharmonic.The precocious Erich Korngold was already64 thewholenote.comJuly 1–September 7, 2011
writing chambermusic, orchestralworks, and operas atan age when manycomposers havebarely started. Buthe was forced toleave Austria duringthe Nazi scourgeand turned to Hollywood, becoming an innovatorin the new art of film music. TheSymphony in F sharp, completed in 1952after his return to Vienna, is a wonderfulsummation of his concert and filmmusic accomplishments.Korngold was a story-teller when criticalopinion prized abstract and esoteric music.Only recently have we appreciated his expressivepersona, orchestral mastery, andjudicious incorporation of musical modernity.The Symphony’s dramatic opening movementdemonstrates all these qualities. Itsangular melodies, dissonant harmony andinterjections by brass and percussion (particularlythe xylophone) show his masteryof newer idioms. Storgårds’ transitionsassuredly through the work’s contrastingmoods, as in a flute solo over hushed stringsor in cinematic flashes featuring the hornsection. The orchestration of the Scherzois especially colourful and the HelsinkiOrchestra takes it all in stride with tightensemble work. I find their performance ofthe anguished slow movement extraordinarilymoving. More cheerful and witty is thefinale, whose popular American film idiom isinterrupted by intense interludes. Roundingoff this valuable disk is Korngold’s youthfulTänzchen, which receives a charminglyViennese treatment by the Helsinki Orchestra.—Roger KnoxArvo Pärt – Symphony No.4Los Angeles Philharmonic;Esa-Pekka SalonenECM New Series ECM 2160For many years,a quote from theEstonian composerhas resoundedwith me: “I havediscovered that itis enough whena single note isbeautifully played.”This line speaks volumes of Arvo Pärt’stintinnabuli approach to musical expression.Shortly after I was tragically and verysuddenly widowed, I attended the Canadianpremier performance of this symphony (longbefore the ECM release). Supportive familymembers and friends had been encouragingme, suggesting that once again I would findbeauty in a world that seemed so empty,as it often does during the early stages ofgrief. I will never forget the profound senseof beauty, tonal balance and celestial blissthat surrounded me for the duration of thesymphony. It truly was the first time I hadencountered beauty amongst my suffering.With the ECM release of this symphony,I was eager to discover whether the samesense of wonder that I experienced livecould possibly be documented. Esa-PekkaSalonen intimately and delicately conductsthe Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra ina way that masterfully conveys Pärt’s aweinspiringcomposition.This label has a long history of workingwith Arvo Pärt. His sparse and minimaliststyle (which seems to rely on silence asmuch as sound at times) lends itself perfectlyto the label’s established approach of audiophilerecording techniques. It is a superlativerecording that draws the listener right in,or rather, right above the front of the stage;there’s a stunning balance of direct andreverberant sound, while still maintainingpinpoint imaging.—John LaroqueFederico Mompou – Silent MusicJenny LinSteinway & Sons 30004I understandFederico Mompou’sfour books entitledSilent Music forpiano (1959-67)as music to beco-constructed bycreator and listener.The neededframe of mind, conditions, and responsesmust come from the listener. Then pensivemoments may arrive that take us beyondourselves. The Spanish title Musica Calladacomes from mystical poetry by St. John ofthe Cross, the 28 pieces sharing a quality ofmonastic sparseness with soft dynamics andslow tempi.Since acquiring ArkivMusic in 2008,Steinway & Sons has released several discsshowcasing its topflight piano. This is a specialrecording where instrument, production,engineering, documentation, and performanceare all superb. Jenny Lin displays flawlesspianism with superb control of dynamicsand occasional flashes of virtuosity. I amreluctant to single out particular favourites:the books create cumulative effects and listenerresponses will vary widely.In Mompou’s own recordings, melodiesare shaped more incisively, rubato is freer,and old-fashioned “breaking of the hands”is heard. As a contemporary listener, Imuch prefer Lin’s approach. But Mompou’sown passionate playing belies any notionof minimalist intentions. The mood is differentthan Satie’s and closer to Debussy athis most sparse, in the prelude … De passur la neige, or in Le petit berger from theChildren’s Corner Suite.One extra piece, Secreto, comes at thedisc’s end. Here, criticism takes its leave andreaders are invited to seek their own experienceswith this remarkable music.—Roger KnoxDaniel Janke –Cinco Puntos CardinalesMark Fewer; Coro In LimineCentrediscs CMCCD 16911In partcompositions forviolin solo, a men’schorus, mixedinstrumentalensemble andsoundscapes fromSouth America, theunifying principleof this eclectic collection is its design asan accompaniment and essential text to amodern dance work by the Lima Peru dancecompany, Danza Contemporanea.The work’s title may be translated as“Five Cardinal Points” and its choreographerYvonne von Mollendorff suggests ametaphysical reading: the four directionsof the compass plus the fifth — “the self, theobserver.” The work’s sections range widelyin kind from three austere solo violin pieceseloquently performed by Mark Fewer, to therhythmic sound of palm fronds in Guyana,to the lush male sounds of the Peruvian Coroin Limine. Composer Daniel Janke deftlymerges international and his own Canadianmusical influences and creates a work thatverges on the cinematic in scope. The varietyof performing ensembles and where theywere recorded geographically reminds one ofJanke’s more recent career as a film writer,composer and director.Adding to the kaleidoscope of aestheticsand genres is a track recorded with some ofToronto’s top improvisers, as well as a WestAfrican tinged track Miawezo. The lattercomposition alludes to Janke’s studies of thekora (West African harp-lute) in the 1970sand ’80s with some of its leading hereditaryJali musicians.Long devoted to incorporating worldmusic influences in his compositions, DanielJanke continues to boldly bridge parts of ourglobe through the music on this album.—Andrew TimarJuly 1–September 7, 2011 thewholenote.com 65
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!).
