of the power of womenand
of the power of womenand the power of thesinging voice.” LibrettistAnna Chattertonadds, “We were also inspiredby the history offemale boxing. Up until1991 women were notallowed to box until thelawyer Jenny Reid whohad been training as aboxer took it to courtand won the right forComposer Juliet Palmer (left) with Vitols.Asked about the structure of the work, Chatterton explains,“Voice-Box is similar to Stitch in that it is variations on the themeof female boxers rather than a linear story. This time round danceplays a larger role in the piece as choreographer Julia Aplin was onboard from the beginning as a creator. We are looking at all the aspectsof being a female boxer – the experience of being in the ring,choice to punch and to get punched, society’s assumptions when theysee a woman with a black eye, and the history of female boxing. Theeach bout.”Palmer says, “The music took me to some strange new places.The electronic music is inspired by the clichés of sports themes aswell as the totally captivating and visceral sounds of the boxing gym(the sounds of bells, punching bags, squeaking ropes and the hiss-operatic combat to throat singing with a tango along the way. I neededto be able to show both the strength and vulnerability of thesefour incredible women.” The four performers are Vitols herself,Neema Bickersteth, Savoy Howe and Christine Duncan. Performancesruns from November 10 to 14 at the Brigantine Room in theYork Quay Centre, 235 Queen’s Quay West. For tickets phone 416-973-400 or visit www.harbourfrontcentre.com.Christopher Hoile is a Toronto-based writer on opera and theatre.He can be contacted at: opera@thewholenote.com. Annual Fall Sale - November 16th to 20thPlease join us for our annual salon concert:Marie Berard, violin & Peter Longworth, pianoSonatas by Beethoven and Strauss Nov 21st at 2pm.Local Names EmergeJASON VAN EYKEmerging and early career composers are making their markall over the November concert calendar. No less than half adozen upcoming Toronto events feature fresh and fascinatingworks by new, international and increasingly noticeable local names– sometimes in showcase formats, but just as often tucked into moretraditional programming.One of those more noticeable locals is composer Kevin Lau, whowill have his symphonic work Artemis performed by the Sneak PeekOrchestra on November 6 at the Calvin Presbyterian Church. Lau isof his craft and an easily approachable musical voice. As a result, healready holds to his credit commissions and premieres from the likesof the Esprit Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, theToronto Philharmonia and the Cecilia String Quartet. He’s also cofounderwith conductor Victor Cheng of Sneak Peek, one of Toronto’sfastest-rising symphonic en-showcases the talents of this city’semerging professionals.Lau describes Artemis as “amusical portrait of the Greek goddessin the manner of Holst’s ThePlanets, whose seven movementsare based on the Greek deities’Roman counterparts. The movement“Mars, the Bringer of War”conception of this piece. At thesame time, I sought to emphasizequalities which I thought wouldspeed and swiftness, lightness,Kevin Lau.agility.” Artemis will sit alongside Glenn Buhr’s slow and spacioussymphonic miniature Akasha, and more classical fare from Brahmsand Berlioz. For more info visit www.sneakpeekorchestra.com.The following afternoon marks the beginning of Alain Trudel’sappointment as the Hannaford Street Silver Band’s principalguest conductor. Oddly enough, the programme will include a brassband arrangement of Holst’s The Planets and a new work from anotherof our local emerging talent, composer Rob Teehan. We hearda lot about Teehan last month during his residency at the Colours ofMusic Festival in Barrie, where he had no less than three world premieres,including two for major choral and orchestral forces.When I asked him about his latest work, titled , heexplained “It’s very fast, very rhythmic, aggressive, somewhat dark,and it will push the players to their limit. I think I wrote it becauseI spent the summer writing beautiful, slow music and I needed achange of pace. It was nice to get back to brass writing, since that’smy original background, as a tuba player.” This is Teehan’s secondDream of Flying, which was premiered and recorded by the NationalYouth Orchestra of Canada, and subsequently nominated for a 2010Juno. For more info about the concert and to get tickets, visitwww.hssb.ca.On November 10 and 11, the Toronto Symphony Orchestrabrings back the distinctive voice of early-career composer Krystofof his Otisk, a TSO commission that came only two years after thisin Europe. Now 38 years old – still an early age in any composer’screative development cycle – Maratka has amassed commissions,premieres and residencies with some of the world’s leading culturalinstitutions, not to mention two CDs dedicated to his music. He22 thewholenote.comNovember 1 - December 7, 2010
2010.11CONCERTSEASONMore than 70 classical, jazz,pop, and world music concertsto choose from!INTERPRETI VENEZIANIFri. Nov. 12, 2010 8 pm Koerner HallVivaldi's The Four Seasons, Boccherini'sFandango, and others.PAVLO, RIK EMMETT,AND OSCAR LOPEZSat. Nov. 20, 2010 8 pm Koerner HallThe trio of acoustic guitar mastersperform instrumental guitar musicwith mucho soul.BARRY SHIFFMAN& FRIENDSSun. Nov. 14, 2010 2pmMazzoleni Concert HallBrahms’s Viola Sonata in FMinor, Golijov’s K’vakarat,and Andriessen’s Rememberingthat Sarabande.YAMAHA PRESENTSOLGA KERN,PIANOTue. Nov. 16, 20108pm Koerner HallHaydn, Schumann,and Rachmaninov,on Yamaha’s brandnew concert grand.EYBLER QUARTET WITHGUEST CLARINETISTJANE BOOTHSun. Nov. 21, 2010 4pmMazzoleni Concert HallWorks from the 18th and 19th centuries.‘TIS THE SEASON TO GIVE MUSIC!Gift Cards for Concert Tickets Now AvailableTHE GGS OPERA –AN EVENINGOF KURT WEILLFri. Dec. 3, 2010 7:30pmSat. Dec. 4, 2010 7:30pmMazzoleni Concert HallWeill’s cabaret songsand other works.Generously supported bythe D&T Davis CharitableFoundation.ROYALCONSERVATORYORCHESTRACONDUCTED BYURI MAYERFri. Nov. 26, 2010 8pmKoerner HallA program of Bach,Beethoven and Brahms.Tickets ON SALE NOW! rcmusic.ca 416.408.0208273 Bloor St. W. (Bloor & Avenue Road) Toronto
