Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro with l’Opéra de Montréal; this wasfollowed by a performance of the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovannifor Opera Atelier in Toronto in October; in March he sang RoderickUsher in Debussy’s Fall of the House ofUsher in Paris and this was followed byanother Debussy role, that of Pelléas inPelléas et Mélisande, in a concert performancein London. That was in July and in thatmonth he also sang Demetrius in Britten’s AMidsummer Night’s Dream in Rome.There will be three further concerts inthis series later this season: David Pomeroy,tenor, will sing on February 24 and he willbe followed by two mezzo-sopranos, WallisGiunta, on March 24 and Allyson McHardyon April 14. These three singers are all formermembers of the Canadian OperaCompany Ensemble Studio. Like Addis, theyare largely known for their work in operaand it will be interesting to hear them inrecital. Pomeroy is world famous for hisportrayal of the leading tenor roles in 19thcentury opera: Hoffmann (Offenbach), Faust(Gounod), Alfredo and the Duke of Mantua(Verdi), Rodolfo and Cavaradossi (Puccini).But he has also performed in lesserknown works such as The Two Widowsby Smetana and The House of the Deadby Janáček (in a memorable productionmounted by the COC in February 2008).Giunta sang Cherubino in Mozart’s TheMarriage of Figaro in Fort Worth last yearand she will be singing the role of Annioin another Mozart opera, La clemenza diPhillip Addis, seen herewith Peggy Kriha Dyein the April 2010 OperaAtelier production ofThe Marriage of Figaro,kicks off the RTH“Canadian Voices” seriesat the Glenn GouldStudio October 28.Tito, for the COC later this year. I first heard McHardy in 1997, as theDrummer Girl in Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis, a performanceof which I have a very vivid memory. Last year she sang Juno and Inoin Handel’s Semele for the COC. She also performed the title role inBizet’s Carmen for Pacific Opera in Victoria. (Now that is somethingI would like to have seen!) In December she will sing the alto part inthe Tafelmusik Messiah.Other events in the GTA: On two consecutive Thursdays theUniversity of Toronto, Faculty of Music, will present two performanceclasses for singers at Walter Hall. On October 11 at 12:10pm sopranoElizabeth MacDonald and pianist Steven Philcox perform “Womenon the Verge,” with music by Mozart, Liszt, Schubert, Duparc andLibby Larsen. On October18 in the Music Room, Hart House, therewill be two performances of “Opera Scenes: Songs of Love and War” at1pm and 7:30pm. Leigh-Anne Martin, mezzo-soprano, will be one ofthe soloists in a concert given in memory of Gustav Ciamaga, also atWalter Hall. Admission to these events is free.The Canadian Opera Company has announced three events forOctober in its Vocal Series: on October 3 Sandra Horst and MichaelAlbano offer a preview of the 2012/13 season of the Universityof Toronto’s Opera Division; on October 11 members of the COCEnsemble Studio will perform highlights from Johann Strauss’ Die26 thewholenote.com October 1 – November 7, 2012
Fledermaus; on October 16 Ileana Montalbetti, soprano, Peter Barrettand James Westman, baritones, and Robert Gleadow, bass, all formermembers of the COC Ensemble Studio, will perform. These freeconcerts are in the Richard BradshawAmphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centreat noonOn October 11 Tafelmusik will teamup with the Vesuvius Ensemble in “BellaNapoli,” a combination of refined concertosand traditional Southern Italian music.Francesco Pellegrino will be the tenor soloistat Trinity-St Paul’s Centre at 8pm; to berepeated on October 12 and 13, also at 8pm,and on October 14 at 3:30pm.The Royal Conservatory presents a seriesof seven concerts in Koerner Hall called“Montréal à Toronto” (MàT). The first ofthese, one of three in a mini-series titledin impeccable Franglais, “Chansongs,” isgiven by two Canadian singer-songwriters,francophone Mario Chenart and anglophoneElizabeth Shepherd, on October 12 at8pm. Next in the MàT series, on October 28at 3pm, is a recital by Marie-Josée Lord, asoprano born in Haiti who grew up in Lévisand now lives in Montreal.Two vocal concerts have been announced at Gallery 345, 345Sorauren Ave.: on October 12 at 8pm Donna Linklater, soprano, is thesoloist in a program of music by Weill; on November 2 at 8pm Leigh-Ann Allen, soprano, and Michelle Garlough, mezzo-soprano, will singin “Lovers and Coquettes: An Evening of Opera and Song.”On October 14 the Off Centre Music Salon kicks off its seasonwith its “Annual Schubertiad.” Soloists Allison Angelo, soprano, andLawrence Wiliford, tenor, perform at Glenn Gould Studio at 2pm.Several of the “Music at Midday” concerts at York University willfeature vocal music. In “Singing our Songs,” arias and lieder are performedby classical voice students, October 23, 25, 30, and there is amasterclass with James Westman October 26. These free events are inthe Tribute Communities Recital Hall, Accolade East, at 12:30pm.On October 30 the Talisker Players will present a concert ofmusic by Barab, Füssl, Handel, Plant, Rubbra and Weill with soloistsAnita Krause, mezzo-soprano, and Lawrence Williford, tenor, atTrinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 8pm; the concert is repeated on November 1.And beyond the GTA: The “Music at Noon” series at Wilfred LaurierUniversity’s Maureen Forester Recital Hall includes three free vocalconcerts: Kimberly Barber will be the soloist in the first two onOctober 4 and 11; Jennifer Enns-Modolo will perform in the third onthe 18th.Penelope, a song cycle based on the Odyssey, composed by SarahKirkland Snider and with lyrics by Ellen McLaughlin, will be performedby the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony with soloist SharaWorden, at the Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts, October 11 and12 at 7:30pm.On October 24 at 8pm, a recital by Suzie LeBlanc, soprano, andRobert Kortgaard, piano, “‘Tis the Last Rose of Summer,” consistingof music ranging from Schubert to Gershwin, will take place in theKitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society Music Room, Waterloo.A postscript: A few weeks ago my 11-year-old daughter Saskia(herself a singer and a member of the Canadian Children’s OperaCompany) dragged me off to a pop concert sponsored by KiSS92.5. Although I disliked the way the DJs whipped up the audience— mainly very young girls — into a frenzy, I found that I actuallyliked some of the songs. They certainly represent a different take onthe Art of Song.Hans de Groot is a concert-goer and active listenerwho also sings and plays the recorder.He can be contacted at artofsong@thewholenote.com.BRUCE ZINGEROctober 1 – November 7, 2012 thewholenote.com 27
