Includes the 2014 Canary Pages directory of choirs.
of her flawless and
of her flawless and stimulating technique,producing thrilling sonorities with assuranceand rhythmic precision.Under Bělohlávek, the Czech Philharmonichas regained the sound and authority of thepast, playing with palpable enthusiasm andpartnering in a very exciting and satisfyingperformance, superbly recorded.Just a thought: a photograph of therecording session shows Weilerstein facinginto the orchestra which may account for thetotal involvement of everyone concerned.Six shorter show pieces are included: Lasstmich allein, Op.82 No.1; Rondo in G Minor,Op.94; Goin’ home; Songs my mother taughtme, Op.55 No.4; Silent Woods, Op.68 No.5and an exciting Slavonic Dance in G Minor,Op.46 No.8. Even though she does not yethave a recognizable, distinctive sound of herown, Weilerstein excels with an engagingrendering of each piece, closing out this mostwelcome disc.Bruce SurteesFauré – Nocturnes and BarcarollesStéphane LemelinATMA ACD2 2466Stéphane Lemelin’sprogram interweavesFauré’s completenocturnes and barcarolles(13 of each) onthis two-disc release,providing an idealchronological overviewof the composer’sdevelopment. Lemelin’s program notesare clear and interesting. For example, henotes that while the pieces became lessnocturne- or barcarolle-like over the composer’slifetime, the publisher retained thosegeneric names in an effort to boost sales!Interpretively, Lemelin follows Fauré’sabstention from rubato yet maintains expressivenesswith inflections and sense ofbreathing, in the manner of a Fauré mélodie(art song). Technically he executes well, fromthe clarity and filigree work of BarcarolleNo.2 to the rumbling bass, octaves and eventone clusters of Nocturne No.12. Stylistically,many listeners will find the experimentalworks of the years 1902-1913 most difficult toappreciate: here Lemelin is uncompromisingin projecting the bleakness and obsessivequality of Nocturne No.10, or the repetitivemelody and harmony (for this chromaticallysophisticated composer) of Barcarolle No.9.And yet, on repeated hearing I find that thesepieces too reveal many beauties.As for Fauré’s accessible early pieces,Lemelin sets a high standard of commitmentfrom the beginning. His playing ofNocturne No.1 is full of harmonic interestand emotional depth. Though BarcarolleNo.1 is fairly conventional Lemelin elevatesit, capturing the beauty of texture and occasionaltwists of chord direction that willbecome stylistic trademarks. And so it goes,onward from these works and throughoutthis wonderful set.Roger KnoxMODERN AND CONTEMPORARY/JAZZStravinsky – Oedipus Rex; ApollonMusagèteSoloists; Monteverdi Choir; LondonSymphony Orchestra; John Eliot GardinerLSO Live LSO0751John Eliot Gardinercelebrated his 70thbirthday a year agolast month, and overthe course of his 50-year career, he hasrightfully establishedhimself as an internationallyrenownedconductor and pedagogue. Although regardedprimarily as an interpreter of music from theBaroque and Classical periods, Gardiner’stalents have also extended to includesuch composers as Beethoven, Berlioz,Mendelssohn and Massenet. Nevertheless,it’s not often he has approached 20thcentury repertoire, so this new CD featuringStravinsky’s Apollon Musagète and OedipusRex recorded live at his birthday concertin April 2013 with the London SymphonyOrchestra is something of a rarity.The ballet Apollon Musagète for stringorchestra was completed in January 1928,the result of a commission from the Libraryof Congress. Perhaps it should come as nosurprise that Gardiner would be drawn tomusic written by the Russian composerduring his neo-classical period. So just howdoes the founder of the Monteverdi Choirdeal with Stravinsky? In a word, admirably!Here, the listener immediately senseswhat great care Gardiner has taken with thisperformance, with no detail left untouched.The LSO strings are warmly resonant with theensemble achieving a fine of sense of balancein the ten contrasting movements.Oedipus Rex, completed a year earlier, is atougher nut to crack. Part opera, part oratorio,the work was based on Sophocles with alibretto by Jean Cocteau and then translatedinto Latin. Its mixture of musical styles canmake it a challenge to bring off convincingly,but here, Gardiner and the LSO - along withthe Monteverdi Choir and soloists that includeJennifer Johnston, Stuart Skelton and GordonSaks – achieve a wonderful sense of drama attimes infused with wry humour.Refusing to be typecast, Gardiner firstgained acclaim through his performancesof early music, but now succeeds at theother end of the spectrum, proving to be asadept at Stravinsky as he is with Monteverdior Mozart.Richard HaskellAmerican Grace – Piano Music from StevenMackey and John AdamsOrli Shaham; Jon Kimura Parker; LosAngeles Philharmonic; David RobertsonCanary Classics CC11Orli Shaham andJon Kimura Parkerbrilliantly performHallelujah Junction,for two pianos,written in 1996 byJohn Adams. Thepiece derives its titlefrom a truck stop on Highway 49 on theCalifornia/Nevada border. It is an extremelycomplex piece rhythmically and harmonically.The pianists play off of one another inchunky, alternating chords and jazzy syncopations.There is a moment of impressionisticrepose until the intense and ferocious boogie–woogie concludes the piece. Steven Mackey’sStumble to Grace is a piano concerto writtenfor Shaham in 2011 and commissioned bythe Los Angeles, St. Louis and New JerseyOrchestras. Although the concerto is in onemovement, it is divided into five stages, whichare inspired by those that a young child goesthrough in developing into maturity. Mackeyis a guitarist who had been thoroughlyimmersed in rock music until later in life. Heis now a Professor at Princeton University. Iwas absolutely enthralled with this piece andthe imaginative and unique orchestration. Theinteraction and play with the piano resultedin fascinating tonal colors. Both the orchestraand the pianist were superb in bringing thisunusual concerto to life. China Gates byAdams, a mesmerizing and hypnotic minimalpiece, was played by Shaham with sensitivity,articulation and crystalline touch.My only suggestion in regards to this excellentCD would be to change the order ofthe works. I would leave out the SneakyMarch by Mackey, which at a little over oneminute seemed superfluous, place ChinaGates second and end with the remarkableconcerto.Christina Petrowska QuilicoCompositeurs de la CASA DE VELÁZQUEZ:Samuel Andreyev; Kenji SakaïVarious ArtistsAcadémie de France à Madrid(casadevelazquez.org)Samuel Andreyev – The Tubular WestSamuel AndreyevTorpor Vigil Records TVR-CD006(torporvigil.com)We rarely hearabout Canadiancomposers livingabroad; the youngSamuel Andreyev(b.1981) hails fromKincardine, Ontariobut has made Parishis home since 2003. Andreyev’s music iscomplex, meticulously scored, and intriguinglyquirky – his ensembles often include80 | May 1, 2014 – June 7, 2014 thewholenote.com
musette (a piccolooboe) or a Casio SK-1(a now-defunct electronickeyboard).Andreyev is cleverin establishing stasis,then disturbing itconstantly: both intermittentlyand unexpectedly. The colours ofhis orchestration – imagine an ensemble ofpiccolo, musette, piccolo clarinet and tin canstogether in Vérifications – never offend. Thecomplexity of his textures seems organic,almost improvisatory, yet over multiplelistens, I hear the careful planning and evolutionof sounds – a chimerism of form.The concertante work for piano, À proposdu concert de la semaine dernière, systematicallyseparates left and right hand, andaccompanies each in a hauntingly Schnittkeesquebipolarity.Andreyev’s music is sometimes raw – evenFour Discs from empreintesDIGITALesIt’s been close to 25 years since thefounding of the unique Montreal-based labelempreintes DIGITALes (empreintesDIGI-TALes.com) in 1989 by Jean-François Denisand Claude Schryer. Solo-directed since 1991by Denis, the label has produced 130 discsrepresenting 107 composers and specializes incontemporary electroacoustic music, acousmaticand musique concrète. Although thesegenres of music are not the common farefor most of the concert events listed by TheWholeNote, it is important to realize that thetechnical innovations and ways of thinkingthat have been pioneered by the practitionersof this music have had a wide influence on avast array of musical forms and styles as wellas media-based art forms.One of the most distinguishing featuresof electroacoustic music in general is that itis composed primarily within a studio environmentand is designed to be listened tothrough loud speakers. And although theingredients of melody, rhythm and harmonycan be an aspect of electroacoustic music, itsprimary focus is on the sound itself, whichcan originate from recordings made in aparticular acoustic environment, or generatedand processed through purely electronic ordigital technologies. Sometimes the originalsound source is recognizable – such as recordingsof ocean waves or the inside of a piano,and in other situations, the sounds have beenstudio processed beyond recognition of theiroriginal context.Back in 1990, empreintesDIGITALes offeredits own vision of the wide array of possibilitieswithin the electroacoustic genre. Itpublished the groundbreaking Électro ClipsCD which featured three-minute miniaturesby 25 different composers, each one representinga unique approach to working in astudio environment.WENDALYN BARTLEYprofane – but reveals its intention profoundly.Fortunately, Canadian ensembles are takingmore notice of this composer (alreadypublished by A. Leduc); the Edmonton NewMusic Festival featured his music this season,and Esprit Orchestra has commissioned anorchestral work (planned for 2014/15).I would be remiss not to mentionAndreyev’s venture into pop music: thecomposer has a full-length release on theTorpor Vigil label. Andreyev – on The TubularWest – is “geeky” (in the most positive sense):a kind of early Beck meets Sondre Lerche, butthe detail of the arrangements clearly pegshim as a “real composer.” Andreyev is also apublished poet.Wallace HalladayChiyoko Szlavnics – Gradients of DetailEnsemble musikFabrik; Peter Rundel; DirkRothbrust; Asasello QuartettWorld Edition CD #0022 (world-edition.com)More recently, the label has released fournew albums by four unique composers:Martin Bédard (Montreal), Pierre AlexandreTremblay (Montreal/UK), Andrew Lewis (UK)and David Berezan (Calgary/UK). Althoughthe pieces are of longer duration than thethree-minute clips, each disc presents fourunique approaches and aesthetic visions.Each of Bédard’sfive acousmaticcompositions on hisTopographies CD(empreintesDIGI-TALes IMED 13121)creates a sonic pictureof specific acousticenvironments, rangingfrom recordings made in restored jail cellsto the soundworld of trains. He also weavesin tributes to what he calls “phonoculture”– lyrics from a Rush song or the audio heritageof a specific community. He is captivatedby specific behaviours, whether those be ofa night watchman or of metal under stress,and his compositions are expressions of hiscuriosity.The five compositionson Tremblay’s2-disc set entitledLa Marée (IMED13123/124) are excellentexamples of theinteraction betweenlive performers and aform of live processingof the solo instrumentalist. I found hispiece La tombeau des fondeurs particularlyengaging with its rhythmic and timbral pulsationsthat create a seductive sonorous qualitysuggestive of the casting of a metal or bronzebell or gong. All his pieces are meditations onlife, a balancing of contradictions.Armed with greatinsight and awarenessof 20th century classicalmusic history,in her first CD,Gradients of Detail,Berlin-based Torontocomposer ChiyokoSzlavnics explores musical ideas that whileleaning toward abstraction possess a finelynuanced sensitivity to the nature and receptionof sound.One of her primary memes is the use of“pure,” senza vibrato, sustained tones, andyet there is plenty of motion in the musictoo. Some tones rise in pitch while othersfall in slow glissandi. At other moments theyoverlap and interfere, creating sonic moirépatterns, or are occasionally interspersed witha timbrally thick staccato, the sonic equivalentof a fuzzy thick point on paper. Szlavnicsassays these common raw materials withThe music of Lewison his CD Au-delà(IMED 13125) is agreat example of pureacousmatic musicin which the originalsound sources areheavily processed andthe original contextis predominantly unrecognizable. However,Lewis’ skill at weaving sounds togethercreates strong impressionistic and imaginarysoundscapes. His track Cân, the Welshword for song, takes the Welsh musical heritagebeyond the traditional sounds of harpsand male choirs. Short interjections of thesetraditional sounds are juxtaposed with moreabstract sonic textures.And finally, themusic on Berezan’sAllusions Sonores(IMED 13122) offersthe listener a windowinto the places hehas visited. Seeinghimself as a composerwho collects and“uncovers” sounds as part of his creativeprocess, each of the five pieces reflectsplaces he has personally visited or interactedwith. Ranging from the sounds of aBalinese thumb piano to recordings made inAlberta’s badlands to the chirping sounds oftemple and palace floors in Japan, listeningto Berezan’s music is similar to listening tothe ocean. Each piece has a very distinctivewave-like motion with the constant ebb andflow of the sound textures rising up and thenfalling away.These four discs are a testament to theongoing commitment this independent labelhas for a very unique and distinct genre ofmusic. It is known and respected internationallyand considered the go-to place forthe keen listener and connoisseur of electroacousticmusic in all its varied forms.thewholenote.com May 1, 2014 – June 7, 2014 | 81
Choral Scene: Uncharted territory: three choirs finding paths forward; Music Theatre: Loose Tea on the boil with Alaina Viau’s Dead Reckoning; In with the New: what happens to soundart when climate change meets COVID-19; Call to action: diversity, accountability, and reform in post-secondary jazz studies; 9th Annual TIFF Tips: a filmfest like no other; Remembering: Leon Fleisher; DISCoveries: a NY state of mind; 25th anniversary stroll-through; and more.
Online in flip through here, and on stands commencing Tues SEP 1.
Following the Goldberg trail from Gould to Lang Lang; Measha Brueggergosman and Edwin Huizinga on face to face collaboration in strange times; diggings into dance as FFDN keeps live alive; "Classical unicorn?" - Luke Welch reflects on life as a Black classical pianist; Debashis Sinha's adventures in sound art; choral lessons from Skagit Valley; and the 21st annual WholeNote Blue Pages (part 1 of 3) in print and online. Here now. And, yes, still in print, with distribution starting Thursday October 1.
Alanis Obomsawin's art of life; fifteen Exquisite Departures; UnCovered re(dis)covered; jazz in the kitchen; three takes on managing record releases in times of plague; baroque for babies; presenter directory (blue pages) part two; and, here at the WholeNote, work in progress on four brick walls (or is it five?). All this and more available in flipthrough HERE, and in print Tuesday Nov 3.
In this issue: Beautiful Exceptions, Sing-Alone Messiahs, Livingston’s Vocal Pleasures, Chamber Beethoven, Online Opera (Plexiglass & All), Playlist for the Winter of our Discontent, The Oud & the Fuzz, Who is Alex Trebek? All this and more available in flipthrough HERE, and in print Friday December 4.
July/August issue is now available in flipthrough HERE, bringing to a close 25 seasons of doing what we do (and plan to continue doing), and on stands early in the week of July 5. Not the usual bucolic parade of music in the summer sun, but lots, we hope, to pass the time: links to online and virtual music; a full slate of record reviews; plenty new in the Listening Room; and a full slate of stories – the future of opera, the plight of small venues, the challenge facing orchestras, the barriers to resumption of choral life, the challenges of isolation for real-time music; the steps some festivals are taking to keep the spirit and substance of what they do alive. And intersecting with all of it, responses to the urgent call for anti-racist action and systemic change.
"COVID's Metamorphoses"? "There's Always Time (Until Suddenly There Isn't)"? "The Writing on the Wall"? It's hard to know WHAT to call this latest chapter in the extraordinary story we are all of a sudden characters in. By whatever name we call it, the MAY/JUNE combined issue of The WholeNote is now available, HERE in flip through format, in print commencing Wednesday May 6, and, in fully interactive form, online at thewholenote.com. Our 18th Annual Choral Canary Pages, scheduled for publication in print and flip through in September is already well underway with the first 50 choirs home to roost and more being added every week online. Community Voices, our cover story, brings to you the thoughts of 30 musical community members, all going through what we are going through (and with many more to come as the feature gets amplified online over the course of the coming months). And our regular writers bring their personal thoughts to the mix. Finally, a full-fledged DISCoveries review section offers cues and clues to recorded music for your solitary solace!
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!).
