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Volume 20 Issue 2 - October 2014

  • Text
  • October
  • Toronto
  • Choir
  • November
  • Concerts
  • Jazz
  • Musical
  • Arts
  • Orchestra
  • Theatre
Includes the 2014 Blue Pages Member Directory

of six Canadian

of six Canadian composers to write music based on Gary’s ideas of theseasons of natural and human evolutionary history. Images were thenselected, researched, shot, processed and finally edited all in responseto a diligent and committed listening to the music by the filmmaker.This way of working with music is an acknowledgement of the powerof sound when put alongside image – and a turning of the tables in theway films are usually created, with the music serving as accompanimentor support to the supremacy of the image.Eager to hear more about this huge undertaking, I asked Popovichto walk me through the six seasons. Beginning with Winter to markthe coming into being of our universe, the film then takes the listener/viewer on a journey through the explosion of life in the Cambrian age(Spring) to the flourishing of agriculture and writing (Summer), theevolution of imperialism and conflict (Fall), a tribute to the culturalmarkers of the 20th century - both creative and destructive (Winter 2)– and concludes with allusions to present and future possibilities,including the birth of other universes (Spring 2). The music includeslive performance by the Continuum ensemble, as well as electroacousticcomposition. In all, the film is a souvenir of life on planetEarth, and what has been left behind.NAISA: This month also welcomes the 13th annual SOUNDplayseries produced by NAISA (New Adventures in Sound Art), a festivalthat highlights the interplay between sound, image and other newmedia artforms. On October 18, the theme of life cycles will be thefocus of the night, offering video music screenings, interactive mobileperformances and live electronic improvisation. On October 25, therewill be a chance to experience how different artists respond visuallyto abstract sounds. Other events of the series occur on October 10with special guest Dutch sound artist Jaap Blonk and on November 1with a noise art performance by the live electronics duo Mugbait. OnNovember 3, NAISA will participate in the New Music 101 series at theToronto Reference Library, with a mobile performance walk exploringthe acoustics of the library’s five-story open-concept design.Additional Concerts and a Final Footnote:For the early birds who see this on or before October 4, thefollowing new music events will be part of Toronto’s annual NuitBlanche festivities: Canadian Music Centre – a showcase of artistswho integrate global traditions with new music with Suba Sankaran,Parmela Attariwala, TorQ, Deb Sinha, Ernie Tollar. NAISA Space –Hive 2.0 – a sound sculpture by Hopkins Duffield.Esprit Orchestra opens their new season with works by composersThomas Adès and Charles Ives with the performers positioned indifferent areas of Koerner Hall, alongside works by Canadians PaulFrehner and Chris Paul Harman. October 16.Musideum concerts: experimental turntablism (Cheldon Paterson)on October 12; two improvisation events – October 16 (Two NinetyTwo) and 21 (curated by James Bailey); works by Bill GilliamNovember 6.Toronto Masque Theatre presents Stravinsky’s classic work TheSoldier’s Tale October 25 and 26.TorQ Percussion Quartet celebrates their tenth anniversary with aconcert featuring repertoire favourites on November 1.Art of Time Ensemble includes music by George Crumb in their“The Poem/The Song” performances on November 7 and 8.Final Footnote: As I completethe finishing touches to thiscolumn, it has just beenannounced that Tanya Tagaqhas won the Polaris Music Prize.Transculturalism and soundexperimentation is alive andraising mainstream eyebrows.So much more to say on thisLido Pimientatimely topic.Wendalyn Bartley is a Toronto-based composer and electro-vocalsound artist. She can be contacted at sounddreaming@gmail.com.20 | October 1 - November 7, 2014 thewholenote.com

Beat by Beat | Classical & BeyondEverybody LovesChopinPAUL ENNISWhen RafalBlechacz(pronouncedBLEH-hatch) won theChopin competitionin Warsaw nine yearsago, becoming thefirst Polish-borncompetitor to do so in30 years, the jury sawfit to give no awardfor second place. Suchwas the dominanceRafal Blechaczof Blechacz’sperformance. Thevenerable contest, celebrating the Pole with arguably the highestworldwide name recognition, began in 1927 when Lev Oborin (bestremembered today as a chamber music partner of David Oistrakh)came out on top. Held every five years since 1955 (when VladimirAshkenazy finished second and Fou Ts’Ong finished third), the listof winners reads like a who’s who of pianists of the last half century:Maurizio Pollini (1960); Martha Argerich (1965); Garrick Ohlsson(1970, with Mitsuko Uchida second); Krystian Zimerman (1975); YundiLi (2000, with Ingrid Fliter second).Twice in recent history (1990 and 1995), the competition declinedto award a first prize, saying no one played well enough. Blechacz, bycontrast, won every possible prize in 2005: first prizes for Polonaises,Concertos, Mazurkas and Sonatas in addition to the overall First Prize.Blechacz, whose highly anticipated Koerner Hall debut October 19is part of the Canadian Chopin Society’s Canadian Chopin Festival,is the seventh and most recent recipient of the Gilmore Artist Award.This 0,000 award recognizes extraordinary piano artistry withsome of the most generous financial support given in the musicalarts and is conferred every four years to an international pianist ofany age and nationality following a rigorous and confidential selectionprocess.Sometimes referred to as music’s answer to the MacArthurFoundation “genius grants,” the Gilmore is bestowed through a noncompetitiveprocess. Pianists are nominated by a large and diversegroup of international music professionals. An anonymous, sixmemberartistic advisory committee appraises the nominees overa period of time and assesses their musicianship and performingabilities through numerous performances under varying conditions.Throughout the four-year process, candidates for the award areunaware they are under consideration.Blechacz, who is 28, joins such previous winners as Leif OveAndsnes, Piotr Anderszewski, Ingrid Fliter and Kirill Gerstein.According to a New York Times story from January 8, 2014,Blechacz is writing a book about musical interpretation. He toldMichael Cooper about a performance of Chopin’s Mazurkas that hegave in Hamburg that has stayed in his mind.“After the last chord, it was extremely silent in the hall. The audiencedid not applaud. And I felt that there was something unique –it was the greatest reward for me from the audience, because I knewthat they were completely in my musical world.Sometimes, it happens.”For his Toronto recital, Blechacz has included 3 Mazurkas, Op.56 aswell as 3 Waltzes, Op.64, a polonaise and a nocturne by Chopin plusGlionna MansellPresents14A Music Series unlike any otherApril 2014 through to November 2014Don’t Miss TheseFall Concerts!in the continuingOrganix 14 concert seriesElisabeth UllmannOct. 19, 4:00 pmOur Lady of Sorrows3055 Bloor St. WestRhonda Sider EdgingtonSept. 19, 7:30 pmHoly Trinity Anglican10 Trinity SquareNosetti Memorial ConcertNov 12, 7:30 pmMaxine Thevenot, Eugenio Fagiani and Omar CaputiSt. Paul’s Anglican Church, 227 Bloor St. EastTickets and passesavailable onlinewww.organixconcerts.ca416-769-3893thewholenote.com October 1 - November 7, 2014 | 21

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