Beat by Beat | Art of SongRosedale Ya YaHANS DE GROOTOn March 8 the concert presented by Recitals at Rosedale atRosedale Presbyterian Church will include a world premiere,the song cycle Ya Ya [Tagalog for caregiver], by ElizabethRaum. The cycle was written in honour of Geraldine Vida-Soverano,the Filipino nanny who looked after the children of Raum’s daughters;first Jessica’s two children, then the four children (three of whomwere triplets) of Raum’s younger daughter Erika, the noted violinist.This is what Raum herself has written about the songs: “Ya Ya isa testament to the strong sense of duty that the nanny feels is hercalling. She is more than a caregiver; she is a second mother who lovesher charges as if they were her own. At the same time, she is not theirmother and is in a foreign country and, although it has become herhome, at times a sadness leaks into her consciousness. The words, ‘Icome from another place...’ are optimistic at first, but the second timethey appear in a minor key and, although the melody is the same, thesense has changed. As well, she is wistful when she utters, ‘I wish...’But the cycle ends optimistically with the nanny content and proud ofher profession.”The songs will be sung by the mezzoMichèle Bogdanowicz, who will alsoperform a song cycle by NorbertPalej, written for her and due to berecorded by the Canadian Art SongProject. The soprano Gillian Keith willperform early songs by Debussy andthe tenor Charles Sy will sing songsby Strauss, Schubert and Schumann.The program will conclude with duetsby Viardot, Gounod and Rossini. Syis much in demand. He recently wonfirst prize in the Canadian OperaCompany Studio Ensemble competitionand can also be heard, alongwith the soprano Carla Huhtanenand the mezzo Emilia Boteva, in theOff Centre Music Salon concert atthe Glenn Gould Studio on March 1.Later in the month Bogdanowicz willalso sing in the concert performanceof Charpentier’s Louise at theSt. Lawrence Centre March 29. Nextseason Recitals at Rosedale will bemoving to Mazzoleni Hall in the RoyalConservatory of Music. The dates arealready set: November 1; March 6,2016; May 1, 2016. I wonder whether that will mean a change of namefor the series. After all, the Conservatory is not in Rosedale.Elliot Madore: The programs presented by Music Toronto tend toconcentrate on chamber music or piano, but every year there is onerecital by a singer. In the recent past we have heard Erin Wall andPhillip Addis. This year the singer is the baritone Elliot Madore. Hewill perform Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen by Mahler, Banalitésby Poulenc as well as songs by Ives, at the St. Lawrence Centre onMarch 26 . Not that long ago Madore was known, if at all, as a hockeylovingkid from Etobicoke who once sang O Canada at a Leafs game.That changed when he won the 2010 Metropolitan Opera NationalCouncil Audition. Most of his performances have taken place inEurope. He has just finished a series of performances of Harlekin inStrauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos in Zurich and will soon return to Europeto sing Pelléas in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, first for the CroatianNational Opera, then for the Bayerische Staatsoper.At the Bradshaw: There are three vocal concerts in March in theCanadian Opera Company free recital series in the Richard BradshawAuditorium in the Four Seasons Centre: “Opera Interactive” by artistsof the COC Ensemble Studio March 19; a performance of Janacek’s TheDiary of One Who Disappeared sung by Owen McCausland, tenor,and Charlotte Burrage, mezzo, March 25; and a preview of Errol Gay’sopera Alice in Operaland, performed by the Canadian Children’sOpera Company on April 1.Hannigan: The soprano Barbara Hannigan gave a recital in theRichard Bradshaw Audtiorium on February 24; she also sang, withthe Toronto Symphony Orchestra, in George Benjamin’s A Mind ofWinter on February 28. There will be two more opportunities to hearher. On March 4 she will sing, with the TSO, let me tell you by HansAbrahamsen, a work which sets the words of Ophelia as spokenin Shakespeare’s Hamlet; on March 7 she will sing (again with theTSO) in a concert performance of George Benjamin’s opera Writtenon Skin, along with Krisztina Szabó, mezzo, Iestyn Davies, countertenor,Isaiah Bell, tenor, and Christopher Purves, baritone (both in RoyThomson Hall).Other Events: Another TSO concert that is worth mentioning isthat to be given on March 11 (repeated on March 12 and 14) when thedistinguished soprano Adrianne Pieczonka sings the Four Last Songsby Strauss and the Liebestod from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. Theconcert is conducted by Gianandrea Noseda and will also include myfavourite Beethoven symphony, the Seventh in A.Tapestry Opera presents the soprano Carla Huhtanen, who is especiallyknown for her performances of contemporarymusic, and the Montreal composer, turntable artistand electronics specialist Nicole Lizée in a multimediaconcert at the Ernest Balmer Studio in theDistillery District March 20 and 21.There is some speculation that the composerJohn Dowland was actually Irish and that his nameis a variant on Dolan. That is the starting point forDowland in Dublin, a concert at Trinity-St.Paul’sCentre March 27 and 28, in which tenor MichaelSlattery and Ensemble La Nef will give us an Irishversion of Dowland’s songsOther Events: Capella Intima and the GalleryPlayers of Niagara present “An Evening of AntientMusic” at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre on March 6. Theprogram includes music from Purcell’s Dido andAeneas as well as a selection of rounds, catches andairs. The singers are Sheila Dietrich, soprano, JennyEnns Modolo. alto, Bud Roach. tenor, and DavidRoth, baritone.“Fairest Isle,” a concert at Rosedale United Churchon March 8 of English music, includes works byDowland, Purcell, Handel, Vaughan Williams andBritten. The singers are Deborah Overes, contralto,and Robert Missen, tenorThe Talisker Players present “On a Darkling Plain”at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, March 10 and 11 Theprogram will include Dover Beach by Barber, theSeven Romances on Poems by Alexander Blok by Shostakovich andthe Akhmatova Poems by Tavener. The singers are Ilana Zarankin,soprano, and Joel Allison, baritone.Tafelmusik presents Bach’s St. John’s Passion at Trinity-St. Paul’sCentre March 19 to 22. Soloists are Julia Doyle, soprano, Daniel Taylor,countertenor, Charles Daniels, tenor, and Peter Harvey, baritone.Maureen Batt, soprano, performs in a recital of new music fromNew Mexico to Nova Scotia at Heliconian Hall March 27.A free concert at the Canadian Music Centre at 2pm March 28 willinclude the Visions infernales d’après des poèmes de Max Jacob byHenri Sauguet, to be sung by the baritone Grant Allert.Danie Friesen, soprano, will sing Schumann’s opus 39 Liederkreisand Fiançailles pour rire by Poulenc at the Gallery 345 March 29.Michèle BogdanowiczHans de Groot is a concertgoer and active listenerwho also sings and plays the recorder. He can becontacted at artofsong@thewholenote.com.30 | March 1 - April 7, 2015 thewholenote.com
Beat by Beat | BandstandWinter TalesJACK MACQUARRIEOn more than one occasion in the past I have opened thiscolumn by grumbling about the weather. Unfortunately, OldMan Winter has interfered with plans once again. His relentlessdumping of snow has kept me from attending a very specialconcert. I had planned to travel to Waterloo for the Wellington Windsconcert February 22. However, mountains of snow and poor drivingconditions forced us to cancel the 310-km round trip. The WellingtonWinds were performing the Canadian premiere of Dutch composerJohan de Meij’s euphonium concerto with Canadian soloist RobertMiller. In part, this performance was in memory of former euphoniumsoloist Harvey Gleiser who played with the Winds for about 20 years.Gleiser met de Meij some years ago when de Meij first conducted theWellington Winds.De Meij studied trombone and conducting at the Royal Conservatoryof Music in The Hague, since then earning international fame as acomposer and arranger. His work includes original compositions,symphonic transcriptions and arrangements of film scores andmusicals. His Symphony No. 1 “The Lord of the Rings,” based onTolkien’s bestselling novels of the same name, was his first compositionfor wind orchestra. Some years ago he received the Dutch WindMusic Award for his role in the worldwide advancement of windband music. Besides composing and arranging, de Meij is active asa performer, conductor, adjudicator and lecturer. As a tromboneand euphonium player he has performed with many major orchestrasand bands in many parts of the world. In 2010, he was appointedregular guest conductor of the Simón Bolívar Youth Wind Orchestra inCaracas, Venezuela. In 2014, de Meij became principal guest conductorof both The New York Wind Symphony and The Kyushu WindOrchestra in Fukuoka, Japan.For those band members, especially euphonium players, who arenot familiar with de Meij’s work, there is no better time than now toacquaint yourself and your band with his music. I have played a few ofhis works; they are challenging but very satisfying.Resa’s Pieces: When talking about Resa’s Pieces the question iswhere to start. Since Resa’s Pieces Concert Band was the first unit ofwhat has grown over the years into a number of ensembles, that’s asgood a place as any. Resa Kochberg continues as music director of thisensemble which she started some 16 years ago. The band welcomesnew members on an ongoing basis, and has a current membershipof 56.Some years after the concert band was formed and doing well,Kochberg decided to branch out and start a group where beginningstring players could find a place to develop their skills. Thus Resa’sPieces Strings was born. Now this group is thriving under its newconductor, Ian Medley. As a full-time professional string specialistwith degrees in both education and musical performance, Medleybrings new strength and experience to the group.Once the string group was on its way, Kochberg decided that shejust couldn’t discriminate against singers. Ergo, Resa’s Pieces Singerswas hatched. Under the baton of Robert Graham, pianist, accompanist,vocalist and repertoire coach, the choir has grown to over65 members.In case you might be wondering, yes, there is now going to be aResa’s Pieces Symphony Orchestra. For their inaugural concert, windplayers from the band will join the string orchestra to perform a feworchestral selections. As music director of Resa’s Pieces, Kochbergguides all ensembles in all music-related details and sticks by herfoundational mantra of: “Just do your best and have fun”!So what’s next for Resa’s Pieces? Might it be a banjo band or aukelele ensemble? I doubt if it will be a pipe band, but I wouldn’t beton it. All of Resa’s Pieces groups will be performing their concerts inJune. Watch for their listings in your favourite music magazine.Resa KochbergPlumbing Factory BrassBand: From time to time,in this column, I havereferred to Henry Meredithand his Plumbing FactoryBrass Band. How did thisband come by this name?Well it turns out thatDr. Hank (as he’s affectionatelyknown) is acollector of brass instruments.I stress the termcollector and not thederogatory word hoarder.Over the years Dr. Hankhas amassed somewherearound 6,500 instruments.“Plumbing Factory” is theterm that was originallybestowed upon his homebecause of the ubiquitousbrass instruments that livealongside Meredith, hiswife, Victoria Meredith,associate dean at Western’sFaculty of Music, and their dog Nema. This amazing collection of brassinstruments inspired Meredith to establish the Plumbing Factory BrassBand in September 1995.With the collection growing, Meredith recently has focused moreon quality than quantity. An example is his 1830s ophicleide, aconical brass instrument in the bass register with woodwind-likekeys. Probably his oldest and most valuable instrument is a valvelesshunting horn in D that was made for King George I by JohnBandstand continues on page 52thewholenote.com March 1 - April 7, 2015 | 31
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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!
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!).