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.
NORMAN U. TIMONERA Quick
NORMAN U. TIMONERA Quick Picks Feb 4 The last time I heard the Annex Quartet, they showed their sensitive musicianship supporting Jan Lisiecki in the chamber versions of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 4. Their solid Music Toronto recital includes string quartets by Janáček, R. Murray Schafer and Mendelssohn. Feb 18 The irrepressible St. Lawrence String Quartet makes its annual visit to Music Toronto with works by Haydn, Samuel Adams and Schumann. Mar 1 The distinguished British pianist Steven Osborne performs two Schubert Impromptus D935 (fresh from his Steven Osborne sparkling new Schubert CD) and a selection of Debussy and Rachmaninoff, in his Music Toronto return. Feb 5 Conductor Eric Paetkau’s contagious energy and musicianship guide the eclectic group of 27 in Finzi’s bucolic A Severn Rhapsody and a trio of French works including Dubois’ Cavatine for Horn featuring the TSO’s Gabe Radford. The dynamic Nadina Mackie Jackson is the bassoon soloist in the world premiere of Paul Frehner’s Apollo X. Feb 11 An ingenious piece of animation, The Triplets of Belleville is filled with cultural references that fly by with terrific panache, Sylvain Chomet’s 2003 film has rightly become a classic. Composer Benoît Charest leads Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville in the live performance of his infectious, original score for the film (rooted in 1930s vaudeville/jazz) accompanying this special screening at Roy Thomson Hall. Feb 12 Cellist Rachel Mercer follows up her well-received CD of Bach’s unaccompanied cello suites with an exciting concert of music for solo cello at Gallery 345, beginning with one of those Bach suites. Mercer then moves from Cassadó’s early 20th century suite to contemporary pieces by Andrew Downing and the world premiere of Darren Sigesmund’s Solo Suite. Feb 13 Celebrate the Year of the Monkey with the TSO as the great violinist Maxim Vengerov is the soloist in the Butterfly Lovers Concerto. Long Yu, artistic director of the China Philharmonic Orchestra and music director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, conducts. Feb 22 The Associates of the TSO present works by Françaix, Janáček and Brahms for various combinations of flute, oboe, horn, bassoon and two clarinets. Mar 2 Seven soloists from the TSO’s ranks (including the ubiquitous Teng Li) showcase their talents when the TSO presents music by Paganini, Vivaldi and Haydn (his elegant and tuneful Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat Major for the unusual combination of soloists, violin, cello, oboe and bassoon). Feb 17 The hip, Brooklyn-based orchestral collective, The Knights, make their Koerner Hall debut, joined by violinist Gil Shaham, whose warm playing should illuminate Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No.2, in all its angularity and dark beauty. Feb 26 Koerner Hall gives us the rare gift of hearing violinist Christian Tetzlaff, his sister, cellist Tanja Tetzlaff and pianist Lars Vogt performing piano trios by Schumann, Dvořák and Brahms. Richard Haskell praised them in these pages last September for their “conducive music-making in the three Brahms piano trios.” Andras Schiff’s monumental Feb 28 recital in Koerner Hall is sold out. Those lucky enough to have tickets (myself included) can look forward to a program memorable for its inclusion of the final piano sonatas by Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert. Mar 4 Much-in-demand (especially since she received the Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2008) Canadian violinist, Karen Gomyo, teams up with well-regarded cellist, Christian Poltéra, and talented young Finnish pianist, Juho Pohjonen, to perform trios and sonatas by 18 | February 1, 2016 - March 7, 2016 thewholenote.com
Black CMYK Pantone an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario Haydn, Janáček and Dvořák. All four of these events are presented by the Royal Conservatory. Feb 19 The charming Trio Arkel (TSO members violist Teng Li and cellist Winona Zelenka, COC concertmaster Marie Bérard) move into their new venue, Jeanne Lamon Hall at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, with a program including Gubaidulina’s exhilarating String Trio, Kodály’s Serenade for Two Violins and Viola and Beethoven’s glorious Quintet for Strings, Op.29 “The Storm.” Joining them for this and a repeat concert in London, Feb 29, presented by the UWO Don Wright Faculty of Music, will be violinist Scott St. John and violist Sharon Wei. Feb 20 Also in London, Jeffery Concerts presents the awardwinning cellist Yegor Dyachkov and longtime chamber music partner, pianist Jean Saulnier, in works by Brahms, Schumann and Janáček. Feb 23 Charles Richard-Hamelin, who finished second in last year’s prestigious Chopin competition in Warsaw, will give a COC free noonhour concert of a selection of Chopin’s last piano works at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. Based on his thrilling performance of Chopin’s Sonata No.3 at Mazzoleni Hall on January 15, I urge you not to miss it. Mar 3 The Women’s Musical Club of Toronto’s talent-laden season continues with the widely acclaimed Daedalus String Quartet performing Sibelius’ String Quartet in D Minor “Voces Intimae” Op.56. Montreal native, clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois, joins them in James MacMillan’s powerful lament, Tuireadh, and Brahms’ sublime Clarinet Quintet in B Minor Op.115. Paul Ennis is the managing editor of The WholeNote. 118 TH SEASON 15 MUSIC IN THE 16 AFT E R NOON W O M E N ’ S M U S I C A L C L U B O F T O R O N T O ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: SIMON FRYER Walter Hall, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto (Museum Subway Station) MARCH 3, 2016 | 1.30 PM DAEDALUS STRING QUARTET Min-Young Kim and Matilda Kaul, violins; Jessica Thompson, viola; Thomas Kraines, cello with Romie de Guise-Langlois, clarinet APRIL 7, 2016 | 1.30 PM DANNTHOLOGY Steven Dann, viola; with: Nico Dann, percussion; Robin Dann, voice; Lucas Dann, piano; Ilana Zarankin, soprano; Joel Quarrington, double bass; James Parker, piano MAY 5, 2016 | 1.30 PM PAVEL KOLESNIKOV Honens Prize Laureate, piano Three Concerts for 0 | For information and to subscribe call 416-923-7052 All artists, dates, and programmes are subject to change without notice. Support of the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council is gratefully acknowledged. PRESENTED BY Don’t miss Scotland’s most celebrated conductor and composer SIR JAMES MACMILLAN across Ontario this March! “A towering performance… a conductor of daunting ability.” – Sunday Times James MacMillan: Seven Last Words from the Cross and The Gallant Weaver. Plus works by R. Murray Schafer, James Rolfe, and Knut Nystedt. SOUNDSTREAMS The Music of James MacMillan featuring Choir 21 March 8 at 8pm Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Toronto soundstreams.ca Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts Featuring Choir 21 March 4 at 7:30pm The Isabel Kingston theisabel.ca ONTARIO TOUR University of Waterloo Featuring the Grand Philharmonic Choir March 6 at 3pm St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Kitchener grandphilchoir.com wmct@wmct.on.ca www.wmct.on.ca 416-923-7052 thewholenote.com February 1, 2016 - March 7, 2016 | 19
