Volume 21 Issue 5 - February 2016

FOR OPENERS | DAVID

FOR OPENERS | DAVID PERLMAN Judging the Book by Its Cover My early pleasure at our playfully shiny December/January cover was, sad to say, more than slightly diluted by receiving a gentle note from Against the Grain artistic director Joel Ivany shortly after we sent him a link to the online flip-through edition of the magazine inquiring as to whether we might be able to change the title on the cover “because the people in the photo were in fact Meher Pavri and Joshua Wales, not, as we had stated, Miriam Khalil and Stephen Hegedus.” To clarify: Meher, Joshua, Stephen and Miriam were all four involved in the Against the Grain production of the Messiah to which the cover, admittedly obliquely, referred. But unless they were all switched at birth (in which case we missed a GREAT story), Joshua Wales is NOT Stephen Hegedus; and Meher Pavri is NOT Miriam Khalil. To clarify even further: Hegedus and Khalil were two of the the four soloists (bass-baritone and soprano, respectively) in the rollicking AtG Messiah which once again sold out its Harbourfront run; Wales and Pavri (tenor and soprano, respectively) were members of the chorus in the same show. (All are rising presences on our increasingly adventurous home-grown opera scene.) One might be tempted to theorize that, given the number of projectiles flying around in the cover photo, the soloists demanded stunt doubles for the shoot, and that the nostrils of tenors are less susceptible to injury from flying french fries than those of bass-baritones! But a simple apology to all concerned is probably the wiser course, and will leave me some room to talk about this issue’s cover! So, sorry again, Joshua, Meher, Stephen and Miriam – and on we go! This issue’s cover: It would be interesting to count the references to the subject of this issue’s cover photograph, violist Teng Li. MJ Buell takes up Li’s story on page 8 (and continues it in Music’s Children on page 49.) But I also counted passing references in at least three other places in the issue (four if you include this one!). First of these references, as a matter of fact, is in the other story commencing on page 8, Paul Ennis’ in-depth interview with Art of Time artistic director Andrew Burashko, in whose series Li will appear, for the first time this coming April. (Burashko is also referenced on this month’s cover.) Our third cover reference is to “Legacies”: those of two musical masters, both of whom died early in this new year – both remembered in this issue. Modern jazz piano master Paul Bley is celebrated by columnist Ken Waxman on page 68. Waxman’s own regular CD column in the issue is in many ways testimony to Bley’s influence. David Jaeger weaves his encomium to Boulez into his ongoing memoir of the golden years of CBC Radio that now occupies the inside back pages of the magazine (this month on page 70). And a roundabout elegy to a third “B” also finds its way into our pages – perhaps for the first time. David Olds, in his Editor’s Corner on page 50, finds himself engaging with David Bowie’s death. Tributes to, and gatherings for, Boulez and Bley are coming together, slowly. Bowie’s passing generated a firestorm. A Choir! Choir! Choir! singalong/gathering at the AGO drew over 500 people within 25 minutes of being announced – an astounding range of people – all ages shapes and sizes – the all-ages children of Faceborough seeking out live music to mourn life lost. Now there’s a message of hope. publisher@thewholenote.com The WholeNote VOLUME 21 NO 5| FEBRUARY 1 - MARCH 7, 2016 Centre for Social Innovation 720 Bathurst St., Suite 503, Toronto ON M5S 2R4 PHONE 416-323-2232 | FAX 416-603-4791 Publisher/Editor In Chief | David Perlman publisher@thewholenote.com Chairman of the Board | Allan Pulker directors@thewholenote.com EDITORIAL Managing Editor | Paul Ennis editorial@thewholenote.com Recordings Editor | David Olds discoveries@thewholenote.com Social Media Editor | Sara Constant editorial@thewholenote.com Listings Editor | John Sharpe listings@thewholenote.com Club Listings Editor | Bob Ben jazz@thewholenote.com SALES, MARKETING & MEMBERSHIP Concerts & Events/Membership | Karen Ages members@thewholenote.com Record Industry Sales/Marketing | Thom McKercher thom@thewholenote.com Directory Sales and Services | Adrienne Surtees adrienne@thewholenote.com Advertising/Production Support/Operations Jack Buell | adart@thewholenote.com Classified Ads | classad@thewholenote.com Website/Systems | Bryson Winchester systems@thewholenote.com Website/Systems Support | Kevin King kevin@thewholenote.com Circulation/Subscriptions | Chris Malcolm circulation@thewholenote.com SUBSCRIPTIONS per year + HST (9 issues) THANKS TO THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS Beat Columnists Hans de Groot, Jack MacQuarrie, Brian Chang, David Olds, David Podgorski, Wendalyn Bartley, Ori Dagan, Bob Ben, mJ buell, Andrew Timar Christopher Hoile, Paul Ennis Features mj Buell, Paul Ennis, Ken Waxman, David Jaeger CD Reviewers Alex Baran, Andrew Timar, Annette Sanger, Bruce Surtees, Cathy Riches, Dianne Wells, Elliot Wright, Hans de Groot, Janos Gardonyi, Ken Waxman, Lesley Mitchell-Clarke, Michael Schulman, Raul da Gama, Robert Tomas, Roger Knox, Stuart Broomer, Ted Quinlan, Terry Robbins, Tiina Kiik, Wendalyn Bartley Proofreading Vanessa Wells, Jennifer Liu, John Sharpe, Paul Ennis Listings David Perlman, Bob Ben, Kevin King Tilly Kooyman, JennieLea McLeish, Ruth Atwood, Simone Desilets, Jennifer Liu Circulation Team Abram Bergen, Andrew Schaefer, Beth Bartley, Bob Jerome, Dagmar Sullivan, Dave Taylor, Garry Page, Gero Hajek, Jack Buell, Jeff Hogben, Joan Andrews, John Dodington, Lorna Nevison, Mark Clifford, Micah Herzog, Niamh Malcolm, Patrick Slimmon, Paul Ennis, Randy Weir, Robert Faulkner, Sharon Clark, Tiffany Johnson, Tom Sepp, Vicki Stainton, Wende Bartley Layout & Design Bryson Winchester an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario Upcoming Dates & Deadlines Free Event Listings Deadline 6pm Monday February 8 Display Ad Reservations Deadline 6pm Monday February 15 Classifieds Deadline 6pm Saturday February 20 Advertising Materials Due 6pm Thursday February 18 Publication Date Wednesday February 24 (Online) Friday February 26 (Print) Volume 21 No 6 covers March 1 - April 7, 2016 WholeNote Media Inc. accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported on or advertised in this issue. 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High School Musicality CLAUDE WATSON MUSIC Come and study at Toronto’s specialized High School of the Arts MUSIC PROGRAMS IN: Strings | Woodwinds | Brass | Percussion | Piano | Voice | Composition Piano Night | January 28, 4:30pm Ruth Watson Room, Earl Haig Secondary School Choral Night | April 18, 7pm Grace Church-on-the-Hill Symphony-Band Night | May 3, 7:30pm Cringan Hall, Earl Haig Secondary School The Earl Haig Woodwind Trio 1st Place Woodwind Ensemble, Ontario Music Festivals Association John Zhong, Jamy Fu, Mike Woo Claude Watson Secondary Arts Program, Earl Haig Secondary School 100 Princess Avenue, North York, ON claudewatson.ca | (416) 395-3210 x20137 Other Claude Watson Programs: DANCE | VISUAL ARTS | DRAMA | FILM Tickets and info 416- 395-3210 x 20141 claudewatson.ca For more information visit www.earlhaig.ca View our YouTube channel Like us on Facebook Adam Sherkin 29, 38 Alliance Française 36 Amadeus Choir 23 Annex Singers 39 Art of Time Ensemble 18, 27 ArtsMedia Projects 48 Associates of the TSO 17, 35 ATMA 5, 53 Avery Raquel 43 Bravo Niagara 41 Canadian Opera Company 72 Cantemus Singers 22 Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra 30 Christ Church Deer Park Jazz Vespers 45 Claude Watson Secondary Arts Program 7 Daniela Nardi 51 FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre 11, 42 Gallery Players of Niagara 31 Hannaford Street Silver Band 4, 34 Horizon Tax 48 Jubilate Singers 39 Kaleid Choral Festival 25 Kindred Spirits Orchestra 30 Lark Ensemble 33 Living Arts Centre Miss. 12 Loach Engineering Inc 57 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Maryna Yakhontova 32 MasterPerforming 48 Miles Nadal JCC 46 Mississauga Symphony 32 Music at Metropolitan 18, 28, 59 Music at St. Andrew’s 30 Music Toronto 9, 29, 33, 38 Musica Beth Tikvah 36 Musicians in Ordinary 32 Navona Records 55 Naxos 51, 53, 55 New Music Concerts 33 Off Centre Music Salon 21, 34 Opera York 15 ORIANA Women’s Choir 36 Orpheus Choir 24 Pasquale Bros 47 Quinte Symphony 41 Rea Beaumont 51 Roy Thomson Hall 71 Royal Canadian College of Organists 47 Royal Conservatory 33, 36, 69 Saluki Music 48 Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra 31 Sine Nomine 36 Soundstreams 19 St. Olave’s Church 32 St. Philip’s Jazz Vespers 45 Steinway Piano Gallery 17 Syrinx Concerts Toronto 18, 31, 39 Tafelmusik 2, 29, 35 Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute 46 Talisker Players 38 Tallis Choir 39 Tapestry Opera 13, 29 The Hymn Society Southern Ontario Chapter 47 Theatre Passe Muraille 10 Tom Gordon 57 Toronto City Opera 35 Toronto Classical Singers 37 Toronto Consort 4, 32, 71 Toronto Mass Choir 23 Toronto Symphony Orchestra 3, 32, 38 Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church 21 Trio Arkel 34 Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga 34 Universal Music Canada 55, 57 Vancouver Symphony Summer Institute 47 Victoria Scholars 37 Voicebox: Opera in Concert 15 Windermere String Quartet 35 Women’s Musical Club 19, 38 Wychwood Clarinet Choir 37 DON’T EVER STOP MUSIC IS FOR LIFE The Blue Pages The Canary Pages The Green Pages Guide To Summer Music BLUE PAGES Musical guides online, all the time thewholenote.com/ resources thewholenote.com February 1, 2016 - March 7, 2016 | 7