Covering April and May 2025: Spring is busting out all over and there’s music in the air including a concert for cherry blossom time! Stages exploding with opera and music theatre from the Baroque to the brand-new. Orchestral and chamber music for every taste, in many places. The Toronto Bach Festival is coming up. “Curious about Choirs” offers tips on what to do if you’re thinking of joining a choir. Then check out our 23rd annual Canary Pages Choral directory now online. And “Homes for Music” is a significant topic on our minds. DISCoveries is a wealth of record reviews including 19 you can sample. So sit back, have a look, and make some plans!
KOERNER HALL CONCERT
KOERNER HALL CONCERT SERIESOPENING NIGHT: THECORONATION OF POPPEAConcert Performancewith Cappella Mediterranea andLeonardo García-Alarcón, conductorGEORGE LI, PIANOPerforming Beethoven, Debussy, andMussorgsky’s Pictures at an ExhibitionMISSING: IN CONCERTfeaturing mezzo-soprano Marion Newman,tenor Asitha Tennekoon, and more!FRANCO FAGIOLI:THE LAST CASTRATOFranco Fagioli, countertenorOrchestre de l’Opéra Royal de VersaillesStefan Plewniak, conductorPerforming Rossini, Nicolini, and more!AN EVENING IN VIENNAwith Yura Lee, violinSimone McIntosh, mezzo-sopranoand the TSM Festival OrchestraPerforming Strauss, Mozart, Kreisler, and more!Jonathan Crow, Artistic DirectorFor Full Festival Lineup visitTOSUMMERMUSIC.COM416.408.0208
Wozzeckat COC3005_AprMay2025_cover.indd 22025-03-31 2:23 PMVolume 30 No 5 | April & May 2025Come DISCOVERour onlineListening RoomON OUR COVERMUSIC! LISTINGSlive and livestreamedSTORIESprofiles, previewsand interviewsRECORD REVIEWSand Listening RoomTHE CANARYPAGES23rd annual directoryof choirsPHOTO: RUTH WALZVOLUME 30 NO 5APRIL & MAY 2025The Wozzeck set definitely brings with it a unique setof challenges because it was born out of a very organiccreation process. The “Island” of the set – the risers andscenery that make up the central stage, is made of stockscenery plus found elements from the Salzburg Fest spieland surrounding area. These pieces were then stacked, andsculpted to give us what we have today, but with variousalterations throughout its life on the road. Traditionally,an opera set will have a clear system of assembly andan intuitive method to go together, and with cratingand carting engineered for efficient loading, unloading,assembly and storage. This is a literal pile of old bits.— Mike Ledermueller (see pg 13)8 FOR OPENERS |Out-takes, marathons & streetview brigades |DAVID PERLMANSTORIES & INTERVIEWS10 ON OPERAVersailles to TorontoA sea-change for Opera Atelier |DAVID PERLMAN+ From Ubu to Wozzeck andbeyond. William Kentridge’sgenerative journey |DAVID PERLMAN14 IN WITH THE NEWMusical gardens for spring |WENDALYN BARTLEY16 CLASSICAL AND BEYONDA celebration of Sakura -Ron Korb | ALLAN PULKER+ COSE at the Aperture Room+ Noteworthy20 CHORAL SCENEWhat to look for if you’re choircurious | ANGUS MCCAULL+ VIVA at Trinity-St. Paul’s+ Giving voice to the voiceDISCOVERIESStarts on page 5217Look for the yellow arrows!thewholenote.com/listeningthewholenote.com April & May 2025 | 5
