Volume 7 Issue 3 - November 2001

y Frank Nakashima The

y Frank Nakashima The Toronto Consort, Canada's leading ensemble specializing in the music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, opens its 29th season (count 'em!) with Mariners and Milkmaids ("Murderers and Milkmaids" in their brochure!). · The program (November 9 and 10) consists of rollicking renaissance ballads, lutesongs, madrigals, and country dances, drawn from musical portraits of the many characters to be found in Shakespeare's England. Guest performers include violinist/Cape Breton fiddler/former member of Tafelmusik/Erwin Bodky A ward winner (Tafelmusik director Jeanne Lamon was a Bodky winner too!) David Greenberg. Also participating in the concert is the eclectic percussionist (who plays "experimental," folk, early and traditional music) Ben Grossman, and singer/ gambist Katherine Hill who has per(ortned with the Aradia Ensemble, Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, The King's Noyse, and Sine Nomine. Musical selections will feature everything from a 17thcentury army recruiting song to a musical description of falconing, a popular Elizabethan sport still practised today; from the wellknown "Cries of London" and the original "Greensleeves", to a song about the 11rchetypal Tom.a' Bedlam .. (In the week following thes~ . concerts, The Toronto Consort will be recording this p~ogram for Doiian Records.) In the always inventively programmed· Baroque Mu8ic Beside the Grange series, this month's carefully crafted November 11 concert The Vienna Salon, offers quartets for clarinet & strings by Mozart & Hummel, and a quartet for bassett horn by Fusz. Colin Savage, the bassett horn & clarinet player is joined by Rona Goldensher (violin), Pat Jordan (viola), and Margaret Gay (cello). Because of its size, the Basset-horn (as in "small bass" clarinet) is really more like a "tenor" instrument This is definitely something that you don't hear every day. A Choral Anniversary: Baroque and Beyond (November 14-18) celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir (of which I was a founding member!). Director !vars Taurins guides the Choir through some of their favourite choral music from across three centuries. On the program are works by J.S. Bach, Henry Purcell, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Claude Debussy, Johannes Brahms, and Healey Willan. There is also a world premiere of a motet by Canadian composer Imant Ramiiish, specially commissioned for the occasion. Baroque sensibility meets modem music. It's a · tantalizing prospect. Not to be missed (if you can get . in), CBC's Music Around Us, Hildegard von Bingen sung in .candlelight by soprano Norma Gentile brings you "live" from the Glenn Gould Studio (November 15), the I . Furiosi Baroque Ensemble, performing Farina's Capriccio Stravagante, and music by Monteverdi, Merola, Marini & Ame. Performers are Gabrielle McLaughlin, soprano; Julia Wedman & Aisslinn Nosky, violins; Kathleen Kajioka, viola; and Felicity Deak, cello. Not only is it fascinating music performed by a fast-risfog ensemble of historical performance practitioners, the admission is free! It doesn't get much.better than this. Mystical Evening of Chant . (November 16) is an evening of sacred chant composed by the 12th century mystic and abbess, Hildegard von Bingen (1098- 1179), sung in candlelight by soprano Norma Gentile. Specializing in the music of von Bingen, Norma Gentile teaches and performs across the US and Canada, including appearances on CBS-TV, Harmonia, and All · Things Considered. Her work in the field of sound and energy healing has received international attention, and her singing has been praised by Early Music America Magazine, American Record Guide Gramophone Magazine, and ' others. Her CDs include Meditation Chants of Hildegard von Bingen and Unfurling Love's Creation. She will be leading a workshop, "Sound Healing in the Heart of Light," on the next day (November 17, Bloor St. United). For registration and information: .Brigitte 416-873-1514 or info@starligbt-events.net. For more information, please visit the website: www.healingchants.com Just as Tafelmusik performing Raminsh is an interesting prospect, so too it sho!lld be very informative to catch Sinfonia Toronto performing some terrific "Baroque Hits" (November 17) - Biber: Battaglia Suite; Bach: Violin Concerto No.2 in E; Brandenburg Concerto No.3; and Telemann: Don Quixote Suite. This material Builders of historical keyboard instruments Harpsichords Clavichords FortePianos Sales & Rentals Services & Tuning CLAVIERS BAROQUES Canada ·s foremost Violin Specialists 201 Church Street Toronto, On. MSB 1Y7 email GHCL@idirect.com www.georgeheinl.com We are Agents for The Paris Workshop Instruments for builders (416) 538-3062 (416) 538-3376 FAx Email: m'ail@claviersbaroques.com http://www.claviersbaroques.com/ 10 wholenote N OVEMBER 1, 2001 - D ECEMBER 7, 2001

has in recent years become so much the domain of specialists like Tafelmusik that it will be almost a novelty to hear an ensemble playing this repertoire with modern instruments, modern technique, and modern interpretation. Etsuko Kimura is the guest violin soloist, and Nurhan Arman is the musical director. Following their highly successful concert and recording made just a few years ago (Christmas motets and noels of Charpentier), the latest Aradia project involves performing three of the In nativitatem Domini canticum motets of Marc-Antoine Charpentier. This program (December 1) will be recorded for Naxos in the week following the . concert. The Aradia Ensemble (choir and orchestra), directed by Kevin Mallon, is joined by guest soloists Tracy Smith Bessette; Christine Stelmacovitch, John Tessier; Brian Duyn, and Robert Stewart. Although not" as well known as Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, the Aradia Ensemble is quickly gaining recognition for its fine · interpretations of early music repertoire. Sartorio's Giulio Cesare in Egitto (performed in Italian on December 3, 5, 7 & 9), may well be the first staged performance of this masterpiece since the 17th century. The presentation showcases the young talent of the Canadian Opera Compap.y Ensemble Studio, and was made possible with generous support from the Baroque Opera Fund founded by the late Peter E. Sandor; It will be directed by Tom Diamond, with the music directed by Gary Thor Wedow. In fact early December offers several performances of note: --There is an opportunity to hear, for free, student performers who may well become the stars of the future: Early Music Ensembles at U of T (December 6). --Viva L'Italia (December 6, 7, 8, 9) is a Tafelmusik concert of varied and expressive Italian concertos by. Vivaldi, Marcello, Locatelli, Geminiani and Albinoni. website: www.tafelmusik.org --The Tallis Choir presents a festive Christmas concert with soloists, orchestra and choir participating in the first Canadian performance of Claudio Monteverdi's Vespers of the Five Laudates (December 8). --And Bernard Labadie will be conducting Les Violons du Roy and outstanding soloists Isabel Bayrakdarian (soprano), Benjamin Butterfield (tenor), Daniel Taylor (countertenor), Brett Polegato (baritone), in what may turn out to be one of the most exciting performances ofHandel's Messiah (December 8) that you have ever heard. Frank T. Nakashima is the President of the TOronto Early Music Centre, a non-profit charitable organization which promotes the appreciation of historically~injormed performances of early music and would be extremely grateful (and will issue a tax receipt) for any donations that you would be willing to make. The TEMC is located at 427 Bloor Street West, tel: (416) 966-1409, e-mail: temc@interlog.com . Wepsite - www.interlog.com/-temc •:• CONCERT NOTES •:•EARLY MUSIC by Larry Beckwith The month of November features some important choral concerts and a significant choral anniversary celebration, as well. The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir opens its season on November 6th at Roy Thomson Hall with a performance of Carl Orff's perennial favourite Carmina Burana. For this concert, they're joined by Howard Dyck's Kitchener-Waterloo Philharmonic Choir and an attractive trio of soloists. In the first half, Noel Edison conducts the Mendelssohn in contemporary American composer Martin Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna and the choir is dedicating this performance to the memory of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001 in New York City and Washington, D.C. On Stgaurday Nov 10, Lee Willingham leads his always lively Bell' Arte Singers in an evening of Italian music featuring the world premiere of a piece entitled Libera Me by 'the choir's f(iend and strong composer Victor Mio. Later in the month, the Massey Hall New Music Festival gets underway on the 18th with the Elmer lseler Singers and guest conductor Paul Hillier singing music by Gilles Tremblay and Arvo Part, among others. Word has it that the lselers are singing better than ever, these days and they always make a strong showing at this annual festival. One of my older daughter's first favourite books was a collection of poetry by our municipal poet laureate Dennis Lee entitled Jelly Belly. Composer David Passmore has set parts of it to music and the Mississauga Choral Society, . under Chrys Bentley's direction, offer it up on November 25th at the Living Arts' Centre. There are several university concerts of note, including the University of Toronto's Women's · Chorus on November 3rd, the MacMillan Singers on November 24th; the York University's Concert Choir performs on the 26th and their Women's Choir on the 27th. Critical Mass continues its monthly benefit concert series for Out of the Cold at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the 27th this month with a presentation of John Dunstable's Missa Rex seculoruqi .. And the Bach Consort presents a complete performance of the Christmas Oratorio on the 30th, cpnducted by Bernard Labadie, one of the country's finest conductors. Finally, this month, a tribute to the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, which celebrates its 20th anniversary with five concerts from the 14th to the 18th at their home in Trinity-St. Paul's United Church. I had an opportunity to sit down with the choir's conductor ·: · ·. CONTINUES D A VID JENSEN Harpsichord. M~ker CUSTOM MADE HARPSICHORDS, VIRGINALS & CLAVICHORDS Repairs, Restorations, Tuning and Regulation since 1976 (905) 973-1314 & (905) 529-2527 www.harpsichord-man.com harpsichordman@hotmail.com ~~ tfie soumf post Canadt:i' s String Shop violins, violas, cellos & bows . expert repairs & rehairs . strings & accessories at guaranteed lowest prices Canada's largest stock of string music fast mail order service all prices in CON $ - Not a US $ price· in the store! 93 Grenville St., Toronto M5S 1B4 tel 416-971-6990 fax 416-597-9923 N OVEMBER 1 f 2001 - D ECEMBER 7, 2001 wholenote 11