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Volume 7 Issue 9 - June 2002

  • Text
  • Toronto
  • Festival
  • Jazz
  • Theatre
  • Choral
  • Choir
  • Orchestra
  • Arts
  • Symphony
  • August

QUODLIBET Future perfect

QUODLIBET Future perfect For most of us June is the end of one music season, and a bit of respite before the next. But for many of the presenters responsible for bringing us live music, it is the 2002- 2003 season that is already "over" - - at least in terms of planning. Their labours are evident in the brochures and sea8on announcements for 2002- 03 already appearing in WholeNo~ and elsewhere. Music Toronto; for example, announced its 2002-03 season late in February. Once again they're offering a dexterous mix of best known names (the Tokyo Quartet, the Emerson QUartet and the St. Lawrence Quartet) and "Discoveries" (mezzo soprano Kristina Sz.ab6, violist Laura Wilcox and pianist Ian Parker), to name only a few highlights. And Tafelmusik, I see, is not only offering an impressive 54 separate Toronto performances, some with international "superstar" artists such as soprano Emma Kirkby and conductor Bruno Weil, but must also weave , in a numberof international commitments - the Klang und Raum Festival in Germany in late August and early September, a European tour from January 24 to February 7, and performances at New York's famous 92nd Street Y in February and at the Mozart Society of America conference at Cornell University in March. I chatted recently with Nurhan Arman, music director of Sinfonia by Allan Pulker Ci \SSll \I. Imant Raminsh, and of Sonata #1 by Russian composer, Alfred Schnittke. And while Toronto chamber orchestra, about the A r m e n i a n - challenges and considerations that A m e r i c a n A I a n must be balanced and. reconciled in -Hovhannes is "not exactly contemporary" his _planning a new season. The orchestra's artistic development; the audi- Armenian Rhapsody ence's interests; availability of solo-. #3, on the orchestra's ists; costs; and a significant contem- February 1 program, is porary music component were high likely to be new to most on his list. of us and is "absolutely Arman likes single cqmposer pro- beautiful" according to grams because they give tremendous Arman. perspective on the life and develop- Cost factors into mentofthecomposer.Healsolikes things in ways I to draw on key relationships as a fac- wouldn'thave realiz.ed. Take orchestor in building a satisfying program. tral parts, especially for works still "Works in different but related keys protectef;l by copyright; they must be can complement each other: exam- rented, sometimes at considerable ple, a work in A major can be a tre- cost. Rachmaninoffs Variafions on mendous relief after one inf# mi- a Theme of Pagani.ni, for example, nor." ' recently cost Symphony New Bruns- " And I tty to find works that speak wick 00 U .S to rent. And Arman to as many different individuals as once rep!aced George Gershwin's possible" he says noting that classi- Summertime because the rental of cal German r~rtoire _ primarily music for~ five-minute long chestc Haydn and Mozart _ is a "must" for nut was gomg to cost 0 U: .S. ! any chamber orchestra and fortu- After we talked, I found myself nately, is also an audience fa~ourite. !eafing.thr~ugh the pages of listings Sinfonia Toronto's first concert of ma typical issue ofWholeNote rather the new season sets this tone: fea- differently - thinking about how turing violin soloist, Judy Kang, play- ~~every pii:ce of m~i~ in every ing Mozart's Violin Con:erto #4 along 1 IIStmg w~ a weighed ~ec1s10n, made with music by Haydn and Nielsen. months, if not years m advance. Arman also feels strongly that today's music should be played by his Back to the Present! orchestra. The new season will include one world premiere (a work by Not only is there an exciting season to look forward to but also an exciting month of music in June. While Ottawa composer Kevork AOOonian), the Canadian premiere of a work by the Choral Festival and two Jazz festivals may appear to dominate the Armenian composer, Edvard Mirzoyan, and the Toronto premiere immediate horizon, they are very far of works by Canadian composer, from being the only shows in town. Soprano, Merete Meyer a.nd piani.st, Maria Ydreborg in front of the Stockholm st

. brings together dancers from India's two main dance traditions, Barata Natyam and Kathak, two modem dancers, a drummer and a dancer, to produce what he calls "an evening of high energy risk-taking and the pure · joy of inovement and music." Riverdance move over! If you are interested. in Indian music, there are at least three more concerts listed in this issue: a sitar recital · on June 8, an ensemble with a singer, a flautist, two tabla players and various other musicians on June 9 and on June 16, the Sankaran Trio at the Music Gallery. Judy Loman Judy Loman, principal harpist of the TSO since 1960, is calling it quits at the end of this season. "I am really ready for a change .... I love the Orchestra, but after 43 years of doing the same thing, I think it's time .... more teaching, arranging, editing and publishing - those are the things I am interested in right now,.,, she says in the release announcing her retirement. Once a student of the legendary Carlos Salzedo at the Curtis Ins!itute, she is now a Faculty Member at Curtis and also at the Faculty of Music, U. of T., and the Royal Conservatory of Music. Ms. Loman's retirement will be recognized at the TSO's June 12 and 13, at which she will perform the world premiere of a CBCffSO joint commission of 'And then at nigllJ I pqi.nt the stars .... ' for harp and orchestra by Kelly-Marie Mwphy. And there will be another excellent opportunity to hear Judy Loman June 1 7 when she will perform Claude Debussy's Sonata for Flu!e, Viola and Harp and Dances for Harp and String CLASSICAL Quartet with flautist, Susan Hoeppner and the Amato String Quartet at E?stminster United Church, the last of this season's "Random Acts of Music" .. Choral Festival seeds Music Garden season Five choral ensembles perform afternoon concerts at the Toronto Music Garden during the choral festival, after which The Music Garden's free outdoor concert series continues with two concerts a week on average throughout the summer. The June 23 concert, to give one example, features an ensemble of seven student cellists, led by TSO cellist, Simon Fryer, performing music by Bach, Villa-Lobos, andMetallica! · Tpe series' artistic director, Tamara Bernstein is .aiming for "informal fun without compromising quality"; she seems to have no trouble getting fabulous musicians to perform,' even outside. "The audience" she says !'is wonderful - attentive, loyal and appreciative of the quality of the performances - they know what's going on!" Performers and audiences alike have been· a game lot in the f?ce of less than ideal weather. Last summer, violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon and cellist Roman Borys, in weather that was too wet for their Strads, performed instead in the back of a truck with the audience huddled around! Bring a sweater or jacket; it ~an be cool near the lake. And if it is raining the day of a concert, phone Harbourfront's "hotline" for information on cancellations and rain dates - 416-973-3000 .. King Street Artist Management it Oakville, ON ana E-mail: ksam.inc@sympatico.ca Website: www.ksam.net Laura Adlers Director Grant Writing Services dG' Artist Management 11\!;! (See Website for Roster) +i;'j:!ili ·:w::m WOW! 8,000 Sheet Music Titles! Canada's largest selection of sheet music titles for strings. Avail d , convenient mail-ord As a foll-service string shop we offer the following: • Violins • Violas • Cellos • Instrument Rentals • National Mail-Order Serv' • Repair, Restoration, a • Strings Accessories, B SJJar1 26 Cumberland, 2nd Floor. Tel. 1-416-960-8494 Gary A Toronto's Center for Clarinets and Oboes SALES REPAIR * RENTAL ~~ ·· tlie sountf post Canada's String Shop ) ~- : Warranty Repair Depot violins, violas, cellos & bows exper~ repairs & rehairs strings & accessories at guaranteed lowest prices Canada's largest stock of string music fast mail order service · all prices in CDN $ - Not a US $price in the store! 93 Grenville St., Toronto M5S 1B4 tel 416-971-6990 fax 416-597-9923 · June 1 - July 7 2002 www.thewholenote.com 13

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