with a wonderful opportunity to work in an international arena. RIGHT NOW, we are deep into rehear-sals for Opera to Go at the Distillery, a programme of five short but complete operas - really an opera "event" - that opens on April 1st and runs until April 7. It is an exciting new production featuring works by Chan Ka Nin & Mark Brownell, Abigail Richardson & Marjorie Chan, James Rolfe & Camyar Chai, Koji Nakano & Kico Gonzalez-Risso and Sean Ferguson & Alexis Diamond. As soon as Tapestry's move to the Distillery Historic District was confinned, I began to think about how we could bring Tapestry's audiences to this brilliant new arts and entertainment neighbourhood. While staging Opera to Go here in the Stone Distillery Fermenting Room is a particular challenge to our talented-designers and director (Banuta Rubess), they are all enthusiastic about the unique possibilities that the large and evocative historical Fermenting Room offers. It is going to be an unusual and fun way to experience opera - five operas, four stages ... and three bars. Right now, as madly busy as I am between marketing, fundraising and p)'6cfuction activities, itis absolutely inspiring to hear the glorious voices y{f Im: Funk, Mart~ Houtman, Lynne Mc Murtry, Tamara Hunnner'and Xm Wang commg from the new Tapestry studio, right next door to my office. Of the many pleasures I experience in my work, this is the one that thrills me the most: to see the work progress from concept to stage; to envision the talented team, the right venue and an audience; in short to be in the middle of the creative whirlwind that is a Tapestry production. LoNGER TERM: This morning I just concluded a partnership agreement with the Manhattan School of Music for the commissioning and co-production of a children's' opera to premiere in New York in 2006. We are currently working with the tremendously gifted team of composer Omar Daniel and playwright Alex Poch Goldin for a full length opera entitled The Shadow for production in spring 2005. In addition to Opera Omaha coming to Tapestry next year to workshop their major new opera called The Trial of Standing Bear, we have another four new operas in development in the Tapestry New Work Studio. And, at the end of this coming sunnner, we'll be mounting our ninth consecutive Composer Librettist Laboratory, from which so many of our new collaborations and projects emerge. FOLLOW UP First, you mention a "full-length opera The Shadow by Omnr Daniel and Alex Poch Goldin in the works". Any connection with their twelveminute "horror opera" (Lisa) that Tapestry premiered during the Opera America conference here two Aprils ago? (And is the partnership between Daniel and Goldin a "Tapestry" story?) As MOST ARTISTS will testify, it is no easy matter to fmd a good collaborator. Alex and Omar met in Tapestry's 2Q01 Composer Librettist Laboratory and their affinity for each other's craft was immediately evident. They found their collaboration on Lisa hugely inspiring, and starting thinking about a full length opera practically immediately following closing night. They worked on a couple of proposals, and The Shadow was the concept that triggered the most excitement amongst us all. It is entirely original, a story of dual identities and the desire to be more than we are. It will be a highly theatrical evening of opera, most likely produced with a local theatre. Second, in a chat a while back, a writer colleague was quite scathing in general about workshopping of operas. "They result in short mediocre works that go on to become longer mediocre works that perpetuate the opera as tv for rich people". Care to respond? IT TAKES generosity of spirit to believe in the possibility of anything, let aloµe great art. In the "golden age of opera", composers created during a time when multiple operas were possible in their life time, and the audience rushed to see the latest new work. Few of these operas went on to become the classics we know. In this age of scarce resources, workshops are an extremely valuable way to test new ideas, to experiment and to discover- before risking the hot white glare of opening CONTINUES ON PAGE 26 New At the Opera Store Dimitri Shostakovich: Lady MacBeth of Mzensk (Katerina lsamilova) The only edition currently in print of this operatic masterpiece. Historic reprint of the 1935 edition, by DSCH, the company begun by the composer's widow. A hardbound, deluxe publication with sung text in both Russian and English. 324 pages. Joseph Haydn: La Canterina (The Songstress) This seldom performed Opera Buffa in two acts, an early work, which the composer himself called an "Intermezzo in Musica", a musical comedy in 2 acts, without overture, meant to be performed during the intermissions of a 3 act opera. A great addition to your music library and repertoire . 98 pages. 210 Bloor St. West Tel: 416. 961.3111 (Opera Store Ext.218) www.remenyi.com 8 WWW.THEWHOLENOTE.COM APRIL 1 - MAY 7 2004
2004 Felix Galimir Chamber Music Award Gala Concert Showcasi_ng the recipients of the annual chamber music award in memory of the late violinist Felix Galimir, one of the most revered and influential chamber musicians and teachers whose legacy has blessed the world with several generations of world-class chamber r:nusicians. !JN! VEl{':lTY 1.)J:'t\w.or·.rro Tuesday, April 27, 2004 8 pm, Walter Hall Tickets at the door· Suggested admission: • Additional donation welcome. Proceeds will benefit the Felix Galirnir Chamber Music Fund.
