HALFTONES #6
FEBRUARY 18, 2014
Welcome to issue #6 of The WholeNote’s monthly e-newsletter HalfTones! Next issue of the print magazine will be out Friday February 28. In the meantime, here’s the mid-month music news, plus some great contests and special ticket offers to check out.
NOTEWORTHY
CONTESTS
LISTINGS UPDATE
SIGN UP FOR HALFTONES
- NOTEWORTHY -
MOVIE (AND MUSIC) NIGHTS
Music/movie pairings are in vogue with concert programmers and cinemas alike this month. The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is teaming up with the RCM once more to present Music on Film, a series of Monday-night screenings February 24-April 7. The films feature everything from Flamenco to electronic instruments, and include special guest performances and Q&As moderated by the RCM’s very own Mervon Mehta. A series pass is $30 ($26 for Bloor Cinema Members), with single tickets going for $15 each. More info at www.bloorcinema.com.
Concerts for the movie-lover also abound, with the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony’s “Pixar in Concert” show Wednesday, February 26 -- featuring music and imagery from the likes of Finding Nemo and Toy Story -- and Chorus Niagara’s live choral soundtrack to silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1. Details for the Pixar show at http://kwsymphony.ca/2013_14/subscription/specials.php, and more on Chorus Niagara at http://www.chorusniagara.ca.
PS: The WholeNote has been thinking about movie music as well -- our February issue’s cover story features the one and only Philip Glass in his collaboration with Godfrey Reggio for the film Visitors. Read up on Glass and Reggio’s recent noteworthy work on our site at http://thewholenote.com/index.php/newsroom/blog/music-and-the-movies/24746-visitors-a-collaborative-effort.
JUNOS: ONES TO WATCH
The big upcoming show for Canadian recorded music is, of course, the JUNO awards, this year March 24-30 in Winnipeg. We’re seeing some familiar names among the nominees -- quite a few of the albums up for awards this year have already been reviewed in The WholeNote’s DISCoveries section! If you’re looking to read up on JUNO candidates this year, here’s a list of nominees, with links to any reviews that have appeared in The WholeNote:
Vocal Jazz Album of the Year
Amy McConnell & William Sperandei for “Stealing Genius”: Feb 2013
Erin Propp with Larry Roy for “Courage, My Love”
Matt Dusk for “My Funny Valentine – The Chet Baker Songbook”: April 2013
Mike Rud feat. Sienna Dahlen for “Notes On Montréal”
Sonia Johnson, Charles Biddle Jr. and Annie Poulain for “Triades”
Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year
Brandi Disterheft for “Gratitude”: Dec 2012
Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra for “Habitat”: Dec 2013
Darcy James Argue's Secret Society for “Brooklyn Babylon”: July 2013
Earl MacDonald for “Mirror of the Mind”
Trifolia for “Le refuge”: Oct 2013
Traditional Jazz Album of the Year
Carn Davidson 9 for “Nine”: June 2013
Ian McDougall 12tet for “The Ian McDougall 12tet LIVE”
John MacLeod & His Rex Hotel Orchestra for “Our Second Set”: Sept 2013
Mike Downes for “Ripple Effect”: Dec 2013
Phil Dwyer and Don Thompson for “Look for the Silver Lining”
Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber Ensemble
James Ehnes for “Prokofiev Complete Works for Violin”: Feb 2014
Jan Lisiecki for “Chopin: Études”: June 2013
Janina Fialkowska and the Chamber Players of Canada for “Mozart: Concertos Nos. 13 & 14”
Louis Lortie for “Liszt at The Opera”
Stewart Goodyear for “Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas”: Dec 2012
Classical Album of the Year: Large Ensemble or Soloist(s) with Large Ensemble Accompaniment
Angela Hewitt for “Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 17 & 27”: June 2013
James Ehnes for “Britten & Shostakovich: Violin Concerti”: June 2013
Nadina Mackie Jackson and Guy Few with Group of 27 for “Canadian Concerto Project, Volume One”: Feb 2014
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra for “House of Dreams”: Feb 2014
Toronto Symphony Orchestra for “Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances & Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring”: Dec 2013
Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance
Group of 27 feat. Shannon Mercer for “Berlioz: Les nuits d'été – Palej : The Poet & the War, Rorate Coeli”: Feb 2014
Isabel Bayrakdarian for “Ravel, Sayat-Nova & Kradjian: Troubadour & the Nightingale”: Dec 2013
Marie-Nicole Lemieux and André Gagnon for “Lettres de Madame Roy à sa fille, Gabrielle”
Pacific Baroque Orchestra, Alexander Weimann, Owen Willets, Karina Gauvin, Allyson McHardy, Amanda Forsythe and Nathan Berg for “Handel: Orlando”: Oct 2013
Vancouver Chamber Choir for “A Quiet Place: Music for Healing III”
Classical Composition of the Year
Allan Gordon Bell for “Field Notes”: Sept 2013
James O’Callaghan for “Isomorphia for Orchestra and Electronics”
R. Murray Schafer for “Quatuors à cordes No. 12”: June 2013
Stephen Chatman for “Magnificat”: Nov 2013
Tim Brady for “Atacama: Symphonie No. 3”: April 2013
World Music Album of the Year
Adonis Puentes for “Sabor A Café”
Azam Ali and Loga R.Torkian for “Lamentation of Swans – A Journey Towards Silence”
David Buchbinder and Odessa/Havana for “Walk to the Sea”: Nov 2013
Kobo Town for “Jumbie in the Jukebox”
Lemon Bucket Orkestra for “Lume, Lume”
Also, JUNO nominees Amy McConnell and William Sperandei are performing March 20, 21 and 22 at Toronto’s Jazz Bistro. The duo’s debut album “Stealing Genius is nominated for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year. Details for their Toronto performances are at www.jazzbistro.ca!
MUSIC: NEW AND EARLY
Other news for the Toronto music scene:
The beginning of March is proving to be a promising time for new music in the city. Starting Monday, March 3, the Toronto New Music Alliance is back with its popular New Music 101 series at the Toronto Reference Library. The March 3 session features features New Music Concerts with French percussionist Jean-Pierre Drouet, and junctQin Keyboard Collective who will give an overview of their collaborative history, presenting score samples and instrument demonstrations. The series continues March 10 and 17, with Toronto music critic John Terauds hosting all three sessions -- some details at http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDMEVT149139&R=EVT149139. More to come in the March issue of The WholeNote.
March also means the TSO’s New Creations Festival, this year featuring composer and guest conductor John Adams with concerts March 1, 5 and 7 and tickets as cheap as $14. More at http://www.tso.ca/en-ca/new-creations-festival.aspx.
As for early music, on March 1 the Tallis Choir of Toronto will be presenting a concert at St. Patrick’s Church, 141 McCaul Street. The first half of the concert is a recreation of the music of a requiem as it may have been celebrated on August 22, 1499 at the court of Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy and sister of Richard III -- the very king whose reburial is the source of recent dispute (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-26000248). The show will also include works from the “Eton Choir Book”. Single tickets go for $30 ($25 for seniors), and there are special group rates for 10 or more. All the details at 416-286-9798, and at www.tallischoir.com!
The exploration of a land steeped in history is also the focus of Trio Arkel’s March 9 concert “Land of the Kalevala”, where they feature the music of Finnish composers. They’ll be playing string trios by Sibelius and Saariaho, and will be joined by guests for Lindberg’s Quintet for Clarinet and Strings -- more info at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/576857.
- PRIZES AND SPECIAL OFFERS -
CONTEST 1: Mozart is coming to Mississauga! 7:30pm on March 1, the MCS Chorus is presenting Mozart’s Coronation Mass as well as a selection of his other works -- and they’re offering TWO PAIRS of FREE tickets for readers! Just click here and answer the following question for your chance to win:
“Which of Mozart’s works is catalogued as K.618?” (hint: we’re thinking of a motet!)
For more info on this concert check out http://mcschorus.ca/node/67.
CONTEST 2: For jazz fans, here’s another prize up for grabs: Massey Hall is offering a FREE PAIR of tickets to The Spring Quartet’s appearance on Thursday, February 27! This quartet harnesses the talents of renowned jazz giants Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano, Esperanza Spalding and Leo Genovese for what’s sure to be an incredible show. Want a chance at the tickets? Just click here and answer: Which columnist at The WholeNote previewed this concert in our February 2014 issue? (hint: here’s a link to our online copy: http://www.thewholenote.com/index.php/aboutus/wholenotepdf)
For details on the Massey Hall show and to listen to The Spring Quartet’s recent live recording of “The Ethiopian Blues”, check out http://www.masseyhall.com/eventdetail/1427.
(Deadline for both these contests is midnight Sunday, February 22)
EXCLUSIVE OFFER 1: Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1 is the weekend for the Toronto Consort’s “Carnival Revels” -- a show featuring music from the streets of Carnival season in Renaissance Italy. In true carnival spirit, they’re offering a very special deal for WholeNote readers -- for their Saturday, March 1 concert only, get TWO TICKETS FOR $10! There’s a limit of 15 pairs for this offer, so send us an email at halftones@thewholenote.com with the subject line CARNIVAL REVELS and we’ll confirm ticket availability with you -- then just show up on March 1 with a guest, $10 and enjoy what’s sure to be an entertaining evening. Additional info on the Toronto Consort at http://www.torontoconsort.org/season/schedule.html.
EXCLUSIVE OFFER 2: It has been one year since Austrian researchers published the full extent of Nazi collaboration by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra;now on March 17, at the Glenn Gould Studio, the Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership has organized a panel discussion/concert titled The Arts in Vienna: A Proud History, A Painful Past. Clemens Hellsberg, violinist, current chairman of the Vienna Phil will be among the distinguished panelists, in a discussion that explores Austrian society during the First and Second World Wars, as well as current tensions and efforts at reconciliation in Europe. The evening will also feature a special music performance by members of the Vienna Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble. This event is invite-only, but The WholeNote has 4 AVAILABLE TICKETS for interested readers. Email publisher@thewholenote.com by Friday February 21 if you are interested in joining The WholeNote contingent attending the event.
- LISTINGS UPDATE -
Please find below additional events added to our February listings:
Friday, February 21
8:00: The Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble. Hotfoot: Cool Jazz. A performance of the music of Bruce Cassidy with special guests Bruce Cassidy and The Hotfoot Orchestra. Pat Murray, vocals; Bruce Cassidy, flugelhorn and EVI; Kevin Turcotte, trumpet; William Carn, trombone; Vern Dorge, alto saxophone; and others. Living Arts Centre, 4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-6000. $20-$40.
Thursday, February 27
8:00: Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie. ALLONEWORD. A suite of six works set to and inspired by selections from Biber's Rosary Sonatas. John Oswald, arranger/director; Svetlana Lunkina. Flato Markham Theatre, 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469. $49-$54.
8:30: Hugh's Room. John Hammond. John Hammond. 2261 Dundas St. W. 416-531-6604. $47.50(adv); $50(door). Reservations by phone and at hughsroom.com. Also Feb 28.
Friday, February 28
8:00: MOonhORsE Dance Theatre. Older & Reckless - Edition #31 - ALL DUETS. A collaborative performance featuring seven dance artists, a poet and a five-piece band in four duets. Michael Marye; Suzette Sherman; Vivine Scarlett; Michelle Muir; Stelio Calagias; Tim Spain; Yvonne Ng; Robert Glumbek. Dancemakers Studio 313, Distillery District, 9 Trinity St. 416-504-6429 x30. $25; $22(st/sr/CADA). Also Mar 1 at 8pm (with $10 belly dance workshop at 5:30pm), Mar 2 at 2pm.
Saturday, March 1
10:30am: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Singsation Saturday Choral Workshop. Sing with the choir. Latin American inspired choral music. Ana Alvarez Sandoval, guest conductor. Cameron Hall, Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St. 416-598-0422 x221. $10. Refreshments included. tmchoir.org.
- DATES WITH HALFTONES -
That’s all for now -- for those of you who are wondering, here’s a list of upcoming HalfTones publication dates:
Vol. 1 #7: Tuesday March 18 2014
Vol. 1 #8: Tuesday April 15 2014
Vol. 1 #9: Thursday May 15 2014
Vol. 1 #10: Tuesday June 17 2014
Vol. 1 #11: Monday July 7 2014
Vol. 1 #12: Tuesday August 12 2014
For all inquiries, including those members interested in submitting news items for HalfTones consideration, please contact halftones@thewholenote.com a minimum of one week prior to the appropriate publication date.
Be sure to look for The WholeNote Vol. 19 No. 6 at the beginning of March (and for our next issue of HalfTones on March 18)! Don't forget to 'Like' us on Facebook here or Follow us on Twitter here.
Finally, feel free to forward this email to anyone you think may be interested in The WholeNote HalfTones.
HalfTones is compiled and edited by Sara Constant, Social Media Editor
