01_europaAt time of writing I am about to officially enter summer mode, which for me means less cello playing and fewer classical pursuits, and more time spent with my folk instruments - guitars, mandolins and accordion. I am pleased to have found several new releases which fit this summer sensibility. The first is Europa, which features local guitarist/vocalist/songwriter George Grosman and his band Bohemian Swing (www.georgegrosman.com). The disc takes us on a whirlwind tour of European capitals with original songs such as Budapest Café, Sarajevo Waltz, The Thief of Bucharest, London in November and Cole Porter’s I Love Paris. Accompanying Grosman on this adventure of love, loss and remembrance are violinist Jonathan Marks, trumpeter Ian MacGillivray, accordionist Fabrice Sicco, upright bassist Abbey Leon Sholzberg and a host of guest artists. Despite occasional moments of naïveté and political incorrectness the project is a clever and compelling portrait, presenting stories almost as film vignettes, giving us both the lighter and darker sides of some of the great cities of the world. You can catch Grosman and Bohemian Swing in a live performance at The Rex on July 10 at 3:30.

02_transyvania_avenueA little further afield is the primarily instrumental ensemble The Black Sea Station, which grew out of the North End Klezmer Project in Winnipeg. Founding members Myron Schultz (clarinet), Victor Schultz (violin) and Daniel Koulack (acoustic bass), all alumni of the seminal klezmer band Finjan, are joined here by Toronto-born renaissance man Ben Mink (violin, mandolin, mandocello) and Moldovan accordionist Nicolai Prisacar on the rollicking Transylvania Avenue (www.blackseastation.com). The self-described “combination of original compositions influenced by traditional styles and traditional songs set with contemporary arrangements” very effectively conveys the band’s respect of tradition while placing them firmly in the 21st century. Highlights for me include the food oriented My Dinner at Schwartz’s and At the Café Sambor and three Romanian melodies combined to make Nine-Eight, the concluding Trance Sylvanian Waltz (with Sabarelu) and March of the Shikker with guest vocals (well, mutterings really) by Geddy Lee. Although the band’s only summer concert date was in June at the Winnipeg Jazz Festival, I’m hoping they will tour again soon – perhaps a return visit to next year’s Ashkenaz Festival?

03_bela_fleckIf you are reading this on the first day or so after publication you may still have time to get down to Metro Square for what is bound to be one of the highlights of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival – a performance by the original members of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones on June 30. Fleck’s banjo-led quasi blues band is in fine form on their latest release Rocket Science (EOM-CD 2133 www.eonemusic.com) with Howard Levy on harmonicas and piano, Victor Lemonte Wooten on electric basses and Futureman (Roy Wooten) on “drumitar” (a synthesizer of his own design) and acoustic drums and percussion. All of the tunes are original – in more ways than one – with Fleck and Levy taking most of the writing credits, but a particular treasure is Futureman’s The Secret Drawer, surely one of the most eclectic “drum” solos in the realm of popular music. Other favourites include Fleck’s Gravity Lane, Falling Forward and Bottle Rocket and Levy’s Joyful Spring. If you miss their live performance this disc will go a long way to explaining what all the fuss is about.

04_gersteinOf course the Toronto summer music scene does not exclude classical music and this year we have seen the addition of the Capital One Black Creek Summer Music Festival with its eclectic offerings rivalling those of Luminato. But the backbone of the classical summer remains the Toronto Summer Music Festival which gets under way with a gala performance featuring Kirill Gerstein at Koerner Hall on July 19. While the festival’s theme this year is “Beethoven and the Romantics” and Gerstein’s repertoire for the concert reflects this – Beethoven’s last sonata and Liszt’s iconic B minor – I was pleased to find that the 2010 Gilmore Award-winning pianist’s inaugural solo album Liszt – Schumann – Knussen (Myrios Classics MYR005) also includes some 21st century fare. The disc begins with Schumann’s Humoreske­, a weighty work belying its title. Gerstein’s performance brings out both the thoughtful melancholy and the moments of whimsy inherent in the work. Oliver Knussen’s Ophelia’s Last Dance was commissioned by the Gilmore Foundation for Gerstein in conjunction with the $300,000 Gilmore Artist Award. Based on earlier fragments intended for but not used in his Third Symphony (1973-74), Ophelia’s Last Dance is a 2010 reworking somewhat reminiscent of Debussy at his most contemplative, but with an expanded tonality firmly rooting it in the music of our own time. Gerstein’s personal take on the Liszt sonata is very effective, beginning in near silence and then bursting to life to hold our wrapt attention for the next half hour. I expect the audience at Koerner Hall will be similarly enthralled.

We welcome your feedback and invite submissions. CDs and comments should be sent to: The WholeNote, 503 – 720 Bathurst St. Toronto ON M5S 2R4. We also encourage you to visit our website, www.thewholenote.com, where you can find added features including direct links to performers, composers and record labels, “buy buttons” for on-line shopping and additional, expanded and archival reviews.

David Olds

DISCoveries Editor

discoveries@thewholenote.com

louis_rielIt is fitting that the first DVD release by the Canadian Music Centre’s Centrediscs label, as part of the “A Window on Somers” line, should be the opera Louis Riel (CMCDVD 16711) with music by Harry Somers and libretto by Mavor Moore and Jacques Languirand. While it would be a mistake to consider Louis Riel the first modern Canadian opera – a host of others come to mind including Willan’s Dierdre (1946), Beckwith’s Night Blooming Cereus (1953-58) and Somers’ own The Fool (1953, produced 1956) – it would be less so to acknowledge it as the most significant. Commissioned by the COC with funds from Floyd Chalmers (who also funded the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada and provided the CMC with its wonderful home at 20 St. Joseph St.) the opera was staged at O’Keefe Centre as part of Canada’s Centennial celebrations in 1967 with subsequent performances at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in Montreal. The COC revived Louis Riel in 1975 with performances in Toronto, Ottawa and, in its American debut, at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. where it received rave reviews. Broadcast tapes of this Washington performance were later used to produce the first commercial release of the opera, a three LP set for Centrediscs in 1985.

In 1969, which was incidentally the 100th anniversary of Riel’s original Red River Uprising, the opera was adapted for CBC television by producer Franz Kraemer and directed by Leon Major (who had also directed the stage performances). Although hard to tell from the Centrediscs packaging, it is this CBC production that is presented on the DVD, featuring most of the original cast, notably Bernard Turgeon who is brilliant throughout both vocally and as an actor in the title role. Patricia Rideout stands out as Riel’s mother; Mary Morrison is his sister and Roxolana Roslak his Cree wife (singing the now-familiar lullaby Kuyas). Joseph Rouleau is compelling as the dramatic and conflicted Bishop Taché, the Catholic priest who was charged with the role of intermediary between Riel and the government in Ottawa, with Cornelis Opthof, the originator of the deceitful John A. MacDonald role, replaced here by a suitably slimy Donald Rutherford.

Although the production values are somewhat dated (particularly the obvious use of “green screen” technology, presumably in its infancy) the production as a whole has withstood the passing of more than four decades admirably. The singers are in fine voice, many of them in their prime, and it is a joy to hear and see them at such close range. The music, which is a clever and compelling mixture of traditional melodies, lyrical arias – for the most part unaccompanied – and modern technique, including a very sparse but focussed orchestration with extensive use of percussion, is as convincing now as when it was first heard. The story, one of minority rights and duplicitous government action, not to mention a charismatic “visionary” leader who claims to hear/speak with the Voice of God is still a timely one, well told.

I do have a number of complaints however. The otherwise thorough booklet, which includes full plot synopsis, bilingual scene descriptions and libretto in four languages (English, French, Cree and church service Latin), makes no mention of the television production other than the CBC 1969 copyright notice. And while it is admirable that the opera is truly bilingual – i.e. the Métis often sing in French and the Anglos all in English – it is quite surprising to me that there are neither subtitles nor translations. The diction of the singers is surprisingly clear, so that those who do understand the languages can indeed understand the words, but what of those who might otherwise benefit from a bit of linguistic help? It is understandable that the opera stage of 1967 did not yet have the option of surtitles, but for the television production and, more to the point, the 2011 DVD release, surely it would have been a simple matter to add (optional) subtitles.

Other missed opportunities include the bonus features. We are given Mavor Moore’s introductions to parts one and two of the opera, but not as they would have appeared in 1969 as actual, and helpful, set-ups to the broadcast, but rather as afterwords. The other feature is a welcome discussion between Somers and Moore moderated by Warren Davis (who would go on to become the voice of new music in English Canada as host of CBC Radio’s Two New Hours). What we are not given is any present day commentary. Although the main creative forces are no longer with us – Harry Somers died in 1999 and Mavor Moore, although not noted in the biography provided, in 2006 – there are numerous luminaries (i.e. Bernard Turgeon, Joseph Rouleau and Mary Morrison) still alive and active. Surely these auspicious personalities could have shared some insights about this important Canadian achievement four decades on.

We know that “A Window on Somers” is basically a labour of love with a shoe-string budget - and kudos to Robert Cram for doing as much as he is able with it – but surely for a project of this magnitude with so much historical significance further funding could have been found to supplement the existing materials. That being said, we are thankful for the opportunity to revisit this glorious moment in Canada’s musical development and a time when our national broadcaster took pride in promoting and preserving our cultural heritage.

We welcome your feedback and invite submissions. CDs and comments should be sent to: The WholeNote, 503 – 720 Bathurst St. Toronto ON M5S 2R4.

David Olds

DISCoveries Editor

discoveries@thewholenote.com

01_chroma_duoMusica Intima could well be the title of my column this month as I find myself immersed in new recordings by two duets and a trio. The ChromaDuo is comprised of Canadian guitar virtuosos Tracy Anne Smith and Rob MacDonald. Founded in 2009, the duo is active across the continent and internationally. They specialize in music of the 21st century and have a body of commissioned work, some of which is showcased on their debut recording Hidden Waters where four of six tracks were written especially for them. The disc opens with one of the two exceptions, The Raw and the Cooked by British composer Stephen Goss, a set of miniatures drawing on a number of musical influences from Django Reinhardt to David Byrne to the Mahavishnu Orchestra. While the composer’s program note does not convey any direct link to the book of the same name by anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, it does explain that the influences are in some cases near the surface (the Raw) and in others buried deeply within the texture (the Cooked). Even when the inspiration is as distinctive as Astor Piazzolla the music is not obviously derivative or clichéd, and although many of them originate in popular forms these compositions are firmly rooted in world of art music. The nine selected movements from Goss’ suite are followed by Still the Sea, which Goss composed for ChromaDuo in 2009. This primarily gentle set of pieces pays tribute to the music and on-going influence of the late, great Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, himself no stranger to writing for the guitar, and Takemitsu’s own self-stated influences Debussy, Nature and Duke Ellington. The music of Goss gives way to two pieces composed for Chroma by American Christopher William Pierce in the form of an Adagio and Fugue, inspired by Bach and Debussy, and Three Pieces for Two Guitars which adds influences of Ligeti to the mix. Here introspective pieces are contrasted with a central Allegro Ritmico which while reminiscent of a gentle spring rain gives way to momentary tempestuous outbursts. The title of the disc in derived from another piece composed for the duo, Niterói, which means “hidden waters” in Tupi, a native language of Brazil, and is the name of the Brazilian city which provided the inspiration. This multi-layered work has dense textures, complex rhythms and employs a number of extended techniques providing the duo with an opportunity to really show their chops. I am very impressed with their consummate ensemble work and the cleanness of their sound – no extraneous finger noise audible here, perhaps in part due to the impeccable recording skills of engineer Norbert Kraft who seems also to be a mentor for the group. If you missed the CD launch at Gallery 345 on April 22 you can find the disc on Tracy Anne Smith’s website: http://tracyannesmith.com/discography.

02_interwar_duetsThe next disc is one that I should probably have turned over to Terry Robbins for his “Strings Attached” column, but citing “Editor’s prerogative” I have chosen to keep it for myself. Interwar Duets (Analekta AN 2 9971) features familiar and unfamiliar works for violin and cello performed with aplomb and vigour by Olivier Thouin and Yegor Dyachkov. Most familiar is the Sonata for Violin and Cello completed in 1922 by Maurice Ravel. I remember once, after not hearing this extremely virtuosic work in a decade or so, tuning in to a radio broadcast during the Vif, avec entrain final movement and wondering “Oh that’s so familiar, which quartet is that?” – such is the dexterity required of the two musicians. Thouin, currently associate concertmaster of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and well known soloist Dyachkov take it all in stride. They make it sound easy, even effortless, while capturing all the excitement and nuance of the moment. This consummate musicianship is on show throughout the disc, which includes lesser known but delightful duets by Martinu and Honegger. But the real gem for me is the offering by Erwin Schulhoff, composed in 1925. More and more music of this Nazi-designated “Degenerate” composer is gaining attention in recent years and with each new discovery our awareness of the tragedy of the composer’s death in a concentration camp becomes more acute. Schulhoff’s Duet is in the classical four movement form of the sonata. Framed by dramatic rondos utilizing “modal language pushed to the edge of atonality,” the central movements include Zingaresca - a rollicking Gypsy dance - and a sombre Andantino. Although one might wonder whether the stark combination of violin and cello could sustain the listener’s interest for the duration of the disc, I had no problem with attention deficit during these marvellous performances.

03_esterhazy_machineI cannot say the same for the final disc Haydn Baryton Divertimenti Volume One (FofM 36-811 www.smithsonian.org) which features five trios for baryton, viola and cello performed by the Smithsonian Institute’s resident Esterházy Machine (Kenneth Slowik, Steven Dann and Myron Lutzke). This is not to say that I did not find the music and performances of interest, simply that taken as a whole I found the 66 minute experience a bit “much of a muchness.” I think I would likely feel the same if offered a steady diet of Haydn piano trios or string quartets however, so that being said I find this recording has a lot to offer if taken in moderation. The baryton, a favourite instrument of Haydn’s Esterházy patron Prince Nicholas the Magnificent, is an unusual instrument, kind of a hybrid viol and lute, which is pretty much extinct today. The instrument played here by Kenneth Slowik, presumably from the Smithsonian Collection, was built in 1986 by George Cassis of Baltimore, Maryland after 18th century Viennese models. With six (or seven) gut strings and a fretted neck, the baryton resembles a viol da gamba and is similarly held between the knees and played with a bow. The difference is a rank of brass and steel strings which run under and through the hollow fingerboard in such a way that they can vibrate sympathetically or be plucked individually by the thumb of the left hand through the open back of the neck to create counterpoint with the melody strings. The effect is more subtle than a written description may suggest. There is nothing resembling the resonance of the sympathetic strings of the sitar here for instance, but rather a delicate extension to the overall ambience of the melodic playing and added colour from the plucked steel strings producing a harp-like texture. The range of the baryton overlaps with the viola and cello so that there is a lush blending of the instruments and we are not always sure from which the melody is originating, which can make for some intriguing listening. We are often amazed at Haydn’s prolific output – 68 string quartets, 104 symphonies – but these numbers pale in comparison to the more than 170 works which incorporate the baryton, including 123 trios for the forces here. Taken two or three at a time they make for pleasant, entertaining listening, but I must confess I hope that “Volume One” does not imply that we can look forward to another 23 volumes to complete the set!

We welcome your feedback and invite submissions. CDs and comments should be sent to: The WholeNote, 503 – 720 Bathurst St. Toronto ON M5S 2R4.

David Olds

DISCoveries Editor

discoveries@thewholenote.com

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