IN THE WORKS: ORCHESTRAS
Happy new year, WholeNote readers! 2015 is upon us, and while most of us are still buying new calendars and proposing (and swiftly discarding) our annual resolutions, this city’s musical life doesn’t falter for a moment. Orchestral groups are especially industrious this month, with a TSO Mozart festival in the works, and musical offerings from Esprit and Tafelmusik, among others.
Tafelmusik
At this time, the people of Tafelmusik are just about halfway through their third Tafelmusik Winter Institute, an intensive period orchestra program for experienced early music performers. This year’s theme is “The String Orchestra in Baroque England,” focusing on suites by Locke and Purcell as well as concerti grossi by Handel, Avison and Geminiani. The program culminates in a pay-what-you-can concert on Saturday, January 10 at 7:30pm, where the week’s baroque string players, harpsichordists and lutenists will convene to showcase their newly-learnt skills. It will be an affordable chance to hear some excellent early music -- all the details at tafelmusik.org/concerts-tickets/free-concerts/free-pay-what-you-can-concerts-events.
Later in the month, Tafelmusik also welcomes guest conductor Kent Nagano, in 4 performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 at Koerner Hall January 22 to 25. The program also features Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, performed with the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and soloists. The WholeNote has a pair of tickets to this show up for grabs to an interested reader! For a chance to win, check out our contest page here.
Esprit
Esprit Orchestra also promises an interesting show this month, with “the world’s turning” on Thursday, January 29 at Koerner Hall. Click here for a recent conversation with Esprit artistic director and conductor Alex Pauk in which, among other topics, he discusses this upcoming concert -- and check out our contest page here for a chance to win tickets to the January 29 event.
Mozart@259
The Toronto Symphony’s annual Mozart festival starts next week, featuring a number of soloists across three different concert programs. A special ticket sale for this festival has been extended until tomorrow (Friday) at 5pm: save 20% on your ticket price with the promo code MOZARTFEST. Details on the shows and how to buy tickets are available at tso.ca.
MADE TO ORDER!
The December 26 announcement of new recipients of the Order of Canada included more than half a dozen appointments of musical interest to readers of The WholeNote, including two, the Canadian Brass’s Chuck Daellenbach and singer Suzie LeBlanc, who recently chatted with The WholeNote’s editor-in-chief.
For the transcript of the conversation with Chuck Daellenbach click here. http://www.thewholenote.com/index.php/newsroom/feature-stories/24833-behind-the-scenes-chuck-dallenbach
Click here to listen to the video conversation with Suzie LeBlanc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvTLB3DiYGw
Other December 2014 Order of Canada recipients include: Montreal cellist/pedagogue Denis Brott; Montreal organist John Grew; Quebec Opera’s Gregoire Legendre; indefatigable Toronto organizational mentor and volunteer John Barker Lawson; trumpeter Jens Lindemann; and Montreal conductor, pianist and new music specialist Lorraine Vaillancourt.
Contests
WIN tickets to the Hot Docs Mozart feature this Saturday; tickets to Tafelmusik’s “Beethoven Symphony No. 5” concert with Kent Nagano; tickets to see Esprit Orchestra’s “the world’s turning” featuring two world premieres and Robert Aitken in a soloist role; and a chance to see jazz fusion quartet Yellowjackets at Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts! Just take a look below and follow the instructions to enter in the contests of your choice. Feel free to enter all four!
Hot Docs “Searching for Mozart”: Saturday, January 10
WIN a pair of tickets to the first screening in Bloor Hot Docs Cinema’s brand-new series, Composers on Screen: “In Search of Mozart” at 1pm on January 10.
This series, brand-new at the Bloor Cinema and co-presented with The Royal Conservatory, takes a new look at celebrated composers. Phil Grabsky’s “In Search of Mozart”, this Saturday at 1pm, showcases more than 80 of Mozart’s compositions, performed by some of the world’s leading ensembles and musicians--and features a 25,000-mile journey along every route that Mozart travelled.
Want free tickets to the show? We have a small number of tickets available -- just email editorial@thewholenote.com with the subject line HOT DOCS to confirm your availability for your chance to win! Tickets are FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. May the speediest emailer win!
(For those who can’t make it on Saturday, the next film, “In Search of Chopin,” will be shown on Sunday, March 1. Details about the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema can be found at bloorcinema.com.)
For our other contests, please click the links below:
Tafelmusik “Beethoven Symphony No. 5” with Kent Nagano: Thursday, January 22
Esprit “the world’s turning”: Thursday, January 29
Yellowjackets at Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts: Thursday, January 29
JUST IN: CORRECTED AND NEW LISTINGS
With Dec/Jan being a combined issue of the print magazine, listings information continues to stream in in early January. Jazz aficionados should click here for a complete update to the club listings. http://www.thewholenote.com/index.php/listings/intheclubsjazz
And speaking of clubs, reviewer Ken Waxman zeroed in on an upcoming show by Ken Aldcroft’s latest group on January 16:
THREADS (Quintet)
10/09/11
Trio Records TRP-019
By Ken Waxman
Every since he arrived in Toronto from his native Vancouver in 2001, guitarist Ken Aldcroft has been a constant presence on this city’s improvised music scene. Whether helping to organize concerts, teaching, playing solo gigs or as part of ensembles of varied sizes, he’s constantly exceeding expectations of what jazz involves. Also exceeding expectations is the first CD by his newest ensemble, which presents this music in concert at Jazz at Oscar’s this month.
Having recorded six CDs with his regular Convergence combo, Aldcroft changes gears on 10/09/11 by supplanting its free-bop orientation for one that offers more space and an almost unmetered beat. Besides Aldcroft, the only Convergence holdover is alto saxophonist Karen Ng, with the band filled out by drummer Germaine Liu plus the characteristic grooves of Josh Cole’s electric bass and Jonathan Adjemian’s analog synthesizer. With each of Aldcroft’s three originals entitled Threads plus a numeral and the disc recorded in 2013, it’s likely the CD title refers to a time of inspiration and composition.
Essentially each of the longish tunes, clocking in at between 18 and almost 25 minutes, showcases varied facets of the quintet. With percussion pulses that slide from parade band whacks to (Canadian) Indian-like rattling and back again, Threads III is the gentlest of the three, with slowly evaporating sax slurs matched with echoing guitar timbres. Threads I has more energy. Here Aldcroft’s crescendo of arpeggiated string licks faces tough, angled reed bites and buzzing synth interjections. Underneath, Adjemian’s staccato blurts plus Liu’s bass drum pops replicate an Upper Canadian version of a Second Line rhythm. Lengthiest of all, the introductory Threads II defines the quintet’s distinct parameters. Harmonized bass and guitar strums steady the beat, leaving enough openings for Ng’s blazing staccato cries, Liu’s irregular thumps and ruffs plus synthesizer fills that at points resemble Morse code, at others what an electric piano would sound like with a cold. Aldcroft’s twangs plus Ng’s volatile tone nudge the narrative towards a satisfying climax.
A notable achievement from an ensemble that offers sonic maturity, even as it’s in the process of being created.
Concert note: The THREADS (Quintet) is in concert at Jazz at Oscar’s, Hart House University of Toronto January 16.
CORRECTIONS
*Saturday, January 31
3:00: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Community Concert. Toronto Mendelssohn Choir; Elora Festival Singers; Noel Edison, conductor. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St. 416-598-0422 x223. Free.
New listings in January include the following:
Tuesday January 13
1:30: Oakville Opera Guild. Tea with Opera: Don Giovanni. Guest: Howard Dyck, choral conductor. Oakville Central Library Auditiorium, 120 Navy St., Oakville. 905-827-5678. $10 minimum donation. Proceeds towards scholarship awarded annually to a young Canadian singer studying at the U of T Opera Division.
Friday January 16
8:00: The Jeffery Concerts. Latin Journey. Songs and melodies of Spain and Latin America. Works by Rodrigo, Granados, de Falla, Villa-Lobos, and others (all arr. David Jacques). Marie-Josee Lord, soprano; David Jacques, guitar; Ian Simpson, double bass. Wolf Performance Hall, 251 Dundas St., London. 519-672-8800. $35; $30(sr); $15(st).
Sunday January 18
2:00: Canzona Chamber Players. In Concert. Brahms Quintet Op. 34. Vadim Serebryany, piano; Csaba Koczó & Sonia Shklarov, violins; Yunior Lopez, viola; Peter Cosbey, cello. St. Andrew by-the-Lake Church, Cibola Avenue, Toronto Island. 416-822-0613. $20. Also 7:30pm, Music Gallery.
Monday January 19
7:30: Canzona Chamber Players. In Concert. Brahms Quintet Op. 34. Vadim Serebryany, piano; Csaba Koczó & Sonia Shklarov, violins; Yunior Lopez, viola; Peter Cosbey, cello. Music Gallery, 197 John St. 416-822-0613. $20. Also 2pm, St. Andrew by-the-Lake Church.
Saturday January 24
7:30: Pocket Concerts. Pocket Concerts: Family Edition. Mozart Flute Quartet in D Major; and others. Les Allt, flute; Cordelia Paw, violin; Rory McLeod, viola; Rachel Desoer, cello. 647-896-8295. $40; $25(age 35 and under); $12(age 18 and under). Please phone 647-896-8295 if you have questions about accessibility.
Sunday January 25
2:00: Richard Valdez. Concert Valdez - Benefit WarAmps. Benefit concert in aid of the WarAmps Child Amputees. Broadway classics and popular songs. Richard Valdez, tenor. North York Central Library Auditorium, 5120 Yonge St. 416-395-5535. Freewill donation.
2:00: Trio Bravo. Concert 2. Brahms; Piazolla, Selleck; Fauré. Trio Bravo: Terry Storr, clarinet; Baird Knechtel, viola; John Selleck, piano; Guest: John Trembath, cello. All Saints Kingsway Anglican Church, 2850 Bloor St. W. 416-242-2131. $20; $15(sr/st).
Tuesday January 27
12:30: McMaster School of the Arts. David Gerry & Michael Schutz. David Gerry, flute; Michael Schutz, percussion. Convocation Hall (UH213), McMaster University, 1280 Main St W., Hamilton. 905-525-9140 x24246. Free.
7:00: North York Central Library. Canadian Opera Company Talk: Die Walküre. An examination of Wagner's opera Die Walküre, with special attention given to the winter 2015 revival of Atom Egoyan's COC production. Guest: Wayne Gooding, editor of Opera Canada magazine. North York Central Library Auditorium, 5120 Yonge St. 416-395-5639. Free. Please call to register in advance.
Thursday January 29
8:00: Oakville Infiniti World Artists series. An evening with the Yellowjackets. Russell Ferrante, keys; Bob Mintzer, sax; William Kennedy, drums; Felix Pastorius, bass. Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, 130 Navy St., Oakville. 905-815-2021. $60; $53(Big Ticket Member); $49(Big Ticket Plus).
Friday January 30
8:00: McMaster School of the Arts. Andreas Klein. Andreas Klein, piano. Convocation Hall (UH213), McMaster University, 1280 Main St W., Hamilton. 905-525-9140 x24246. $20; $5(st); $15(sr).
8:00: Oakville Opera Guild. Tea with Opera: Die Walküre. Guest: Iain Scott, opera educator. Location TBA, , Oakville. 905-827-5678. $10 minimum donation. Proceeds towards scholarship awarded annually to a young Canadian singer studying at the U of T Opera Division.
Saturday January 31
12:00 noon: Flautas del Fuego. Danzas del Fuego. W. F. Bach: Sonata in F Major for Two Flutes; Villa-Lobos: "Aria" from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6; Piazzolla: "Tango Etudes" Nos. 4, 5, and 6 (arr. Exequiel Mantega); Caravassilis "Danzas del Fuego" for two flutes and percussion (World Premiere). Flautas del Fuego: Alhelí Pimienta and Izabella Budai, flutes; David Burns, percussion. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167. Free.
8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society. Duo Concertante. Complete music for violin/piano by Schubert; second of two concerts. Schubert: Sonatina in D, Rondo, Fantasy in C; Chan Ka Nin: Incantation. Nancy Dahn, violin; Timothy Steeves, piano. KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-1673. $30; $25(sr); $20(st).
Sunday February 1
4:00: Georgetown Bach Chorale. Pas de deux. Violin and piano concert. Brahms: Sonata No. 1 in G Major; Prokofiev: Sonata No. 1 in F Minor. Edwin Huizinga, violin; Ronald Greidanus, piano. House Concert (Georgetown), 157 Main St., Georgetown. $45 advance only; no tickets available at the door.
REMEMBERING JIM GALLOWAY
Jim Galloway was The WholeNote's longest standing columnist, tenacious to the last. We greet the news of his passing, on December 30 2014, with sadness. We have lost a blithe spirit, a true champion of live music. On our homepage is the last column he wrote for us, just four weeks ago, followed by links, in reverse order, to his other columns.
-David Perlman, publisher
THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING
Our next issue of HalfTones, Vol 2 No 6, is out on February 11! The next print issue of The WholeNote, covering Feb 1 to March 7, will be published on January 29.
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