Elza van den Heever and the MET Orchestra: A stunning all-Strauss program
Brahms hated cats? What?
HumourHas anyone else read about this? Richard Wagner, the "notoriously bitchy composer" (David Ward, The Guardian), said that Johannes Brahms, composer and owner of classical music's best beard, hated cats.
In review: Hercules
ReviewI went and saw Hercules at the Canadian Opera Company on Tuesday, and it was the jackpot of incredible talent onstage. It's directed by the one-of-a-kind Peter Sellars, conducted by the brilliant Harry Bicket, and Eric Owens and Alice Coote star as the soldier and soldier's wife. Beautiful. And it really was a stunning spectacle, one with an uncomfortably true message.
In review: Ash Roses
ReviewAsh Roses is the first CD released by the Canadian Art Song Project (CASP), and it features the music of composer Derek Holman. I'm not personally familiar with Holman's work, but I caught some at the CASP recital in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre a few weeks ago, and I distinctly remember liking it.
How I acted my way into an opera career
Op-edI remember when I first told my parents I wanted to be an actor. I had just performed in our school district’s Speech and Drama Festival and scored a near perfect mark for my portrayal of the Big Bad Wolf (of “Three Little Pigs” fame) telling the true account of what happened with those mischievous swine.
In review: Fawn Opera's L'homme et le ciel
ReviewFriday night, I went to a workshop presentation given by Fawn Opera & New Music. They presented three excerpts from their latest operatic project, L'homme et le ciel by Canadian composer Adam Scime, with text by Ian Koiter with a French translation by Eric Démoré.
In review: Isabel Bayrakdarian and Tafelmusik
ReviewOn Thursday night I went to see the Tafelmusik orchestra perform with Canadian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian in a concert with a good title: Rival Queens. The queens in this case are 18th-century operatic divas Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni, who were in a famous feud throughout their careers, resulting in onstage catfights and general shallow rivalry.
Another weekend, more shows
EditorialTonight (it's quasi-weekend) I'm going to Koerner Hall to hear Isabel Bayrakdarian sing with Tafelmusik. The programme is titled Rival Queens, and I'm pretty excited about it. It's inspired by that famous 18th-century operatic feud between superstars Faustina Bordoni and Francesca Cuzzoni.
In Review: Essential Opera's Triple Bill
ReviewThis past weekend, Essential Opera achieved a true feat in the Canadian opera scene: they presented a triple bill of Canadian works, all brand new. It was really exciting to see an event like this in Toronto; to hear Canadian opera, you most likely need to attend something involving Tapestry New Opera Works.
In Review: Tap:Ex Revolutions
ReviewI saw something beautiful on Friday night, and I'm not quite sure I can even tell you what it was. I can tell you that it was the inaugural presentation of Tapestry Explorations: Revolutions, and that it left an impression on me. The evening seemed to evolve on its own accord, beginning with understated and subtle entrances by performers Neema Bickersteth, Andrew Love, Andrea Ludwig and Adrian Kramer.
Go, Canada!
ReviewI went to hear some music by Canadians yesterday at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, as part of the Free Concert Series (that you should all be checking out!). It was a chance for the public to hear some of the products of the ongoing Canadian Art Song Project, headed by artistic directors Lawrence Wiliford and Steven Philcox.