Author Archives: operaramblings

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About operaramblings

Toronto based lover of opera, art song, related music and all forms of theatre.

Abraham, an oratorio

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I really wanted to like David Warrack’s new piece Abraham that premiered last night at the Metropolitan United Church.  It’s described as an oratorio and tells the story of the patriarch Abraham and uses that as a jumping off point for arguing for the breaking down of barriers between Jews, Christians and Muslims based on their shared heritage(*).  Given recent events in Canada and elsewhere that’s obviously a worthy goal and the whole thing was in aid of the Metropolitan United Church Syrian Refugee Fund; reason enough, in itself, to go.

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Quinn Kelsey singing from the heart

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KLP151027-_DSC7440Baritone Quinn Kelsey, currently singing Germont père in La Traviata at the COC stepped down off the big stage today to give a recital, with Rachel Andrist at the piano, in the more intimate RBA.  As befits the venue, he gave us a more intimate program.  Ralph Vaughan Williams Songs of Travel and the less frequently heard Gerald Finzi cycle, Let Us Garlands Bring sandwiched three songs by Brahms.

The Vaughan Williams is a pretty well known work, almost a recital warhorse.  Kelsey showed considerable sensitivity in, mostly, dialling his big voice back for it.  He is extremely expressive, occasionally I thought maybe just a touch too much so, and he has a surprisingly wide range of colours at his disposal.  The contrast between the light, bright tone he used for The Roadside Fire and the much darker (and louder) approach to Youth and Love was quite striking.  And that’s just an arbitrary comparison of two songs that follow one another.  The rest of the set was equally varied.  This guy is a lot more than “just” a big, Italianate Verdi baritone!  And Rachel Andrist is so much more than “just” an accompanist.  She brings a complimentary personality to every song with some real detail in the piano part that makes it seem quite fresh.

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A quick look at the COC’s 2014/15 financials

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jane_1415accountsI haven’t really done a full analysis of the COC’s recently released financials but what I have done suggests cause for cautious optimism.  As anyone who reads this blog knows I have, for the last three years or so, pointed up the rather stark reality underlying the company’s relentlessly optimistic propaganda.  To whit, a steady decline in seats sold, revenue and realisation (actual revenue dollars per seat sold).  This year doesn’t look so bad.

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Coming up week of October 26th

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NextWaveKelseylg812The first part of the week isn’t too crazy.  Quinn Kelsey, currently singing Germont at the COC, has a noon recital in the RBA on Tuesday.  Rachel Andrist will be at the piano and the program includes Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel and Finzi’s Let Us Garlands Bring.  Enticing I think.

Wednesday sees a premiere and fundraiser for Syrian refugees; David Warrack’s Abraham at Metropolitan United Church.  Then on Thursday there’s Toronto Darknet Market, a fundraiser with an edge, this time for an upcoming production of Charpentier’s Medée.  Both causes worth supporting.

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Pyramus and Thisbe – Beyond time and space

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Back last night for a second look at Pyramus and Thisbe at the COC.  I’ve been involved in a huge amount of discussion, mostly with Katja, about this show since we saw it on Tuesday and there were many things about the Monk Feldman piece and its staging that I wanted to think about again.  Lots of thoughts and, perhaps, a slightly different perspective since I was watching from two levels higher in the house this time.

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Upcoming events – mostly November

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AbrahamsOratorio_Poster_v1.4As ever there’s no shortage of announcements of new and interesting stuff in the Toronto area.  Here are a few from the inbox.  Next week, there’s a premiere of David Warrack’s oratorio Abraham.  It’s a multi-faith event in aid of the Syrian Refugee Program at Metropolitan United Church.  It’s on Wednesday, October 28th at 8 p.m. at Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen Street East, Toronto.  Richard Margison stars as Abraham and joining him are five principal vocalists; Ramona Carmelly, Meredith Hall, Hussein Janmohamed, George Krissa and Theresa Tova, three choirs: the Elmer Iseler Singers, the Jarrahi Sufi Choir with Whirling Dervishes,and the Bach Children’s Chorus  David Warrack will be at the piano.  Whirling Dervishes?  Get in!  It’s a good cause.  General admission tickets are $54; $36 for students.  $75 VIP tickets offer reserved seating and an invitation to the post-concert reception.  Tickets and more information at www.abrahamoratorio.ca. Continue reading →

Opera Atelier at 30

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Opera Atelier opened their 30th season last night with Lully’s Armide.  It’s hard to think of a work that better encapsulates what Opera Atelier is and has always aspired to be.  It’s French, it’s 17th century and it’s heavily dependent on ballet, and ballet of an aesthetic that pretty much defines Opera Atelier.  The whole Opera Atelier aesthetic package is there in spades.  Bare chested male dancers in tights that leave little to the imagination, heaving bosoms, ladies twirling prettily in full skirts, castanets and finger cymbals, chorus singing off stage, camp “baroque” acting, tight buttocked homoeroticism, singers cast as much for eye candy value as vocals, a tendency to play for laughs,Tafelmusik.  To be fair, there were a few innovations.  I think I heard a more “realistic” vocal style.  The singers were prepared to make ugly sounds when the emotional context demanded it, rather than an endless flow of prettiness.  The homoeroticism got a BDSM twist in Act 3.  Still, this was very much “by the book” Opera Atelier and if that’s your bag you’ll love it.

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A worthy cause

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p1130277-001_scaleThis just in.  Apparently Dean Burry doesn’t drink enough beer to generate a sufficient supply of bottle caps to make himself an Ugly Stick.  I find this hard to believe and probably puts his Newfoundland citizenship at risk but there you go.  So, he wants your bottle caps and he wants them by November 15th.  Send your bottle caps via post (apparently this still exists) to Toronto Masque Theatre, 383 Huron Street, Toronto  M5S 2G5. For larger donations (Robert Pomakov are you reading this?) and alternative delivery methods, please call TMT on 416 410 4561.

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Pyramus and Thisbe – a world premiere

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The new COC creation Pyramus and Thisbe with music by Monteverdi and Barbara Monk Feldman opened last night at the Four Seasons Centre.  I was expecting abstract and cerebral, which it is, but I was rather expecting that I might admire it more than enjoy it.  As it turned out it was a remarkably satisfying show on many levels.

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