Category Archives: Toronto opera news and views

A Chair in Love

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https---img.evbuc.com-https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.evbuc.com%2Fimages%2F13688002%2F47251331097%2F1%2Foriginal.jpg?rect=0%2C16%2C540%2C270&s=e19a1b917b8dc5d8a03bd5627ce280f9OK everything about this has me intrigued.  Opera by Request are putting on a semi-staged version of John Metcalf and Larry Tremblay’s A Chair in Love.  It’s about an angsty film director who falls in love with a chair despite his dog’s best efforts to avoid disaster.  It’s on Friday July 17th @ 7:30pm at the Array Space (155 Walnut Avenue), and features William Shookhoff (music director and pianist), Abigail Freeman (Chair), Michael Robert-Broder (Truman), Gregory Finney (Dog), and Kim Sartor (Dogtor/Doctor).  Tickets are $20 and available here.  Despite Metcalf’s heritage I don’t think it’s in Welsh though the chance to see Greg bark in Welsh would be worth the price of a ticket.

Soundstreams subscription offer

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Soundstreams, Toronto’s contemporary music specialists, have pointed out that one can use their “Pick 3” subscription package to get a discount on all three of their vocal offerings in 2015/16.  The three shows are:

  • A concert with Adrianne Pieczonka and Kristina Szabó in a varied, indeed fascinatingly eclectic, programme on September 29th 2015.
  • Boesmans’ opera Julie which runs November 17th to 29th 2015.
  • A choral concert with Scottish composer James MacMillan including his Seven Last Words from the Cross.  This one is on March 8th 2016.

Subscription packages start at $135 and are available at soundstreams.ca

Late listing

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tkTeiya Kasahara and Stephanie Yelovich have a couple of recitals this week.  The show is billed as Majesty, Madness and Murder and will feature Italian opera and art song.  Mark-Anthony Del Brocco will accompany.  It’s a fund raiser for the girls to study in Italy this summer and it’s pay-by-donation.

You can catch them tomorrow night at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, 320 Charlton Ave W, Hamilton or on Friday at First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto, 175 St. Clair Ave W, Toronto.  Both shows start at 7.30pm.

Rehearsing the Apocalypse

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R. Murray Shafer’s 1980 “musical pageant”, Apocalypsis, is being restaged this year by Luminato.  It’s currently in rehearsal and yestrday I got to see part of a staging rehearsal.  It’s an unusual work requiring massive forces (500-1000 performers depending who you read) and combines spoken word, dance, singing and other things I’m not sure I have the vocabulary for.  Oh, and yes, it depicts the end of the world!  It’s big, loud, exciting and a bit mad.  Part ego trip, part acid trip perhaps?

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Casting for Julie announced

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cervoni

Lucia Cervoni as Carmen in Magdeburg

The casting for Philip Boesmans’ chamber opera Julie, to be staged by Soundstrams and Canadian Stage in November has been announced.  The title role will be sung by London, Ontario mezzo Lucia Cervoni.  I’ve not seen her but judging by reviews she seems to be very much in the same space; physically and vocally, as Malena Ernman who premiered the role.  Jean, her feckless lover, well be sung by Clarence Frazer.  He’s been on terrific form lately and seems a good pick, though it’s a rather thankless role.  The toughest sing in the piece is probably Christine, Jean’s fiancée and a servant in the household.  This goes to Ottawa’s Sharleen Joynt.  She really impressed me as Zerlina in Against the Grain’s #UncleJohn and I’m really intrigued to see what she does with a high coloratura role which is, I believe, her normal turf.  Continue reading →

The Royal Conservatory 2015/16 season

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PD32029780_Terfel__1514579cThe Royal Conservatory has now announced the 2015/16 season.  The full details plus how to subscribe, buy tickets etc is here.  It’s the usual rich mix of music in a wide range of genres.  Here are the things I will be looking out for:

April 24th 2016 in Koerner Hall at 3pm there’s a recital by Bryn Terfel with Natalia Katyukova.  This is definitely the big name vocal gig of the season.

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A few more happenings in June

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EG-300x201June is still a bit quiet but I have had word of a few more performances around the city.  On the 13th Lindsay Promane, Daevyd Pepper and pianist Natasha Fransblow; all seen recently at either Metro Youth Opera or various UoT events, have a recital at Islington United Church.  Featured composers include Ravel, Tosti and Saint-Saens.  It’s at 7.30pm and it’s Pay What You Can.

On the 17th and 18th at 8pm Array Music are presenting How it Storms.  It’s an opera for gamelan ensemble by Allen Cole.  The singers will be Salzburg and Zürich bound Claire de Sévigné, Danielle MacMillan (where’s she been this year?), Chris Mayell and Keith O’Brien. This one is at The Array Space, 155 Walnut Ave and admission is $15.00.

Then on the 21st there’s a concert performance of Le Nozze di Figaro at St Simon-The-Apostle Anglican Church.  It’s at 7pm and it’s Pay What You Can.

Finally, you can catch the broadcast of the Royal Opera’s recent production of Weill’s Mahagonny at the Bloor Hot Docs on the 28th at noon.

It’s that time of year

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atg_dandd_webposter_revisedIt’s that time of year when the musical calendar kind of grinds almost to a halt in Toronto.  Looking ahead to June there’s not a whole lot on offer, at least in the opera/choral/artsong departments.  The big event is Against the Grain’s Death and Desire show, of which I saw the first half previewed in the RBA.  It’s on at the Neubacher Shor Gallery (Queen and Dufferin) on June 2nd to 5th at 8pm.  Tickets are going fast so if you plan to go, head here soon. There’s a Mahler 2nd (Resurrection) Symphony at the TSO on June 10th (8pm) and 12th(7.30pm).  Erin Wall, Susan Platts and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir will join the orchestra with Peter Oudjian conducting. Then it’s Luminato.  The big deal for opera fans here is R. Murray Schafer’s Apocalypsis.  David Fallis will direct what sounds like a Cecil B. DeMille scale extravaganza.  It’s at the Sony Centre on June 26th and 27th (8pm) and the 28th (2pm).  At your own risk…

M’dea Undone

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M’dea Undone; music by John Harris , libretto by Marjorie Chan, opened in the Holcim Gallery at the Evergreen Brickworks last night in a production by Tim Albery.  My review, still a WIP, will appear in Opera Canada in due course though it has triggered some more general thoughts about “new opera” that I might explore here.  It’s worth seeing just to experience the unconventional performance space.  There are three more performances tonight, tomorrow and Friday.  Here’s a photograph.

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Lauren Segal as M’dea. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

One for pedalophiles

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Following on the indie opera theme, Bicycle Opera Project have announced details of their 2015 season.  Things kick off with a preview concert at 10pm at Mazzoleni Hall on May 21st as part of the 21C festival.  It will feature works from this summer’s tour program Shadow Box and the singers will be Alexander Dobson and Graham Thomson along with regulars Stephanie Tritchiew and Larissa Koniuk.  Featured works will include The Blind Woman by James Rolfe and David Yee; The Yellow Wallpaper by Cecilia Livingston and Nicolas Billon; (What rhymes with) Azimuth? by Ivan Barbotin and Liza Balkan; “The Dreaming Duet” from The Bells of Baddeck (world premiere) by Dean Burry and Lorna MacDonald; and, what else?, Bianchi: A five-minute bicycle opera by Tobin Stokes.  They will also be premiering a new commission; Ride of the Bicycle Bells by Christopher Thornborrow.  This mashes together the operatic overture with a special bike-y twist – it’s scored for 11 bicycle bells and one bike horn!

BOP groupwoods_s Continue reading →