Category Archives: Toronto opera news and views

Lend me a tenor

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ramirezThe saga of “Where in the world is Roberto Devereux?” at the COC continues.  Originally Giuseppe Filianoti was slated to sing the title role in the seven show run that began April 25th.  At some point, some while ago, it was announced that Leonardo Capalbo would sing the first three performances; which he did to some acclaim.  During the week the rumour mill started grinding with news that cover Edgar Ernesto Ramírez would sing tomorrow night’s show and, a bit later, that Filianoti was out completely.  All this has now been confirmed.  Mexican born Toronto resident Ramirez will sing tomorrow and then Spanish tenor José Bros will complete the run (or at least that’s the plan).  It’s a great break for Ramírez and we wish him luck.

Coming up in May

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quichotte-thumbThings are starting to quieten down a bit on the Toronto vocal music/opera scene but there’s still a fair bit to seer in May.  Here are some of the highlights:

Friday, May 8 sees the opening of Massenet’s Don Quichotte at the COC.  It’s strongly cast with Ferruccio Furlanetto, Quinn Kelsey and Anita Rachvelishvili headlining.  There are seven performances between Friday and May 24.

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Season announcements

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Toronto Operetta Theatre has announced its 2014-15 season line up and both Stratford Summer Music and the Westben Festival have announced their programmes.

Toronto Operetta Theatre
The 2014/15 season features three productions.  The season opens with Federico Chueca’s zarzuela La Gran Via on November 2nd.  The Christmas season (December 27th to January 4th) will see six performances of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado.  (And I hope Rob Ford is on “the list” though hopefully by then he’ll be well on the way to being forgotten)  Finally, and perhaps most interesting, the season closes with Victor Davies’ 2008 piece Earnest, the Importance of Being which is probably the only Canadian work that can properly be called an operetta.  There’s no further information at this time but doubtless it will eventually make its way to http://www.torontooperetta.com/. Continue reading →

Toronto opera news – lose one, win one

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diggerOpera 5’s planned Offenbach and Hahn show this week has been postponed to the fall owing to construction delays at the Alliance Française (probably caused by striking air traffic controllers).  By way of consolation there’s a pop up party on Saturday at 8pm, also at the Alliance Française (24 Spadina Road).  Tickets are $15 on the door.  It should be fun as these guys know how to party.  Unfortunately I am otherwise engaged which may not be a bad thing.  Last time I was at the Alliance Française the Americans started bombing Baghdad.

In a curiously symmetrical move, Tapestry have announced dates for the long delayed Toronto run of Shelter by Julie Salverson and Juliet Palmer.  Described as “a darkly comic chamber opera which maps the journey of a family struggling to be ordinary in the atomic age.”  The cast includes Christine Duncan, Teiya Kasahara, Keith Klassen, Andrea Ludwig and Peter McGillivray.  Leslie Dala conducts and Keith Turnbull directs.  It will play from June 12th to 15th at the Berkeley Street Theatre.  Ticket prices range from $55-$75 + HST and can be purchased in person at the Canadian Stage Box Office at 26 Berkeley Street, by calling 416.368.3110 or online at CanadianStage.  For more information visit TapestryOpera.

Farewell Ben

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benhFamed Canadian tenor Ben Heppner has announced his retirement from singing.  It’s entirely understandable as he has been struggling with vocal problems for some considerable time.  On form, he was magnificent and I was privileged to hear his Tristan when he returned to COC after a long absence in 2013.  Unfortunately a run of Peter Grimes later in the year showed the other side of the coin with a cancellation and some pretty rough moments.  Ben is a gentleman and a professional and I think he’s doing the right thing by the opera world, for which he’s been such a distinguished servant for so long.  He’s already got a radio gig hosting CBC Radio’s Saturday Afternoon at the Opera and I’m sure other interesting opportunities will open up.  On to pastures new…

Ok, so how did I miss this?

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simonewallisSaturday (7.30pm) and Sunday (3pm), at Roy Thomson Hall, the TSO has a programme that includes operatic lollipops from Simone Osborne and Wallis Giunta.  Joana Carneiro conducts.  I had to go all the way to Sudbury to find a picture with wallis and Simone. Anyway, here’s the programme for the concert:

Mozart: Overture to The Marriage of Figaro
Mozart: “Letter Duet” from The Marriage of Figaro
Offenbach: Intermezzo and Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann
Delibes: “Flower Duet” from Lakmé
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” – Mvt. I
Glinka: Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas brasileiras No. 5
Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture

So three lovely ladies (plus the TSO) at one low (not especially actually) price.

Operetta, contemporary sounds and cast changes

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Cesaroni-LuciaThe news continues to flood in!  Toronto Operetta Theatre will close out their season with the Canadian Premiere of The Cousin from Nowhere (Der Vetter aus Dingsda); a 1921 work by the German Eduard Künneke.  Described by TOT General Director Guillermo Silva-Marin as “a very special work, a chamber operetta really, written by a Berliner who incorporated American and Latin dance rhythms into a lyric framework”; it will be conducted by Jürgen Petrenko and stars tenor Christopher Mayell, and soprano Lucia Cesaroni.  There will be fours shows at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts on May 1, 2, 3, 4 (mat). For tickets call the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts at 416-366-7723, 1–800-708-6754 or online at www.stlc.com

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More Toronto news

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lhommeFB1-300x111On April 11th FAWN Opera is workshopping L’Homme et le Ciel; music by Adam Scime and libretto by Ian Koiter.  It’s PWYC and it’s at the Ernest Balmer Studio at 8pm.  Partrick Murray conducts, Amanda Smith directs and the singers will be Giovanni Spanu, Larissa Koniuk and Adanya Dunn.  I wish I could go but I can’t.

On the 26th at 8pm the Aradia Ensemble, conductor Kevin Mallon, will be joined by Claire de Sévigné and Maria Soulis for a programme of Vivaldi’s sacred music.  It’s at St. Anne’s Anglican church on Gladstone Avenue which sounds worth a visit in itself.  Apparently there is a Byzantine dome and decoration by members of the Group of 7.  Tickets are $35 ($20 seniors).