Canadian Art Song Project has just brought out a podcast on the important issue of how Ingigenous stories and music are represented in Western art music. Besides regulars Lance Wiliford and Steven Philcox, the podcast features mezzo-soprano Marion Newman and composer Ian Cusson. You can listen to or download the podcast here
Then on October 13th at 7:30 pm the CBC will livestream Against the Grain’s La Bohème from the Tranzac Club directly to your personal devices via CBC Gem.
Also… Turandot at the COC. My review will be up on Bachtrack once it’s through the editorial process. I’ll post links.
September 28th is shaping up as a bit daft from a scheduling point of view. I’ll be at the opening of Turandot at the COC but there are at least two other options. Confluence have a celebration of Clara Schumann at St. Thomas’ Church on Huron Street at 8pm. It features pianists Angela Park and Christopher Bagan, soprano Patricia O’Callaghan, actor Alison Beckwith, and violinist Ellie Sievers. The same day at 4pm Toronto Operetta Theatre have their season opener; Viva la Zarzuela. It’s at the St. Lawrence Centre and features tenor Rómulo Delgado. I guess one could just about do that and one of the evening shows.
I can’t believe an October preview post already. But here it is. So what’s on? Against the Grain’s Opera Pub kicks off again on the 5th at the Amsterdam Bicycle Club. It’s the usual 9pm start but come really early if you want a table. The 10th to the 12th sees 
Last evening I attended a session with Barbara Hannigan under the auspices of the IRCPA. The format was an interview with William Littler followed by audience Q & A. In many ways it was typical Hannigan. She came across as smart, incredibly driven, analytical and with quite a wicked sense of humour. This I have seen before and there wasn’t much about her work methods that added to the information in 
Mysterious Barricades is a coast to coast series of concerts live streamed throughout the day in aid of Suicide Awareness and Prevention. I don’t know if there is anyone who has not been affected by someone taking their own life or has been close to it themselves. I do know that if such a person exists it’s not me. So attending a concert such as yesterday’s is hard and certainly not conducive to thinking in the way necessary to write a review. Let’s just say that the programme curated by Monica Whicher was appropriate; from the land acknowledgement by Don McLean that reminded us that suicide amongst Indigenous People is an even bigger problem than in the settler community to the finale chorale. Comforting too to think that I had friends taking part as far away as Halifax and Kelowna. But, for all that, a tough day at the office.
operaramblings 