Bas-Sheve

Last night, as part of the Ashkenaz Festival, we got to see Henekh Kon’s Bas-Sheve.  It’s the only known pre Holocaust Yiddish opera and there’s quite a saga involved in it getting to a staging.  The work dates to 1924, when it premiered in Warsaw then disappeared.  In 2017 Dr. Diana Matut unearthed an incomplete piano score version which was completed and orchestrated by librettist Michael Wex and composer Joshua Horowitz to create an hour long piece that premiered in August 2019 as part of the Yiddish Summer Weimar festival.

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Late August/early September

Ifallcolourst’s still pretty quiet but there are some things still going on:

August 16th to 20th, the National Ballet has free performances at Harbourfront incorporating a number of partners and an eclectic mix of dance styles.  Details.

August 28th at pm in the Music Garden at Harbourfront Lawrence Wiliford and PhoeNX Ensemble are performing Alec Roth’s Songs in Time of War.  This one is free and outdoors so “weather permitting”. Continue reading