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Monthly Archives: July 2012
Carsen’s Tosca
Toronto is belatedly getting to know one of its own. Opera Director Robert Carsen, who’s made a name for himself worldwide has only recently directed productions in Toronto. And how romantic is it that—as if to make up for lost … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged Canadian Opera Company, Emily Magee, Jonas Kaufmann, Opernhaus Zurich, Robert Carsen, Thomas Hampson, Tosca
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News of War
Some dates are more important than others in the timeline of a war. In the War of 1812, July 30th, 1812 is a relatively trivial date: 200 years ago today. The war had been declared on June 18th. The first … Continue reading
Genius Within
After spending so much of the past few weeks thinking about virtuosity –both in my academic research and in the music I have been listening to—I was more than ready to see a documentary studying the quintessential Canadian musician, Glenn … Continue reading
Homesick tenor
Early in the act, we have a plaintive moment. A sailor sings a tune, clearly longing for home and the company he misses there. The quietness of the big orchestra now playing so gently after its earlier savagery seems to … Continue reading
Posted in Essays
Tagged Berlioz, Fliegende Hollander, Hylas, Les Troyens, Steuermann, Wagner
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Clouds of laughter
Comedians love Conservative politicians like Harper & Ford. They’re perfect for the purveyors of satire & political comedy. And after the kind of week we’ve had in Scarborough I hope we can be forgiven for seeking out a good laugh, … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged Adrian Gorrissen, Aristophanes, sam Moses, Sten Eirik, Tyler Seguin
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Persée
On the weekend I sampled some French culture, visiting the francophone town of Lafontaine Ontario for their Festival du Loup¸ followed by a visit to the nearby town of Midland and the Shrine to 17th Century Jesuit Martyrs. Today I … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged Armide, Colin Ainsworth, Curtis Sullivan, Glimmerglass, Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, Lully, Persee
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Howling
It’s hot in Ontario. But then again it’s hot everywhere nearby. New York? Hot. Quebec? Not precisely chilly. You get the picture. Going for a drive in the countryside might seem like a strange thing to do on a hot … Continue reading
Magic Helmet
This isn’t one of those stories constructed using “emotion recollected in tranquility” (to use Woodsworth’s charming phrase). I am shaken by what I’ve seen, my hands still shaking a bit. It’s almost 7:15 as I type this in Word (and … Continue reading
Numbers game
Is opera a numbers game? It depends who you ask. Statistics can describe aspects of any art form. For example: Guernica is 3.49 meters by 7.76 meters (more than 11 feet by over 25 feet) Syberberg’s film Our Hitler is over 7 hours … Continue reading
