Tag Archives: David Fallis

Coming of Age Stories

Posted on April 5, 2013 by

With the passage of time, people get older.  The battles that consumed them in their youth are set aside, as they seek stability and begin to contemplate their legacy.  In that gradual coming into focus, frivolity falls by the wayside … Continue reading →

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First look at Freischütz

Posted on October 26, 2012 by

Tonight I attended the dress rehearsal of the Opera Atelier production of Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischütz at the Elgin Theatre, a moment I’d been eagerly anticipating for weeks. Coming into the evening I was certain we’d have at … Continue reading →

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10 Questions for David Fallis

Posted on October 12, 2012 by

David Fallis is surely one of the most important musical minds in Canada.  He is Music Director for Opera Atelier, a long-time member and Artistic Director of the Toronto Consort, and director of Choir 21 (a choir specializing in 21st … Continue reading →

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September Buzz

Posted on September 13, 2012 by

In the circles I share in person or online I am thinking about the question of buzz, to which I alluded recently. I’m excited to be going to a brand-new opera tomorrow night, namely Julie Sits Waiting.  It’s hard for … Continue reading →

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Contes pour enfants pas sages

Posted on May 30, 2012 by

Christopher Butterfield’s Contes pour enfants pas sages premiered in Toronto recently adapting Jacques Prévert’s 1947 collection of stories of the same name.  It’s a cycle adapted as musical theatre in a collaboration between Continuum Music, Choir 21 led by David … Continue reading →

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Opera Atelier’s Armide in Toronto

Posted on April 18, 2012 by

I have to rethink my week, because somehow I have to get to see Opera Atelier’s production of Jean-Baptiste Lully’s Armide again.  Possibly the finest opera of the 17th Century, and certainly one of the greatest operas ever written, it’s … Continue reading →

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Opera Atelier Lays Claim to a New Period

Posted on February 9, 2012 by

Opera Atelier announced their 2012-2013 season, a revival of Mozart’s Magic Flute and a new production of Weber’s Der Freischütz.  This time they’re trying something new. OA are remarkable in the way they build upon their strengths.  Over their quarter … Continue reading →

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La Clemenza di Tito

Posted on April 23, 2011 by

Let’s say you’re a devoted fan of a particular art form, such as Shakespeare’s plays, Fellini’s films or Gaugin’s paintings.  Then imagine that suddenly someone discovers a masterpiece by your favourite.  Can you imagine the joy to suddenly encounter a … Continue reading →

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Mozart knew what he was doing

Posted on April 21, 2011 by

Yes I made a joke on my facebook status about the relevance of Mozart’s opera La Clemenza di Tito to anyone in a country uneasy about their government’s authoritarian tendencies, an ironic reference to Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove; Mozart’s opera might … Continue reading →

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The Nerds Shall Inherit the Earth

Posted on March 20, 2011 by

My friend Joseph So recently shared a link on Facebook that started a conversation about conductors. “Carlos Kleiber has been named the greatest conductor of all time in the April issue of BBC Music Magazine…  In a poll, 100 conductors including Sir Colin … Continue reading →

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