Monthly Archives: February 2017

Immolation Nation

The morning after the end of the world feels pretty good, especially if you’re one of the little people and not one of the old gods swept aside. I am not Barack or Hillary, just one of the little people who … Continue reading

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Mackay’s Visions & Voyages

My own little reconciliation journey continues. Last year I saw the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Going Home Star, a ballet aiming to probe the history behind the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a powerful piece about the trauma associated with the residential … Continue reading

Posted in Music and musicology | 2 Comments

An Evening with the Ensemble Studio

Institutions are like buildings. They have structures.  They’re solid, which means they resist change, and offer shelter to those who rely upon them. A change in an institution may be bewildering and hard to understand, but is ultimately inevitable, even … Continue reading

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Kent Monkman: Our Shame, Our Prejudice, Their Resilience

I have just experienced Kent Monkman‘s show at the University of Toronto Art Museum, a series of paintings, textual passages and installations proposing something quite ambitious. As he observed in the Foreword (in a little brochure I picked up as … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Politics | 3 Comments

Toronto Symphony Ratatouille

I’ve been loving the live performances of film-scores accompanying screenings of films presented by the Toronto Symphony over the past couple of years.  They set up a huge screen above the stage, the orchestra assembles in their usual place, but … Continue reading

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Don Giovanni in concert

Posted in Press Releases and Announcements | 1 Comment

Thirteen questions for James Quandt, Senior Programmer, TIFF Cinematheque

  James Quandt is the Senior Programmer for TIFF Cinematheque.  He has curated hundreds of directorial retrospectives, national surveys and thematic programmes that have contributed to the interest in and revival of forgotten masters and films, has been with TIFF since the … Continue reading

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Interviews, Personal ruminations & essays | 2 Comments

Kindred Spirits in Markham

At the risk of saying something really obvious: there’s a great deal of music going on in Toronto, and all around the city too.  I ventured just north of the city to one of several community venues, the charming 527 … Continue reading

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Remembering Nicolai Gedda

The passing of tenor Nicolai Gedda will elicit testimonials and remembrances of the artist, of the person, of performances & great moments. I’m just sharing this because I think it’s important to do so, arguably all that we have.  Drama … Continue reading

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A Bach Tapestry

It’s been a JS Bach sort of week, what with the tiff screening on Wednesday (“Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach” coming Friday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m)  and the press release announcing the upcoming Bach Festival, including a reconstruction of … Continue reading

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