Category Archives: Music and musicology

Tafelmusik and Ivars Taurins celebrate Handel

Tafelmusik turned their choral specialist loose for their season-concluding Handel celebration concert. If you have any way of getting to this concert do so, a love-fest centred on Handel and his alter-ego Ivars Taurins. You may know Ivars Taurins for … Continue reading

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Philip Chiu’s Fables

I have been listening to FABLES, the excellent ATMA CD of piano music by Philip Chiu pairing two piano transcriptions of music by Ravel with Mnidoonskaa (A Multitude of Insects), a 2021 work by Anishinaabekwe composer Barbara Assiginaak. “Fables” makes … Continue reading

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Prelude to Hope

They began with this artistic manifesto: As a collective of artists working within a creative circle associated with the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra, we have asked ourselves how artists can and should respond to the times we live in. Our answer … Continue reading

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Gimeno and Moussa: Ligeti, Wagner and Strauss’s Don Quixote

Last night’s brilliant concert at Roy Thomson Hall from the Toronto Symphony was improved by the introductory remarks from Music Director Gustavo Gimeno, explaining his unorthodox choices. The concert may have been titled “R Strauss’s Don Quixote” but Gimeno explained … Continue reading

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Violinissimo II calibrating Esprit at Koerner

Thursday March 28th Esprit Orchestra led by their artistic director and conductor Alex Pauk presented Violinissimo II at Koerner Hall. The program leant heavily on soloist Mark Fewer in a pair of big works, playing solos for over an hour … Continue reading

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Korngold’s other film-score

On April 7th the ARC Ensemble present a concert “The Viennese in Los Angeles”, a happier title than what they might choose to call it, from composers in exile.  In the promotion for the event we’re told that for the … Continue reading

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Jerskin Fendrix scores Poor Things

Every year in the aftermath of the Academy Awards I’m left wondering how they do it. Yes I should be in awe of the creations: but I was speaking of the awards process. Why this film and not that one? and … Continue reading

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Toronto Symphony explores nuances of newness in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella

Tonight Gustavo Gimeno and his Toronto Symphony presented their latest TSO live concert at Roy Thomson Hall, recorded for future release by Harmonia Mundi recording label. We were a well-behaved audience, not making any disruptive noises, like polite voyeurs watching … Continue reading

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X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X from the Metropolitan Opera for February and Lent

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2023 production of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, the 1985 opera with libretto by Thulani Davis and music be her cousin Anthony Davis, was shown on PBS over the past week, likely as a … Continue reading

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Questions for Jack Hui Litster in anticipation of his Gates of Heaven: Requiem for a Life of Peace

Jack Hui Litster has recently had two original operas produced by OperOttawa. Jack is a multi-instrumentalist and composer of concert music and film and TV score based in Ottawa, blending his classical and popular music training. As Composer-in-Residence for OperOttawa, Jack … Continue reading

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