Category Archives: Reviews

Pathways to the past with TSO Carmina Burana

Posted on June 20, 2019 by

Some concerts are put together so well that you can’t help admiring the clever curator, combining compositions. Ai caramba I didn’t mean to be so alliterative. But even so they made magic at Roy Thomson Hall tonight in a Toronto … Continue reading →

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Isaiah Bell: The Book of My Shames

Posted on June 9, 2019 by

Should I have said “The book of HIS shames”? Isaiah Bell’s one-man show is about his shames, right? But no. He is everyman, every-person, and so these are your shames & my shames too. I couldn’t imagine a more apt … Continue reading →

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Pomegranate

Posted on June 8, 2019 by

Less is more. Pomegranate, bearing the epithet “a lesbian chamber opera,” is the latest specimen suggesting that grand opera is all but dead. Small is beautiful whatever your sexual politics, both for the lower price-tag and the ideal connection you … Continue reading →

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Mikolaj Warszynski—Piano Solo

Posted on June 5, 2019 by

As I’ve been listening to a 2015 solo piano studio recording by Mikolaj Warszynski, I’ve found myself wondering about the process, about how music is made and how it comes to be heard. If a pianist plays brilliantly and no … Continue reading →

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TSO + Davis = Mahler magic

Posted on May 17, 2019 by

I marked this one down on my calendar a long time ago, even though tonight on May 16th is a key date for other reasons… It’s COC’s Operanation It’s the world premiere of Shanawdithit, the co-pro from Tapestry / Opera … Continue reading →

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COC Otello

Posted on May 1, 2019 by

On paper the Canadian Opera Company’s new offering, an English National Opera production of Verdi’s Otello directed by David Alden and starring Russell Thomas, Gerald Finley & Tamara Wilson is as good as it gets. It’s an incredible luxury to … Continue reading →

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Tafelmusik: The Hunt

Posted on April 26, 2019 by

Jeanne Lamon was back tonight to lead Tafelmusik in Jeanne Lamon Hall at St-Paul’s Centre. There’s a quiet recognition of the journey made together. While Lamon is now called “Music Director Emerita,” recognizing a new role as a kind of … Continue reading →

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