Elza van den Heever and the MET Orchestra: A stunning all-Strauss program
Reviews
In review: Madama Butterfly
ReviewOn Wednesday, October 15th I made my way on over the Four Seasons Centre at University and Queen Street West to check out the Canadian Opera Company‘s production of Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (duh, Greg.)g
Falstaff: He said/She said
ReviewGreg and I went together to the COC's current production of Verdi's Falstaff, starring the cream of the Canadian crop. We decided to combine forces and write a joint review. Who loved what? Read on to see.
In review: A Shropshire Lad
ReviewI went to another installation of the Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, to hear COC Ensemble members Iain MacNeil and Jean-Philippe Fortier-Lazure sing. The program was two sets of song by English composers: George Butterworth's Six Songs from a Shropshire Lad and Ivor Gurney's Ludlow and Teme, both with texts from the 63 poems in Alfred Edward Housman's A Shropshire Lad.
In review: Lucia di Lammermoor at Opera By Request
ReviewLast night I went to see Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera By Request. It was one of those nights I often have in Toronto, where a good chunk of the cast is made up of friends and colleagues, and my curiosity was piqued to hear some of these young singers in their Lucia roles.
In review: Offenbach/Hahn
ReviewLast night was opening night at the New Theatre Alliance Française de Toronto for Opera 5's (check out their Opera Cheats) season opener: a romp through the French obsession with the Far East during the 19th century. We were treated to a double bill of Île du rêve by Reynaldo Hahn and Ba-Ta-Clan By Jacques Offenbach, two very different pieces that not only show the varied differences of the East's influence on Western music, but also the versatility of a stellar cast of darn fine singers.
In Review: Baby Kintyre
ReviewCanadian composer Dean Burry's opera Baby Kintyre is the coolest thing I've heard in a long time. The opera, with the libretto also by Dean, had its first performance in 2009 on six consecutive broadcasts of the CBC's Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. Baby Kintyre is written in the style of a radio serial in five episodes, based on the true story of a mummified baby found in the wall of 29 Kintyre (near Queen and Broadview) in Toronto.
In Review: Love in the Age of AutoCorrect
ReviewLast night I went to the opening of Loose TEA Music Theatre‘s new production, Love in the Age of AutoCorrect. It was a double bill of updated takes on Stravinsky’s Mavra and Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne, this time entitled Andrew and Andrea. It was out on the pretty terrace of Atelier Rosemarie Umetsu, with a friendly-looking bar to create a beautiful night of outdoor theatre.
In review: When the Sun Comes Out
ReviewThursday, June 25th, I made my way to the healthily air-conditioned Ernest Balmer Studio, home of Tapestry New Opera to see the Toronto Concert Premiere of Leslie Uyeda's opera When the Sun Comes Out. #WorldPride2014. Originally produced in Vancouver on August 5, 2013 and commissioned by the Queer Arts Festival, _When the Sun Comes Out_ tells the heart-wrenching story of what happens to those unfortunate enough to live where they can't love freely.
In review: Pelléas et Mélisande
ReviewDo you like Debussy? Go see this show. Do you like art? Go see this show. Do you like a coherent plotline that's easy to follow and sticks to a linear timeline? Maybe, prepare yourself before seeing this show.
In review: Don Quichotte
ReviewMassenet's Don Quichotte has opened at the Canadian Opera Company, the final in the three spring shows of the 2013/14 season. I'm glad I saw it last, since there was something bittersweet about ending a season with comedy and charm. I'll admit I have a strange personal tendency to get annoyed by everyone's favourite bumbling knight; but perhaps I'm coveting Don Quixote's unwavering pursuit of goodness.