From the great tradition of Christmas at King’s College, Cambridge, here is John Rutter’s arrangement of O Holy Night. The carol was composed by Adolphe Adam (1803-1856), the man who also wrote the score for the ballet Giselle.Paul E. Robinson
November 22 was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Britten. During his lifetime Britten was recognized as one of the foremost composers of the Twentieth Century. Since his death his reputation has grown even more. The operas are performed regularly in most of the world’s leading opera houses and his vocal music is often heard in recitals and in churches.Britten developed a style that was contemporary but never academic. He had a great lyrical gift and a talent for expressing the meaning of words through music.In this 100th anniversary year his music is being celebrated throughout the world.…
Lotfi Mansouri was the right man at the right time for the Canadian Opera Company. He was the man who made the organization a major force in Toronto’s musical life, and through his international connections he was able to bring the best singers to the city. He also deserves enormous credit for bringing opera to many more people through the use of surtitles. Finally, North American audiences could get the jokes and appreciate the nuances of the text.These were genuine achievements and they catapulted him to the leadership of an even more important company, the San Francisco Opera.His greatest qualities…
Discovery and Exploration at the Montréal Baroque Festival In addition to their Grand concerts series, the Montréal Baroque Festival will offer festival-goers more intimate programming, including a recital by this year’s artist-in-residence, Brazilian born Cléa Galhano, and a concert of sacred cantatas by Manuel de Zumaya performed by Mexican ensemble La Fontegara. This festival is a place of exploration and discovery; Soirée sans frontièreswill push the limits of baroque experience by combining early music with the digital arts. This year’s closing event is Élémens, a divine ballet by Jean-Ferry Rebel depicting the Creation, featuring dancers and acrobats. www.montrealbaroque.com – Renée…
by Paul E. RobinsonIl TabarroEmily Pulley/Tim Mix/Robert Brubaker/Matthew DiBattistaDir: Ron DanielsSt. Louis Symphony/Ward Stare, conductorPagliacciTim Mix/Robert Brubaker/Matthew DiBattista/Kelly KaduceDir: Ron DanielsSt. Louis Symphony/Ward Stare, conductorOpera Theatre of St. LouisLoretto-Hilton CenterThursday, June 13, 2013“A married woman falls in love with a young man, and in a jealous rage, her possessive husband takes his revenge. Il Tabarro (The Cloak) and Pagliacci (Clowns). Two operas. The same story:” Brazilian director Ron Daniels succinctly gives us the gist of these two powerful music dramas. What a brilliant idea to present them together in a single evening – a little grim, yes, but wonderfully illuminating!Pagliacci is most often paired with Cavalleria Rusticana. Il Tabarro, as originally…
Discovery and Exploration at the Montréal Baroque Festival In addition to their Grand concerts series, the Montréal Baroque Festival will offer festival-goers more intimate programming, including a recital by this year’s artist-in-residence, Brazilian born Cléa Galhano, and a concert of sacred cantatas by Manuel de Zumaya performed by Mexican ensemble La Fontegara. This festival is a place of exploration and discovery; Soirée sans frontièreswill push the limits of baroque experience by combining early music with the digital arts. This year’s closing event is Élémens, a divine ballet by Jean-Ferry Rebel depicting the Creation, featuring dancers and acrobats. www.montrealbaroque.com – Renée…
25 Years: The Chœur Classique de MontréalThe Chœur Classique de Montréal presents great opera choruses with the Orchestra symphonique des Jeunes de Montréal, under the direction of Louis Lavigueur. The soloists include Natalia Savelyeva, soprano, Stéphanie Pothier, mezzo-soprano, Antoine Bélanger, tenor, and Joseph Rouleau, who will reprise the role of Boris Godunov, which he performed in 1987 on the occasion which first brought together the choristers of the Chœur Classique de Montréal. Maison symphonique, June 13 at 8:00 PM. choeurclassiquedemontreal.qc.ca- Renée Banville
Montreal Chamber Music Festival (MCMF/FMCM)The musical festival season opens with the MCMF. The 18th editition takes place from May 9 to June 1 at St. George’s Anglican Church. True to tradition, artistic director Denis Brott spares us no surprises. Performers include the Emerson and Fine Arts Quartets, the Swingle Singers, and pianists Jean-Philippe Collard and Oliver Jones, to name a few. This year’s four-hour marathon is dedicated to Tchaikovsky. www.festivalmontreal.org- Renée BanvilleArthur Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc au Bûcher Closes the 2012-13 Season at the OSMConductor Kent Nagano closes the OSM’s season with Arthur Honegger’s lyric mystery Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher (Joan…
Montreal Chamber Music Festival (MCMF/FMCM)The musical festival season opens with the MCMF. The 18th editition takes place from May 9 to June 1 at St. George’s Anglican Church. True to tradition, artistic director Denis Brott spares us no surprises. Performers include the Emerson and Fine Arts Quartets, the Swingle Singers, and pianists Jean-Philippe Collard and Oliver Jones, to name a few. This year’s four-hour marathon is dedicated to Tchaikovsky. www.festivalmontreal.org- Renée BanvilleConcert PrestigeThe MIMC has announced a prestigious concert bringing together violinist Maxim Vengerov, cellist Stéphane Tétrault, and pianist Serhiy Salov, 2004 grand prize winner of the MIMC. Accompanied by…
