Ludwig van Toronto

Toronto Classical concert picks for February 24, to March 2, 2014

Michael Vincent

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As we dig out from last week’s strange weather, and a beautifully sunny weekend (finally), there are a number of interesting concerts to attend this week.

25 Tuesday

Continuing with the weekly Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre noon-hour concerts, the COC and Ballet Jörgen Canada will be presenting a diverse program of classical and contemporary ballet. Works include Romeo and Juliet (excerpts); Desrosiers: Bouffonia. Bouffonia is a comedic ballet based on the antics of old world clowns, so if you have a fear of clowns, this might not be for you. Details here.

26 Wednesday

Come hear two of Beethoven’s piano concertos played by the great Yefim Bronfman: powerhouse and poet in one set of fingers. If you arrive early you can also enjoy free hors d’oeuvres before the concert. More Details here. 

NB: Bronfman will stick around for the opening of the TSO New Creations Festival, which kicks off later this week when he performs Magnus Lindberg’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on March 1st.

27 Thursday

Music Toronto presents an evening with pianist Stephanie Chua. She is a specialist in contemporary music, and will be performing works by Haydn, Donatoni, Sherkin Couperin, as well as a number of works by one of my favorite composers György Kurtág. Details here.

 28 Friday

Following their successful CD of Beethoven’s violin sonatas last year on the Decca label, Greek violin Virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos and pianist Enrico Pace have been touring their program far and wide this season. Works include Sonatas No. 1, 5, 7. Details here.

Kavakos provides an interesting discussion of the nuances of the Sonatas here:

 1 Saturday

This looks to be a good start to the 10th annual TSO New Creations Festival Series. The main pull for the evening will be a performance of John Adams: Doctor Atomic Symphony. The evening also brings two premières: Magnus Lindberg’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and a new work by the TSO RBC Affiliate Composer, Kevin Lau. This will mark Lau’s second work for the TSO since joining them last year. His piece is titled Down the Rivers of the Windfall Light and draws both its title and structure from Dylan Thomas’s poem, Fern Hill.

Note there will also be a pre- and post-concert performance starting at 6:45 PM. It will include the Glenn Gould School New Music Ensemble, conducted by Brian Current and featuring Toronto’s Wesley Shen on piano performing “My Twentieth Century” by Martin Bresnick, along with solo piano works by Ann Southam in the North Lobby. Wesley is fast becoming a popular pianist amongst Toronto’s up and coming composers and for good reason. Check it out if you can.

The post-concert will be a “mix and mingle” with musicians at a party in the North Lobby, with live music by the Toronto-based jazz group, the Steve Koven Trio.

Details here.

 2 Sunday

Not only a fine pianist, but also a writer and composer in his own right, Stephen Hough was the first classical performing artist to win the coveted MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. He will be performing works by Strauss, Schönberg, Wagner, Brahms, Bruckner, and Chopin. Should be a nice way to spend an afternoon. More details here.

Syrinx Concerts Toronto brings us a “Celebration of Canadian Composers.” Oddly there’s only one Canadian work on the program by Papineau-Couture, but other works include Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata, Corigliano “Sonata.” Details here.

For the adventurous, French-born avant-garde percussionist and composer Jean-Pierre Drouet is a familiar figure in modern European experimental music. He has worked with the likes of Luciano Berio and Karlheinz Stockhausen, and is best known for creating his own bizarre multi-media extravaganzas. He will be performing works by Vinko Globokar, Georges Aperghis, Frederic Rzewski, Giorgio Battistelli , and Mauricio Kagel. Details here.

Run in conjunction with the Toronto District School Board’s Continuing Education Program, this community opera company presents two fully staged, professionally costumed operas each year. The first will be a staged production of Bizet’s Carmen, and will be directed by Beatrice Carpino and Adolfo De Santis. Details here.

Michael Vincent