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CRITIC'S PICKS | Four Shows You Should See This Week (March 21 to 27)

By Joseph So on March 21, 2016

Critic’s Picks for the Week of March 21 to 27, including the U of T Faculty Artist Ensemble, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the TSO with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Metropolitan Festival Choir, Orchestra and Soloists.

Musical Toronto | Critic’s Picks for the Week of March 21 to 27
Musical Toronto | Critic’s Picks for the Week of March 21 to 27

Musical Toronto’s weekly Critic’s Picks are a fully curated list of some of the best concerts happening now through the end of the week. Of course, this is not to say we are the provocateurs of taste, but simply seek to provide a good weekly summary. For a look at the full breadth of what’s available in and around Toronto, check out our concert listings in the Musical Toronto Datebook.

The Toronto concert scene is very quiet for the second week in a row.  The unusual combination of March Break immediately followed by Easter Week means concert programmers are holding off for just a little bit longer. In years past, there were large-scale oratorios by major presenters such as St. Matthew Passion, B Minor Mass and the like, but there’s noticeably fewer this year. For comparison, I’ve spent Easter in Vienna and Munich on several occasions, and each time the musical cup truly runneth over in those places. Everything in town was closed except for the churches, opera houses and concert halls!  That said, here are a few events worth attending in T.O.:

Monday 21

U of T Music | Chamber Music Series: Faculty Artist Ensemble with Guest Artists at Walter Hall. 7:30 p.m. $10-40

March 21st 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall. The University of Toronto Chamber Music Series presents an evening of Mahler and Schoenberg. Mezzo Megan Quick sings Lied der Waldtaube excerpted from Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder, a wonderful early work with exquisite post-Romantic sensibilities. It’s rarely performed due to its massive scale – the last time I saw it locally was the TSO with Ben Heppner and Andrea Gruber. I think the Waldtaube was Lilli Passikivi.  The centerpiece of this concert is Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde in the chamber version arranged by Schoenberg. Megan Quick and tenor Andrew Haji are the soloists. Haji is a former member of the COC Ensemble, and Quick is joining the Ensemble next season. This is a concert not- to-be-missed. More info here.

Wednesday 23

Toronto Mendelssohn Choir | Sacred Music For A Sacred Space at St. Paul’s Basilica. 7:30 p.m. $20-50 (Repeats March 25)

Toronto Mendelssohn Choir under Noel Edison is presenting Sacred Music for a Sacred Space. The program includes Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices, Corlis’ God So Loved the World, Whitacre’s Her Sacred Spirit Soars, plus a TMC commission, Enns’ I will lift up mine eyes. The concert takes place at the beautiful St. Paul’s Basilica on Power St south of Queen Street East and east of Parliament St. Details here.

TSO | Scenes of the Mediterranean with Jean-Yves Thibaudet at Roy Thomson Hall. 8:00 p.m. $33.75-148 (Repeats March 24)

For those interested in secular programming, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra is offering Scenes of the Mediterranean. French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet returns to Toronto for Saint Saëns Piano Concerto No. 5. Also on the program are Respighi’s famous Pines of Rome and Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture. Stephane Denève conducts. Full details found here.

Friday 25

Metropolitan United ChurchRequiem: In a Time of Sorrow at Metropolitan United. 7:30 p.m. $10-30

Requiem: In a Time of Sorrow is the annual Good Friday concert at Metropolitan United, with the Metropolitan Festival Choir, Orchestra and Soloists in music by Bach and Brahms. The Brahms Requiem features soprano Gisele Kulak and baritone Jordan Scholl. The soloist in Alto Rhapsody is mezzo Laura Pudwell. Also on the program is Bach’s Cantata No. 78 with Alison Campbell, Claudia Lemcke, Charles Davidson and Jordan Scholl. For details, see here.

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Joseph So

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