After 40 years, Tafelmusik are poised to take Canada’s leading baroque orchestra and choir into new territory for the 2019–20 season, announced today.
Billed as an old meets new, the season includes a first-ever appearance of Romantic repertoire with Tchaikovsky (Serenade for string orchestra, op. 48) and Mendelssohn (Two string symphonies and A Scherzo from A Midsummer Night’s Dream arranged by Music Director Elisa Citterio’s brother Carlo Citterio.)
“At Tafelmusik, we do our best to perform music as it would have been heard when it was first composed, whether in 1626 or 1880,” says Elisa Citterio in a press release statement. “We also infuse everything we play with inspiration from our experience in the world today,”
The season also includes six new commissions by living composers including a premiere by Cree composer Andrew Balfour, a work for Tafelmusik’s harpsichordist Charlotte Nediger by Grégoire Jeay, and a choral commission by Canadian composer James Rolfe.
One of the season highlights is a new arrangement of Bach’s Goldberg Variations for strings, winds, and continuo by Citterio. The arrangement premieres April 22–26, 2020 at Jeanne Lamon Hall, and again April 28, at George Weston Recital Hall.
Alison Mackay’s ever-popular oeuvre of multimedia works will grow next season with a project called The Indigo Project, with percussionist Trichy Sankaran and vocalist Suba Sankaran (February 27, 2020 at Trinity-St Paul’s)
Tafelmusik continues with their commitment to moving early music beyond the confines of Toronto with a return to Europe with soprano Karina Gauvin for the first time in a decade, and a tour of Safe Haven throughout Ontario in 2020.
“In 2019/20 we look forward to extending our reach through new community access initiatives and dynamic programming that brings baroque music to life and makes it relevant to audiences today,” said Executive Director Carol Kehoe.
Tafelmusik will also debut a new recording, Vivaldi con amore in September 2019, and will record A Handel Celebration in May 2020 at Koerner Hall.
Along with the new come a few old standbys in 2019–20, with Tafelmusik’s annual Messiah concert happening December 17–20. Guest soloists include Lucile Richardot (mezzo-soprano), Thomas Hobbs (tenor), and Peter Harvey (baritone).
The Vesuvius Ensemble return to Tafelmusik for a holiday program inspired by the Italian countryside on December 4–8 at Jeanne Lamon Hall, and December 10 at George Weston Recital Hall.
While Tafelmusik celebrates four decades of music, the 2019-20 season offers a significant departure, with a new focus on exploring new artistic directions grounded with a historic perspective that endures. It’s a telling move for a group who continues to seek new avenues of musical adventure and with it, attention.
For complete season details, see here.
LUDWIG VAN TORONTO
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