Toronto Summer Music: An Evening in Vienna — Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525; Kreisler: Alt-Wiener Tanzweisen; R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier Waltz (arr. Váša Přihoda); Mozart: Ch’io mi scordi di te?, K. 505; J. Strauss: Radetzky-Marsch, Op. 228; J. Strauss – Rosen aus dem Süden, Op. 388; Emmerich Kálmán & Leo Stein: Die Csárdásfürstin; Franz Lehár: Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiß; Franz Lehár: Vilja Lied; Franz Lehár: Zigeunerliebe ; J. Strauss: Kaiser-Walzer, Op. 437; J. Strauss: Wein, Weib und Gesang, Op. 333. Simone McIntosh, mezzo-soprano; Yura Lee, violin; Jonathan Mak, piano; TSM Festival Orchestra; Jennifer Mak, host. Koerner Hall, July 31, 2025.
For fans of the Toronto Summer Music Festival, it’s always a little sad when we get to the last days of the month-long event. But all good things must come to an end, and I can’t think of a happier way to bring it to a close than having an evening of Viennese waltzes, gorgeous operettas and assorted bon-bons.
It was indeed a festive evening. The TSM organizers even sent out emails to ticket holders, suggesting that they might just consider dressing up for the occasion.
Wow, let’s pretend Koerner Hall is the Musikverein and let’s go for a bit of glitz and glamour, shall we? Thank goodness that the summer heat wave had abated in time and it wasn’t too stifling to be in formal wear!
First Half
The first half opened in genteel fashion, with that extremely familiar Mozart gem, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, beautifully played by the chamber ensemble led by violinist Jonathan Crow. It set the mood for the next piece, Alt Wiener Tanzweisen, composed by the great violin virtuoso, Fritz Kreisler. It was a virtuosic work, designed to show off the dazzling technique of the two soloists. Yura Lee (violin) and Jonathan Mak (piano) were up to the task perfectly.
The two of them followed the Kreisler with waltz music from one of my very favourite operas, Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, in an arrangement by Czech violin virtuoso Vaša Přihoda. This was the first time that I heard this music played by just two instruments, and frankly it was a bit of a shock. I won’t lie and say I didn’t miss a full-size Strauss orchestra, but it was great credit to Lee and Mak for making it so lovely to the ear.
The first half concluded with the famous Mozart concert aria “Ch’io mi scordi di te?” sung with gleaming tone by Canadian mezzo Simone McIntosh. A COC Ensemble graduate, McIntosh is enjoying a fine career internationally. I’ve always thought that with her talent and musicality, she’d go places. On her schedule is Adalgisa in Norma in Hamburg later this season – not too shabby, eh?
Second Half
The second half opened with the lively and rousing Radetzky March, played with great energy and elan by the full Festival Orchestra. Host Jennifer Mak helped put the audience in the mood by leading them in rhythmic clapping. Then it was Simone McIntosh again, offering arias from four famous operettas, Die Csárdáfürstin, Giuditta, Die Lustige Witwe, and Zigeunerliebe.
These operettas hardly ever get fully staged on this side of the pond, and it’s a shame. I had the good fortune of having seen them in Germany over the years. McIntosh delivered the arias with refulgent tone, her big gleaming high mezzo with its brilliant top never sounded better. Added to that her irrepressible stage persona, and you have a winning formula.
Her “Meine Lippen, sie Küssen so heiß” was outstanding, the way she was dancing around onstage reminded me so much of Anna Netrebko, except that McIntosh didn’t take her shoes off. Touching was her Vilja Lied, a diva vehicle if ever there’s one, so sometimes it can come across as a bit affected, but not in her case! She sang it so wistfully, throwing in an interpolated high B natural for good measure – it’s one for the memory bank.
Final Thoughts
The last two items were reserved to show off the excellent Festival Orchestra — “Kaiser-Walzer,” and ending with “Wein, Weib und Gesang,” or “Wine, Woman and Song,” a rather sexist title but musically lovely just the same. The waltz melodies from these last two pieces gave me itchy feet — too bad we weren’t in a ballroom.
There you have it, a wonderful musical conclusion to the 20th Anniversary Toronto Summer Musical Festival mainstage concert series. May there be another 20 years and more.
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