By Colin Eatock on April 19, 2018
Among the many “breakthroughs” that have followed in the wake of Kendrick Lamar’s 2018 Pulitzer Prize for the album Damn is the fact that a hip-hop artist is now being discussed in classical music circles.
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By Colin Eatock on April 25, 2015
Perhaps there’s no such thing as an entirely typical Tafelmusik concert – but Thursday night’s program at Trinity-St. Paul’s Church, titled “Baroque Misbehaving,” was especially unusual, for a couple of reasons...
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By Colin Eatock on March 27, 2015
There are some singers who sound great in opera productions. And there are also singers who excel in Lieder. But, unfortunately, there aren’t very many who are masters of both genres. Is Elliot Madore one of these rare creatures?...
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By Colin Eatock on March 7, 2015
On Friday evening in Walter Hall, the spotlight was on Peter Togni. The Elmer Iseler Singers, under Lydia Adams, presented an entire program of music by the Halifax-based composer and broadcaster...
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By Colin Eatock on February 27, 2015
Once in a blue moon, I hear a song recital that makes me question the purpose of all other forms and genres of music...
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By Colin Eatock on February 12, 2015
Jack Diamond isn’t a musician – but he’s been a big influence on the classical music scene in Toronto. Many opera fans will recognize him as the architect of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, where the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada perform...
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By Colin Eatock on February 9, 2015
So what was music like in the Austrian court, back in the 1600s? Turns out, it was really quite marvellous – according to the evidence presented in the Toronto Consort’s program at Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church on Friday night...
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By Colin Eatock on January 21, 2015
Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer is more than four decades older than the young Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov – but they saw eye-to-eye in their Thursday evening recital at Koerner Hall. The varied program started well, and only got better when the duo was joined by cellist Giedre Dirvanauskaite...
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By Colin Eatock on January 10, 2015
The Juilliard String Quartet played at the Jane Mallet Theatre on Thursday evening – bringing with them a chilly program for a chilly January night. The program was part of Music Toronto’s Contemporary Classics series...
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By Colin Eatock on December 15, 2014
The King’s Singers aren’t just an ensemble – they’re an institution. Founded at King’s College Cambridge in 1968, the vocal sextet now contains none of its original members. However, with about 150 recordings to their credit and countless tours around the globe, they’ve built a strong brand-name and a devoted fan-base.
Evidently, more than a few of those fans live in Toronto: Koerner Hall was filled to capacity on Sunday afternoon for a Christmas program by the ensemble. It was also evident from the enthusiastic applause in the hall that their fans weren’t disappointed. I wish I shared their unbridled enthusiasm – but I came away with a somewhat different impression...
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