By Michael Vincent on December 18, 2014
Maestro Nurhan Arman is the founding music director of Sinfonia Toronto - one of Canada's finest chamber orchestras made up of a core of 13 string players. The Armenian-born maestro has a busy career conducting throughout Europe and North America, as also has taught conducting, locally at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Arman has collaborated with André Laplante, Alexander Ghindin, Maria Kliegel, Measha Bruegergosman, Anton Kuerti, Janina Fialkowska, Lara St. John, Yuli Turovsky, Andrea Bacchetti, and many others. Here's what he had to say...
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By Michael Vincent on December 17, 2014
What's better than Monks undergoing a vow of silence singing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah with cue cards? Bravissimo!
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By Mylene Vincent on December 17, 2014
Soundstreams has officially released their annual report this week, which is quick progress, considering their fiscal year ended on August 31. It has been a busy year for Toronto’s intrepid contemporary classical music presenter. They moved offices across town, and also welcomed well-known arts manager, Susan Worthington as their new Executive Director effective early September 2014. It is yet to be seen what she will bring to this dynamic organization, but according to the report, she has a fairly healthy slate to work with.
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By Michael Vincent on December 16, 2014
We are delighted and humbled to announce Musical Toronto won first place in the Arts & Entertainment Category at the fifth annual Canadian Weblog Awards!
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By Michael Vincent on December 16, 2014
Every once in a while, a video comes along that makes you remember the magic of music as heard by children. Watch what happens at the end! Priceless.
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By Paul E. Robinson on December 16, 2014
Here we have two complete cycles of the 15 Shostakovich string quartets. How to choose between them? Actually, anyone seriously interested in this music needs have both of them.
The Beethoven Quartet cycle is practically self-recommending. The original members of the quartet worked together for the first time in 1923 as the Moscow Conservatory Quartet and regularly thereafter into the 1970s. As the Beethoven Quartet this great Soviet ensemble worked closely with Shostakovich for most of his life and gave the premieres of most of his quartets. The details of the relationship between Shostakovich and the Beethoven Quartet are well told by producer Jacob Harnoy in his liner notes. He quotes first violinist Dimitry Tsyganov on the subject of how they went about preparing the composer’s new quartets...
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By Michael Vincent on December 16, 2014
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 the comprehensive concert listings from our friends at Wholenote Magazine...
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By Michael Vincent on December 15, 2014
J. S. O'Leary?
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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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By Michael Vincent on December 15, 2014
At any given time during the holiday season, hundreds of choirs will amass in churches and various concert halls across the world, to perform Handel’s Messiah . With the exception of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, no other choral work has been so fixed into western musical culture. In fact for many, the tradition of going to a performance of the Messiah is as dear as beautifying the Christmas tree in the family living room.
But why?
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