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 Tyler Versluis on March 6, 2015
March is the month for Toronto’s new music warhorses, with our concert recommendations coming from New Music Concerts, Tapestry Opera and Continuum Contemporary music. From the intrigue of unusual collaborations- including unusual percussion and organ group Duo Szathmáry/Tzschoppe and “opera singer/DJ” pairing Carla Huhtanen and Nicole Lizée, to the 30th anniversary concert of Continuum Music, this month’s concert recommendations celebrates both the unfamiliar and the established in Toronto’s new music community, as well as one lone pianist who communicates with her fists and arms rather than her fingers...
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By Paul E. Robinson on March 6, 2015
On the day that I played this new DVD celebrating the opening of the new Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, world news networks were reporting that prominent Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov had been murdered on the street near the Kremlin in Moscow. Yet another example of the ruthlessness of the Putin regime? Perhaps...
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By Michael Vincent on March 5, 2015
This June, the Luminato Festival will present Apocalypsis, a truly epic sized oratorio written by Canadian composer and prolific author R. Murray Schafer...
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By Ludwig Van on March 4, 2015
An indispensable tool for musicians, this Moleskine notebook is made for musicians. Perfect for jotting down harmonies, melodies, musical ideas...
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By Michael Vincent on March 4, 2015
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 Robin Roger on March 2, 2015
Marc-André Hamelin’s piano program for his afternoon concert at Koerner Hall on March 1 began with a piece by the highly seminal but under performed composer, John Fields, without whom we would not have the nocturne...
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By Paul E. Robinson on March 2, 2015
German baritone Christian Gerhaher recently performed in Toronto and those who heard him won’t have to be told what a fine artist he is. This new recording provides even more evidence, as if it were needed, of the beauty of his voice and the keen intelligence with which he uses it. This is somewhat esoteric repertoire, but the collaboration between Gerhaher and conductor Daniel Harding is consistently compelling...
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By Michael Vincent on February 27, 2015
The visual art world has been exploring the role of the Internet in our lives for over a decade but, in music, the concept has been slower to catch on...
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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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