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By Neil Crory on January 25, 2015
Contrary to popular belief, critics and reviewers do not - for the most part - enjoy writing negative commentary. I know that I don't. But what can be said about the Canadian Opera Company's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts which opened on Saturday afternoon?
(Continue reading)By Michael Vincent on January 23, 2015
Over the last quarter-century, the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra has enjoyed the kind of PR that other arts organizations can only dream of. But to compare it with other orchestras is unfair, or is it?
(Continue reading)By Menon Dwarka on January 23, 2015
The Afiara Quartet has one of those reputations that immediately make them suspect. There’s an almost universal stamp of approval for what they do, from festival, schools, and various other cultural institutions, that one might suspect them of being little more than masters of political machinations...
(Continue reading)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...
(Continue reading)By Michael Vincent on January 17, 2015
There may have been no birthday cake served for Mozart’s party on Thursday night, but patrons at Roy Thomson Hall were treated to fulsome cuisine, complete with one serenade, one piano concerto, one sonata and, for dessert (flambéed, of course), a symphony...
(Continue reading)By Paul E. Robinson on January 15, 2015
Most music-lovers and performers too take it for granted that they know pretty much what Brahms should sound like. No need for the historically informed folks to get involved. In fact, however, there are still issues to be considered and we do need to look at period performance practice. Neither of these new sets claims to be “historically informed” but one in particular – the Chailly with the Gewandhausorchestra – shows that a lot of thinking and research has gone into the preparation and rehearsal process...
(Continue reading)By Neil Crory on January 11, 2015
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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...
(Continue reading)By Paul E. Robinson on January 8, 2015
Andris Nelsons is only 36 but already he has emerged as one of the leading conductors of his generation. After an extensive search he was chosen to head the Boston Symphony, one of the world’s finest orchestras. He recently concluded his tenure as music director of the City of Birmingham Orchestra – Simon Rattle’s old band until he went to Berlin – and he is in demand at the Met and virtually all the leading orchestras in the world. This new DVD finds him on the podium in front of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and this remarkable orchestra has never sounded better...
(Continue reading)By Paul E. Robinson on January 2, 2015
Music-lovers fortunate enough to have got a ticket for the recital given by Argerich and Barenboim in Berlin this past April must still be smiling ear to ear. This was truly a historic occasion and one of the great musical events of anybody’s lifetime. Argerich is 73 and Barenboim is 72 and each of them has long since been established as one of the foremost performers of their generation. And on the evidence of this recording their artistry has never been better...
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