{"id":109138,"date":"2024-11-04T10:19:32","date_gmt":"2024-11-04T15:19:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=109138"},"modified":"2024-11-04T10:19:32","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T15:19:32","slug":"critics-picks-classical-music-events-absolutely-need-see-week-november-4-november-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/11\/04\/critics-picks-classical-music-events-absolutely-need-see-week-november-4-november-10\/","title":{"rendered":"CRITIC\u2019S PICKS | Classical Music Events You Absolutely Need To See This Week: November 4 \u2013 November 10"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"L-R
L-R (clockwise): Composer John Adams (Photo: Vern Evans); Esencia Flamenca (Photo courtesy of the artists); The Lute Legends (Photo courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between November 4 and November 10, 2024. For more of what\u2019s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Friends of Music at St. Thomas\u2019s Church: Lute Legends Collective & The Butter Quartet: There Is a Season: A Musical Mosaic<\/h3>\n

Tuesday, November 05, 7 p.m.
\nSt. Thomas\u2019s Anglican Church, 383 Huron St. Pay-what-you-can.<\/p>\n

All things that look like the guitar \u2014 aren\u2019t guitars. It is silly, but how often do we hear a \u2018guitar\u2019 and think: hmmm, that’s a bit out there? The guitar family is a fascinating bunch. In addition to the common guitar, including classical, steel-stringed, 12 string, steel guitar, double neck, and touch guitar, they all are in common use, even when many of us cannot tell them apart by looking. When we add international variations: the lute from Europe, setar and \u2018\u016bd from Persia, Pipa from China, Kora from west Africa, the variety and subtle differences are quite rich \u2014 and the more you know, the more you will hear. To see and hear them all together would be a great way to learn the finesse and tradition of each instrument that carried stories and voices from the past, and now. Toronto\u2019s Lute Legends Collective, joined by visiting Butter Quartet from Netherland, will present the infinite beauty of these instruments through the contrasts and harmony of music of the seasons from Austria, Italy, China, Turkey, and India. A great way to look closely at what we thought we already knew \u2014 a worthwhile journey for a Tuesday evening. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Toronto Symphony Orchestra: John Adams Returns<\/h3>\n

Wednesday, Nov 06, 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov 9, 8 p.m.
\nRoy Thomson Hall, $30+<\/p>\n

American master John Adams returns to TSO presenting an iconic favourite: \u2018This is Prophetic!\u2019 from the opera Nixon in China, featuring lyric soprano Anna Prohaska, and a Canadian premiere of Adams\u2019 new work \u2018Frenzy\u2019. Adams\u2019 mastery of rhythm and orchestration drove many people to explore contemporary classical music for the very first time, and the excellence of his music has been recognized by both the critics and classical fanatics \u2014 as winner of the Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition, the Erasmus Prize, and the Pulitzer, and the general public, as a permanent fixture on Classic FM, and Bachtracks\u2019 Top 10 living composers list. See the maestro lead the TSO through his own world, as Adams\u2019 take on Debussy\u2019s Le Livre de Baudelaire, and a nod to the past great, Ravel\u2019s Alborada del gracioso, fills out the evening \u2014 he\u2019s a fantastic conductor, and it\u2019ll be a joy to see this large orchestra in a synched pulsation of such great programming. Read our Interview with John Adams here<\/a>. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Esencia Flamenca<\/h3>\n

Thursday, Nov 7, 7:30 p.m.,
\nThe Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres, $50+<\/p>\n

The Castro Romero family is a legend in the international Flamenco community. Since Castro Romero siblings Rosario, Ricardo, and Jose Romero founded the Flamenco Suite Espa\u00f1ola in 1994, their superb musical and dancing ability, paired with great programming and amazing company members, have brought the passion of flamenco to all corners of the world: from the Mariinsky Theatre, the Bolshoi, to the American Ballet, Paris Opera, and the Royal Ballet, to name a few. Winner of the Spanish National Prize for Cultura Viva dance, their 2024 Esencia Flamenca Canada Tour stops at the historic Elgin theatre this Thursday. A must, for an evening full of infectious rhythm and dramatic tension calling for flourished explosions and a celebration of the depth of human emotion. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Elmer Iseler Singers: Fall Mysticism<\/h3>\n

Friday, November 8, 7:30 p.m.
\nSt. Basil\u2019s Church, 50 St. Joseph St., $25+<\/p>\n

The Elmer Isler Singers is a 20-member professional choir \u2014 a rarity. Traditionally, choral singing is community-based music making, which incorporates many shades of musical experience and ability, a true celebration of diversity; however, professional choirs, few and far between, may be a unique experience for the audience, as the depth of experience and superb musicianship from the members can be stunning \u2014 it\u2019s certainly a level up. EIS opens their 46th season with Fall Mysticism, featuring a world premiere by Peter-Anthony Togni\u2019s \u2018The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom\u2019. Composer Togni sang in the St. Vladimir Orthodox Church in Halifax for five years, and the tradition of the Russian Orthodox choral singing has inspired many \u2014 including Rachmaninoff\u2019s Vespers. To see how Togni has been transformed and inspired to create from this rich tradition, through the excellence of the EIS, is a great way to experience the beauty of mysticism. The Elora Singers will be joining the EIS for this concert. Info here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Leonidas Kavakos: Complete Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin<\/h3>\n

Saturday November 9, 8 p.m., Sunday November 10, 5 p.m.
\nKoerner Hall, $55+<\/p>\n

Over two concerts, Kavakos presents all six of Bach\u2019s works for the solo violin. Work of impossibility \u2014 asking the melodic violin to create canons and fugues, the work is an enigma: what is possible? And how would it be possible? Would it ever \u2014 ? This impossible beauty has attracted many aficionados and serious musicians, and along with Bach’s cello suites, its impressive depth and philosophic interest has kept the work at the top of the mountain of violin music for centuries. Brilliant in his superb ability while being an understated man, Kavakos is an enigma himself. His recording of the work in 2022 with Sony is referred as \u2018… a contemplation of the divine\u2019 (The Strad), as Kavakos somehow let the music be the master, despite what seems like an endless reserve of technique that he holds. This is no small feat, and it\u2019s exciting to hear this phenomenon live, in the literature that demands so much more beyond perfect technique. Come, for the contemplation of human emotions, explored through nothing but a man and his instrument. First concert features Partita 3, Sonatas 2 and 3, and the second concert features Sonata1, and Partitas 1 and 2. Read our Interview with Leonidas Kavakos here<\/a>. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

That Choir Remembers 2024<\/h3>\n

Saturday November 9, 8 p.m., Sunday November 10, 3 p.m.
\nChurch of Holy Trinity, 10 Trinity Square, Pay-what-you-can<\/p>\n

This a cappella group has already totally blown me away with their rendition of \u2018When David Heard\u2019 (Whitacre) at the end of the COVID-pandemic. The work is beautiful, but fraught with difficulties \u2014 17 minutes of Whitacre\u2019s closely-spaced, highly dissonant harmony, requires dedication and superb musicianship. And they delivered. For this early November, That Choir brings us a chance for reflection and connection through honouring and remembering those who we love, and continue to love, despite the constrictions of time and death. A great way to experience the calm and contemplativeness of November, where we are reminded of the fleeting nature of life \u2014 memento mori, and the love that we seek to express beyond that boundary. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Amici Ensemble: Was Brahms a God<\/h3>\n

Sunday, November 10, 3 p.m.
\nTrinity-St. Paul’s Centre, $50+<\/p>\n

When we know something well, it is easy to forget how amazing it must’ve been initially. As we age, we often settle into a mould we’ve created for ourselves \u2014 the youthful outreach, the sense of wonder, these jubilant feelings, become distant over time, and remembrance of them, rather than experience, becomes more common. As often said in a litany: youth is wasted on youth. In his late 50s, as Brahms contemplated retiring from composing, two things happened: he heard young Ern\u0151 Dohn\u00e1nyi’s first piano quintet, aged just 18. Brahms extended his friendship and opened many doors for the youth. And when Brahms heard legendary clarinettist Richard M\u00fchlfeld’s playing, he embarked upon binge writing for the clarinet: both clarinet sonatas, the clarinet trio, and the clarinet quintet were written for M\u00fchlfeld. Now, 133 years after its premiere, it’s difficult to imagine how ‘new’ that clarinet quintet (1891) must’ve sounded \u2014 the ensemble format has been largely forgotten, and no major new work has come up since Mozart’s K. 581 (1789) \u2014 and boom, there it was, an instant icon. These two powerful works have become standards of the canon and deserve to be heard with a fresh mindset, even in the 21st century. Come out to hear Amici and guests play these classics with superb musicianship and ease this Sunday. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Classical music and opera events in Toronto for the week of November 4 \u2013 10, 2024. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":109141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[40967,74,10,76,19,875,3895,38,63],"tags":[258,1745],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-94.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-soi","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109138"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109138"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109142,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109138\/revisions\/109142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109138"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=109138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}